Living Ghost
by Green Tima
Summary: AnimorphDP crossover what happens when the most important person in your life is dead? What else you go see the experts. Ch 28 29. The past and future are faced by our heros, some prosper, others fall.
1. My name is

Disclaimer, you know the drill, I don't own anything, act of fiction, don't sue me, can't pay you anything, just enjoy the working of my insane mind

For the record I started scripting this before I saw Ultimate Enemy so no that movie won't apply to this story, of course if I get that far, a version of it might be introduced. This pretty much pick up way before and right after Reign Storm- that'll make sense when you read the story.

If you know Animorphs, you might just want to scan through the begging of the first chapter, since it's mostly review, but we do eventually get to the real story in Ch 1.

edited a few small things- 9-17

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My name is Tobias.

I'd tell you my last name but at this point it doesn't really matter.

I am a living ghost, I once existed in the world of humanity, as a part of it like those I called family. Even when I left it, there were still those that knew me, and now that time has passed they have forgotten me as well. Now there are no humans that speak my name, to the world of humans I am dead, and I've come to prefer it that way. I even have a death certificate, although it lists me as a presumed dead since they never found a body, and there's very little chance they'll find a human corps. Of course to understand that you have to know my past.

For all intents and purposes I was a normal human, a normal kid, all be it one that wasn't popular in the least. More than once I had my head stuck in the toilet. That all changed one night in a construction site, I watched an alien ship crash with four other kids. Jake, who a few days earlier had forced a few punks off me, someone I'd shadowed ever since. His best friend Marco, who's reputation as a joker and wanna be ladies man was legend. Jakes cousin Rachel, who at first glance looked like a super model, and who you quickly learned had the heart of an amazon. Then there was Cassie, Jake's sorta girl friend and Rachel's best friend, a girl who knew everything about animals thanks to her parents.

The lone pilot of the ship was an Andalite named Prince Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, think a blue centaur with no mouth, two extra eyes on stalks sitting on the top of his head, and a scorpions tail, he told us of the danger facing our world.

He warned us of the Yeerks, another alien race, basically little slugs that in their normal sate are pretty harmless, except for one little detail. Somehow nature saw fit to give them the ability to crawl into a persons brain and completely take them over, turn them into what is called a 'Controller'. They gain the use of the host's body, their memory, for all intents and purposes they are they person, and there's no way to detect them, and what's worse they were already on Earth trying to take it over.

Not take over as in leveling cities, no they moved silently, infesting one person at a time, trying to undermine the planet till there were no free humans left. And some how Elfangor in his weakened state decided we, five kids, were the only salvation for the world, a team Marco would dub the Animorphs, short for animal morphers.

Luckily he gave us a weapon his race had developed, the ability to morph. The ability to acquire the DNA of any creature we can tough and become that creature in both body and mind, well body and instinct. But only for two hours at a time, after that whatever body your in you stayed stuck in for the rest of your life. We also gained thought speech, a kind of one way telepathy that allows us to speak with other creatures either one at a time or in groups, it even allowed our thoughts to travel through walls, but only in morph, or bodies not capable of 'human' speech.

A few moments after giving us this power, he was dead, killed by Visser Three, the only Andalite controller in existence, the only Yeerk that could morph. I watched him eat Elfangor using a body he had acquired from another planet, and with his death the fate of the world fell to a bunch of kids.

Not surprisingly humans weren't the only controls we up against, the Yeerks had enslaved a few worlds along the way and gained a few powerful bodies in the process. The Taxxons, basically ten foot long centipedes with four eyes that'll eat anything they can get their mouths around, not even the Yeerk in it's head could stop a Taxxon once it smells blood. The other big race are the Hork-Bajir, seven foot lizards that stand on two legs and have blades popping out of their wrists, fore arms, elbows, knees, tail and head. Basically they looked like walking knives or lawnmowers from hell. With a Yeerk in their head they were a force to be reaconed with, without one they had the brain capacity of six year olds and wanted nothing more than to eat tree bark. Yes I have a bit of a soft spot in my heart for the Hork-Bajir, a few free ones saved my life in more ways than one.

Not to say we didn't have friends as well, a few weeks after this all started we found Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill, Ax for short, at the bottom of the ocean in what as left of an Andalite ship. He also happened to be the little brother of Elfangor, unfortunately he wasn't much older than us, and hadn't seen much combat himself.

Then there were the Chee, a race of alien androids built before humanity came into existence. Their creators were the Pemalites, a race who had moved beyond violence, a race that was wiped out by another species called the Howlers. The Chee and what was left of their creators came to earth, the Chee couldn't keep there creators from extinction so they did the next best thing they could come up with, they took the closest living creature on earth that resembled them and merged them together creating a new species, creating dogs. Yes all dogs with the exception of a few breeds are the result of fusing aliens and wolves, back before humans as we now think of them existed. Not surprisingly since the Chee were based Pemalites form so they look like big metal dogs that walk on two legs. And from that point on the Chee have lived on earth, hiding in plain site with the help of holographic generators that make them appear human. The Chee are pretty much immortal, the same ones that landed on earth all those years ago are still functional and have been living like humans protecting what remains of the Pemalites legacy. So when the Yeerks came to earth, the Chee chose to side with us and stop them, problem was they were incapable of violence, they can bench press a truck, and run across the United States in only a few minutes, but they can't hurt a flee. Of course with their holographic generators they made great spies, especially our liaison Erek who pretty much master minded the resistance on his end.

And then there was the Elitist, a God like being that can do nearly anything, move planets, make black holes, alter time and just about any thing you can think of. And he's sworn not to interfere, at least not directly for the most part, he's a game master playing chess against the Crayak, basically his evil counter part. No one really knows how long they've been playing the game, but existence as we know it hangs on what they do. But like all games even theirs have rules, and they cannot be broken, but like all rules there are ways to bend them. Luckily he knew more than a few ways to do so and used them to our advantage, not because of us directly but because of what he hopes we'd set in motion.

Between us, we managed to hold the Yeerks at bay for a long time, gave them a few black eyes, sent them running with their tails between their legs, even took out a few of their ships, and in the end we managed to beat them, but not without casualties along the way.

I was the first, on our initial mission I over shot the two hour time limit and became trapped in the body of a Red-Tail Hawk. All in all it wasn't exactly a down grade, my dad was dead, I had no clue were my mom was, and was stuck being shipped between an aunt and a uncle who lived on different coats who could've cared less if I lived or died. For a little while I tried not to let it effect me, I lived in Jake's attic, ate whatever he could get me, what I lost in a normal life I gained in flight. But that time was all to short, the hawk instinct eventually took over, and for a few days I lost control of my body, till I was able to conquer the hawk mind. But that experience changed me, after that the hawk instincts were part of me, indistinguishable from the human side of my intellect. Because of them I choose to live as a hawk, live in a tree, hunt and kill my own food, run the risk of something bigger and meaner getting lucky and killing me. It might not have been the best life but it was the one I wanted.

And honestly I'm not sure how many innocent humans and Hork-Bajir we killed, not to mention all the terminally ill kids we gave the power to during the tail end of the war. I know most if not all of them were killed when everything came out and all humanity was fighting against the Yeerks. You have to understand morphing works by DNA, when we gave them the power we cured the majority, those with genetic disorders we couldn't help, they were the true hero's, by that time there was no subtlety, it was tooth and claw the entire way and they died saving the world.

But they don't compare to the final loss we suffered. Rachel died, killed by a Yeerk controlling Jakes brother, I death I know I helped, because in her last moment of life I told her how to kill her cousin rather than telling her know how to escape. I know she told me to tell her how to administer the death blow, but the truth was still the truth I didn't tell her to escape, I let the woman I love die.

And then just like that everything was done the Andalites came, cleared out the rest of the Yeerks earth was at peace, and we were all expecting one of those global societies you only get from science fiction shows to start up. Mean while the world labeled us hero's, treated us like royalty, well treated the others like royalty, I preferred a lower profile.

A few days later came Rachel's funeral, really it was little more than ceremony for the masses since her body couldn't be identified among all the debris of the ship. I know it wasn't Rachel in the jar of her supposed ashes but I took it anyway, she wouldn't have wanted all the fan fair, she just wanted to fight, to live. She would have hated to have people constantly saying how great she was, and how much she changed the world, that just wasn't her.

After the funeral I cut myself off from all sentient creatures and tried to let the hawk take over and guide me, I just wanted to forget I was human, to forget everything I did, and everything I lost, unfortunately the hawk never really took over, the human side of my awareness hung on and reminded me everyday that it was my fault she died, forcing me to live with the guilt, and continually question what I could have done differently to save her.

For two months I carried on like that, wallowing in my own grief and pity, hoping day after day that something would kill me so I could be with her in the after life, and everyday I survived to another sunrise. Then out of the blue he stood before me.

Unlike with the others The Ellimist didn't bother with a human form, he stood on the branch in front of me as a pure white hawk and made me an offer, I could have anything I wanted if I served him for period of time as his emissary, a creature both bound by the laws that governed The Ellimist and The Crayak, and yet capable of acting directly on situations to a certain point. I jumped at the chance, ready to jump through any hoop he put in front of me since I already had my payment decided.

For five earth years I worked for him, I acted as intermediary between The Ellimist and other worlds, fought against the agent of The Crayak and did things that ranged from menial tasks the starting wars. I even added the DNA of a few alien creatures to my inventory. It took over a year to begin to unravel some of the missions The Ellimist sent me on. On one planet I stopped a girl for half a minute, turns out that brief delay prevented what would have become a traffic jam. Without the traffic jam a scientist was able to get to work in time to have a break through he couldn't have had otherwise. That break through would result in antibodies being developed that would save half a dozen planets provided things proceeded according to my employers plan. I'm still trying to figure out how the one war I started that only lasted three days and ended up resulting in planetary peace?

It was seemed like it was painfully slow but eventually my five years were up, and I asked him flat out to bring Rachel back to life.

And he refused, he could move worlds and alter the time stream, but he couldn't bring my love to me. Apparently that was a rule he and The Crayak had agreed upon long before even the first Pemalites walked on two legs. I argued with him for days, using every fictional way TV, movies and books had taught me you could bring someone back from the dead, and in the end none of them would work. Not to say I didn't come close, there were worlds that had ways, either natural or artificial, that could resurrect her, but many of them had a time limit or special requirements that I couldn't meet. In the end the closest solution was an alternate timeline, and for a brief period of time I'm disgusted to say I considered it. But it was something I couldn't go through with, I knew in my heart it would be a lie, I wanted Rachel back, but to get her back that way was hollow, she'd be close but she'd never be my Rachel. I just couldn't dishonor her memory like that.

In the end my heart just wasn't in it so I made the requests fast so I could leave and get on with my life. I had him de-age my hawk body to that of a young hawk and prevent it from aging, while making my human body start aging. Then I had him speed up the morph time so takeing a new form only took a fraction of the time. Shifting to other birds only took a second or two, while my sperm whale could take up to thirty seconds. For some reason he couldn't wipe out or extend the time limit, or let me go from one form to another without returning to my hawk body, but I didn't really care at that point. The only other one I cared about was having all of my memories of Rachel renewed, that wish came with a few interesting twist it the form of memories I didn't even know I had along with a few other benefits. In the end I asked for a few other things, but by that time mentally I wasn't even there, I was lost in a memory of Rachel.

It was then that he sprang a little clause in our deal on me, I wasn't allowed to remember most of what happened while I was in his employ. As he explained it, letting former emissaries run around with that kind of information was to dangerous and could'nt be allowed. I'd still remember bits and pieces of varing size of what I'd done, but for the most part it would be nothing but a blur. Once more at that point I didn't care, so I'd be robbed of five years of my life, it's not like it was worth anything anymore. And just like that he stripped me of years of work, except for the few things listed above that I still remember clearly, and yet her let me keep the bodies I'd acquired from my time with him, as well as the information surronding them.

As per our deal brokered all those years ago he returned me to the exact spot he had taken my from in the forest. I spent three months in that forest, unwilling to journey back to town, back to people, back to the others and tell them I failed to bring her back.

In the end going back to civilization wasn't a choice I had the luxury of making. One day I just spotted a girl in the woods who couldn't have any more than six. It only took a quick look at her cloths and her face to put the pieces together. She was lost, probably had been for a few day, and scared out of her mind. I did the only thing I could I spoke to her, the first human I'd spoken to in a long time. She had no clue who I was or where the voice was coming from, for a while she actually thought she was hallucinating but she listened to me and I guided out. It took almost an hour but we ended up right as Cassie's family home, a place I to had once called home. Cassie's dad came running out of the house and hurried her inside, asking her if she was the girl everyone had been look for the last four days. I was actually kind of put off by that, I knew Cassie probably had a life all her own by now but I would have expected her to fly down to help for a man hunt in a forest she knew like the back of her hand.

For a second I considered flying back into the woods, but figured if I had come this far I should go a little further and at least see if the city had been rebuilt, and how the influx of aliens was treating earth.

Lets just say things were not quite as expected, there were no aliens, no flying cars, and no freaky buildings, no nothing that distinguished the city from how it looked when I left, granted there were a lot of new buildings, but they all looked like normal human designs. The more I looked the more things seemed oddly normal, almost as if there hadn't been a massive alien invasion, for a few moments I thought The Ellimist had sent no to another world, another reality, but remnants of the Yeerk pool were still there despite all the damage we'd done to it near the end of the war. For three days I was completely lost, I was home and yet I wasn't, the world was not the way it should be yet so many things were the same, Jake, Marco and Cassie were alive, but Tom and Rachel were dead and I was still presumed dead, yet the reasons behind so many event I had been a part of were completely different from what I remember.

Then she came into my life. I was asleep in a tree I'd used long ago during the war, when I sensed a presence. Even in the dark when my eyes were at their worst I could see her. She was about fourteen with features from both Hispanic and Asian ancestry, she was pretty in an everyday kind of way that didn't necessarily draw the eye but you did notice her. And she spoke to me, not at me, to me, and used my name. Then she did something I've only seen a few people do, she started to shimmer.

The girl was a Chee, more specifically she was Erek, after the war all the Chee had changed their forms to renew their secrets and avoid being used by human or any alien race that came to earth. The little girls story had gotten some air time and she'd mentioned the voice in her head, and that it knew it's way through the forest, the Chee had put two and two together, even though many thought the chance of it being me were slim.

Luckily Erek, pardon. Nikki as she now called herself, was able to fill in the blanks of what happened while I was gone. The whole thing started six hours after I left, one of the Andalite ships in orbit had a couple of hot shot scientists that had come to earth to do research on one of their pet projects, healing devices they called _lurcsaels, _humanity had another name for them, nanites.

Bio-mechanical machines all about the size of a germ that were designed to heal any Andalite injury. When it came to Andalites they worked perfectly, but they weren't sure how other species would react to them, hence why they were still experimental. Somehow they got out of their containment field and out of the ship, which just happened to be in Earths orbit. Within twenty four hours every human, earth based technology, and even a few animals was infected with nanites.

By the end of said twenty four hours every alien that had been on the planet had been placed on an orbiting ship, and were treated to the end result of the Andalites' handiwork. Twenty four hours to the second they'd been released the nanites kicked on and wiped the minds, hard drives, and everyone storage device of everything they'd infested on earth of very specific information. Within the span of a minute all traces of the Andalites, the Yeerks, the Hork-Bajir, and the war were gone with the wind. Everything we'd fought and died for had been erased, all the scarifies we'd made would never be known, everything had been torn away by an accident.

It turns out the Chee had two allies on that ship, a disguised Chee and Ax, between them they were able to discover the act that lead to the human contamination. A maintenance crew from two days earlier had been doing routine maintenance, something akin to a human screw got away from them and somehow worked itself into a power relay junction. That junction just happened to control the power to the containment field, and for a split second that screw caused the power to fail and the nanites to be released, and by the time the Andalites noticed what had happened it was to late.

Luckily the Chee were already on top of the situation before it got even further out of hand. Somehow they were able to tap into the nanite network and keep humanity calm after they all suffered the artificial amnesia. The Chee tried everything they could think of to undo the damage, they even went as far as creating fake memories of the war and feed them to the network in the hopes of replacing the lost knowledge, but the nanites destroyed the new information as they had the real memories. In the end the Chee had no choice but to create artificial memories of what had happened to earth during the war that didn't involved aliens in any way. Every battle, every death, every piece of property damage now had strictly human reasons behind it, and as a result, the five of us were now nothing more than normal kids. Well three of us were normal, I was still a legally dead, and Rachel and Tom were both remembered as hero's who they saved Rachel's sisters from their burning home, an event that cost both their lives.

And just like that Earth went on with everyone believing the new history, and all aliens were returned to the realm of fiction.

Except for the ones in orbit of course. The Andalites decided to turn their big mistake into a science experiment and record the long term effects of the nanites on humans, at least that was the official line according to Ax. The truth was they were watching us to see when we'd develop a technological level near their own. From what they had come to know about humans in that short breath of time was that humans were violent creatures that lashed out at anything different, that being the main reason they didn't try to reestablish contact after the infestation. They knew at some point we'd reach their level, and they wanted to be prepared for that moment, so they could turn us into allies rather than run the risk that humanity would become threats like the Yeerks. According to the Chee the ship in orbit isn't that large, and their aren't that many Andalites manning it, but it could do some serious damage to the planet if it wanted to. A year after they established the outpost the nanites on earth all died off and were absorbed into the human body and disposed off naturally.

As far as the Chee and Andalites were concerned the nanite contamination was an accident, I knew better, this was either the work of The Ellimist or The Crayak, or one of those working on their behalf. It's hard to explain unless you've been in their employ, but with enough time and information you can detect the subtle influence they had in a situation.

In any case I finally had an ally, and proof I wasn't insane, that I was home. A home I had no place in. I consider myself lucky Nikki offered me a home after that, otherwise I probably would have flown into a wolf pack and let them kill me, rather than let myself live in the lie my world had become.

The Chee had managed to rebuild their home a few days after the official end of the war, and it was so much like their last one, a completely normal human home except for the subterranean cavern that housed dogs of every size, shape, breed. By day I helped them take care of what remained of their creators, watched TV and occasionally left to go hunting. And by night I slept in the cavern, safe in the knowledge nothing would hurt me, at least not physically. My mind how ever was under constant attack, I suffering from a depression so deep I couldn't even guess where the bottom was. I was alone, I had one of a kind for years, but now I was truly alone, not even the Chee could change that. I tried to talk to them about what I had done, what I had seen, and they were willing to listen, but they never truly understood what I went through. They had seen more violence than any other creature than I could think of, but they didn't understand what it was like to kill someone, let alone hundreds of people. That is save Nikki, and by mutual consent we never spoke of the carnage she caused in a few moments when she had been freed of her nonviolent programming. I longed for someone to talk to, someone who understood the things I had done, and there wasn't a soul on earth that could do that now.

Like so many other great break throughs in life, my answers came in the form of television. I was just sitting up stairs flipping through channels absently, when I saw the ad for some guy that claimed he could talk to the dead. I had always laughed at those kinds of things, I knew aliens were a possibility, but ghosts were a joke. But that didn't stop the idea from getting rooted in my mind, no living person knew what I went through but there were a few dead people. For over a month I absently searched the internet finding one or two sites a day about people that could supposedly talk to the dead, looking for someone who could let me talk to Rachel, the only person who understood what I had experienced, and in the end everyone of them seemed like a scam artist.

Not surprisingly Nikki found out, trying to keep anything form the Chee is hard under normal circumstances, when you live under their roof it's nearly impossible. Just about the time I was ready to give up she came up with half a dozen legitimate organizations and people involved with ghosts, that be able to give me what I wanted.

I doubt she believed in them herself, but all she knew is that it was pulling me out of my depression and keeping me away from suicide, and that was good enough for her. If she was human she might have seen my obsession with death wasn't a good thing, especially for a predator. After a few days of deliberating I hit the open sky, determined to either find Rachel or a reason to keep going with my life. Nikki stayed on as my navigator in a way, she stayed with the other Chee, but she kept in contact with me through e-mails. Luckily getting to a computer wasn't hard for me, I just had to wait for someone to leave their home, slip in and check, not exactly honest, but it's not like a stole anything.

It took a week to get to the first target on the list, they were by no means the top, but I wanted something easy and didn't see a reason to get my hopes dashed from the get go if this turned out to be a wild goose chase. If nothing else I think the actual act of flying there under my own power did more good for my spirit than actually finding them. Yep, 'Fraidy Cat was probably no the best place to start, but at least they answered a few thing for me.

There actually were ghosts in the world, real dead ghosts.

The two humans of the team seemed to work with native legends and folk cures to deal with ghost, a far cry from what I was expecting but it worked. I watched them for over a month and learned a lot, unfortunately one of those things wasn't how to get in contact with Rachel. Although I did learn traveling all of the country fighting ghosts with a white tiger will get you in a lot of trouble with animal rights groups, that and there's something elegant about walking around in the body of a white tiger.

I eventually moved on to the Extreme Ghost Chasers, a duo more obsessed with adrenaline than the ghosts. Not to say they weren't skilled, they were, but all they knew how to do was stop ghosts, they had no clue where they came from, or what made them tick.

After that fiasco I decide to skip the others and go straight to the top of the food chain. The Men in White were the elite ghost hunters of the US government. I was actually surprised when I found that out, I never would have thought the government would fund something like that. I was actually disappointed when I got there, I was expecting getting in to be a challenge, if anything it was child's play, insect morph to get into the vent back to hawk, then to mouse to explore. Oh they had two or three little security measures inside the vents, but they completely ignored me. If I was a ghost or a normal human this place might have been impossible to break into but for an animorph it was a snap. Like the Ghost chasers they were a bit of a dead end, they knew how to stop ghosts, but they didn't have much of a clue when it came to anything else. Never the less I spent about a month running through the maze they called a base in the hope of finding something that would let me contact Rachel. A goal that eventually became clear was impossible with this group.

But they did end up giving me one useful piece of information, the next place I should look. I ended up getting a front row seat to a live broad cast of a massive ghost attack. I watched the entire town be seemingly sucked into the ghost world, and watched as the local ghost hunters somehow managed to get everyone back in one piece. I knew it was a leap of faith, but if they could get out, I hoped they knew of a way to get in.

Which was how I found myself heading to Amity Park.

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And that is where I end it, yes some if not all the main DP characters will be in the next chapter.

And if you couldn't tell part of the last book in the Animorph series is null and void by this story.

Anyway enjoy, I'll get the next chapter up as soon as possible, please R&R

PS, yes I know spelling and grammar aren't my strong points


	2. Picking a target

Ok quick note, as those who read Animorphs know the books are told from the perspective of one person, and for the moment that person is Tobias, mainly because he's the only one that knows what's going on at the moment. At some point I may change over to another charter, or just drop it, if I do I'll make it clear, and I have no idea when that may happen, but it probably won't be for a while.

For the record anything thing with in () is thought speech, I know it's suppose to > be but for some reason the preview page won't let me do both sides of >,so if anyone knows how to get to the proper symbols to work I'd appreciate it. I also had to redo all thought speech so if I missed anyone let me know and I'll fix it

Mythic Storm- Oh yes, Vlad will indeed show up, but it will take a while, and while I can't say anything more, expect him to be at the core of a few things they'll effect Tobias and the DP crew

Silverchild of the wind- hopefully I've managed to get Tobias closer to his original voice, if not, feel free to drop me a few suggestions, I've reread a few of my old books to prepare for this but I'm fully aware I've gotten a few things about him.

Distant6- hopefully this'll make a little more sense to you, I now the first chapter wasn't that good, but I just wanted to get all that stuff set up so I could get to the real story and not worry about it later.

Just before I hit the city limits I checked in with Nikki via e-mail like I had with the last three jobs, and as usual she had done her usual exquisite job of tracking down every piece of information I could possibly need about those I might encounter. Well almost, her programming still prevented her from hacking into any journals or diaries, basically anything private they might keep on their computer. But anything that was close to semi public she condensed and gave me in individual profiles, photos, medical histories, schedules, maps, floor plans, the girl could get anything from their measurements to their x-rays if she felt it was relevant. Of course as good as she was there were always a few omissions, connections for some reason she couldn't make, a just weird little over sites, but they were the exception rather than the rule.

The only real down side to the surge of information was that I had to remember all of it. Granted years back I'd figured out hot to morph normal clothing, in the early days we were stuck with skin tight clothing, and all I needed to do was stick a print out in my pocket and I'd still be there when I re took that form, but there was no way to carry that much information in paper form. So I was forced to only carry the essentials, maps, photos, and the most basic people I'd be dealing with.

Unlike with the other ghost hunters slipping into the Fenton's lives would take a little bit of work. The 'Fraidy Cat crew and the Extreme Ghost Chasers traveled all over the country and didn't have any close ties to anyone in the area, and the Men in White had so many agents the few times I morphed one of my adult forms they ignored me as long as I was in one of their suits. While I could get a lot of my information with the usual animal morph observations, this was going to take a human touch.

I wrote off Jack and Madelyn half way down their respective profiles, personal experience had taught me acquiring family members and trying to infiltrate said families was not the best idea, no matter how much I observed them there were always something that gave me away. No my best bet was taking the form of a friend, one close enough to care about what they did when it came to their profession. I need to be a new friend, or someone out of contact enough to explain any weird behavior. Unfortunately they seemed to have few friends in town, or anywhere for that matter, and the few they did had little interest in their profession. Well except for one, and I wasn't going to make a detour to Wisconsin just to acquire one guy.

Which left their kids, Daniel only seemed to have two friends, but given the length of time they'd known each other they were to close for me become convincingly, and I really didn't want to try and make friend with him just to essentially stab in the back. Which left the daughter, and according to Nikki my way in.

Jasmine seemed to have less friends than her brother, a grand total of zero, why Nikki couldn't tell me. The girl was brilliant, beautiful, and apparently very kind, she seemed to be the total package, the person everyone would normally want to be around, and the answer to my question was pretty obvious. Her parents were overly enthusiastic about their job, to the point of having a few restraining orders filed against them. It wasn't that much of a reach to assume they were the source of their daughters apparent exile. Not that she wasn't trying she, she was the head of the pep squad, a student counselor, and a student tutor.

Yep this girl was defiantly my way in, if not by morphing one of those she tutored, then by one of her little projects. The girl had a track record of getting involved with some really weird guys, goths, punks, wanna be tough guys, your basic screaming for attention folk. According to Nikki she was involved with a new one about once a mouth, and was apparently trying to 'fix' them, make them normal, apparently since she couldn't make her own family normal she was settling on working her magic on other people. How Nikki found that out without walking into the private area was beyond me, but it made sense. As weird as her family seemed to be, it kind of made sense that she'd strive to create a kind of normalcy around her, but it did seem a little creepy, and this is from a guy who ingests fresh blood almost every time he eats.

Of course saying she was my way in, and making that a reality were to very different things, which is what brought me to Casper High, about two hours before classes ended. Finding the school wasn't that hard, maps were something I'd gotten good at memorizing, I did a few quick laps around the building from the sky, ridding the thermals like no other birds on earth could. I was high enough up that if anyone saw me they'd just assume I was a normal hawk, of course they had no reason to think I was anything else. Unfortunately part of the windows were catching the sun at the right angle to prevent me from seeing though the glass, I could have switched to a bird better equipped, but at the moment I wasn't in any great rush to find her, and looked forward to hunting her down.

I pulled me wings in close to my body and dove, letting the sky wrap around me one last time till I escaped what would soon be an uncomfortable feeling of claustrophobia and enjoyed a quick rush of adrenaline as the roof quickly grew close. At the last second I flared my wings and pulled out of the dive and leveled off so close to the roof, my feathers brushed against it. A quick turn and a few quick flaps and I came to rest on the building.

(I really thought I was done with high school,) the though speak was on a tight beam, not traveling any further than half an inch in front of my beak. It only took a few quick hoops to get to a ventilation shaft, and I couldn't help but shake me head at the screen covering it. (This is way to easy.)

I would have preferred to go straight mouse and avoid the inevitable creeping , but that wasn't an option, so I focused on an old stand by, the house fly, one of the few insect morphs I didn't mind doing. After all these years I still have no real idea how morphing works I just know it does, first comes the painkiller, well not really, but you know what's happening should hurt but it doesn't. First all my feathers started to get sucked into my body and I began to shrink. Then my beak softened and started turning into the tube that flies laughingly call a mouth, while my wings and legs started simultaneously changing, forming the multi-jointed legs of the fly while a new set grew between them. My tail completely disappeared while a new set of wings shot out of my back, all the while I could hear the squishing sounds of my organs change inside my body. This continued for about twenty seconds, and the whole way, I kept my eyes, my perfect raptor eye, eyes that let me read a newspaper on the street from on top of a two story building, eyes that let me see every detail of my change with sickening accuracy. That's the one really big down side of morphing, it's always random, sometimes it's perfectly orderly, and sometimes your body tries to shrink and your guts don't and you always wonder if this is going to be the time you pop. Then finally they were gone and the fly's multi eyes formed and the mind came to the surface. Food, flight, escape the same desires it had every time I took the form, desires I had long ago learned to control.

A quick flap of my new wings and I was air born, all be it in a very different way from the flight of a hawk. I was now able to move forwards and backwards, up and down and anyway in between, as always it took me a second to adjust to the new eyes. Even after all these years going from the sharp vision of the hawk to the multi-eyes of the common house fly was always a little weird, things were upside down that shouldn't have been, others were the wrong color, and I was seeing in way to many directions at once. After a few seconds I was finally ready and slipped between the bars of the vent and buzzed down the metal tunnel, and really wished I had spent more time trying to memorize the lay out of the building network, not that it would soon matter.

The second my six legs hit the metal of the shaft I demorphed, then took on the form of a mouse I had killed years earlier. Bones shifted directions, hair replaced feathers, eyes meant for day light hunting adapted to a life where day and night were equally important. Thankfully the instincts never screamed at me as they had in the past when I took this form, yes it was uneasy to be in unfamiliar territory, and it picked up the scents of other rodents, but it was safe in the dark, where predators where less likely to get it. The same couldn't be said for the hawk psyche that was forever part of me that was continually screaming to get out back in the sun and open sky.

There was a certain justice in the form, after all I was in a virtual maze, and there were few forms better able to run a maze. Testing the air, I headed to the nearest scent of humans and hopped this wasn't going to be to hard. I wish that was dashed about a minute in when I came to drop off in the system.

(I should've kept my wings,) shaking my head and letting my tail swish in aggravation stirring up a little dust storm behind me. The mouse might not have had much in the way of night vision compared to other bodies I'd been in but the other senses easily compensated as I looked down and used my ears and nose to evaluate the danger that might lie below. Closing my eyes, (I hate this part,) again the words traveling no further than myself and jumped into the unknown. Just as my other senses had said it was safe, but that didn't stop it from hurting when I landed probably eight feet down. Shaking off the pain I kept walking and checking the air and trying to follow the scent of people. It couldn't have been more than five minutes till I had escaped the interior of the network and finally found myself overlooking a classroom through a ventilation screen.

It didn't look that different from the school I had been in so long ago, and shook off the old memories of torture and did a quick check of the assembled students, which was all it took to tell me she either wasn't in there, or she no longer had red hair. It was the same for the next three rooms, which was when I mentally slapped myself for not swinging by her house and picking us her scent when I had the chance. I must have wandered the vents for ten minutes till I finally found her, and then, that was only because I heard her teacher call her by name.

I watched her for the rest of the class, and it became clear Nikki, as always, was dead on in her analysis of the girl, she was smart, aware, and very much alone. Something I knew all to well. Unfortunately observing her didn't tell me anything I hadn't already learned from Nikki's report. Near the end of class I decided I was barking up the wrong tree and walked half way between two vents and demorphed. The fit was a little tighter than I thought I'd be but it was still big enough to hold my hawk body, then took the form of a green anole I'd acquired in Cassie's bran one day just to see what being a reptile was like, a generic lizard if there was one, I knew most people wouldn't look twice at me. While the body might have lacked a few things when it came to vision, the colors were all wrong and the visuals where distorted, it had two big benefits over the mouse, it could slip though the vent, and climb on walls and ceilings.

I hung a u-turn and crawled back to Jasmine's class room, and just like expected no one noticed a little lizard crawl out of the vent and on to the ceiling. . Just to be on the safe side I shot my tongue out when I was over her and tasted the air, trying to imprint the scent on my mind so I could follow her if this went south I listened to the teacher go on and on for about five minute, then the bell rang, and the lizards instincts to run increased a hundred fold, almost to the point of overriding my control. I forced myself to breath, knowing full well what I was doing was probably a mistake, but did it anyway. Jasmine grabbed her back pack and slipped it over her shoulder and released my hold on my footing and dropped down on top of her it. My heart pounded in my rip cage, ready to jump and run the second someone screamed after spotting me, but it never came, somehow I was able to pry the zipper open with my head and claws and slipped into the confines of the cloth and pulled it shut behind me as best I could.

Sighing deeply I kept my guard up, knowing full well, at any given moment she open her the pack and I'd be in a world of trouble. I stayed still as a statue for about five minute then dared a look and clawed the zipper open enough to open a hole to look through. I watched the world pass from my spot on her back, but focused more on the words that were said, listening for anything that might give me a clue to the inner working on Jasmine's mind.

Except for a few words to her brother in the hall she didn't say anything the whole way home, except for the occasional moment when she'd find herself singing along with a song from her car's radio. And the whole time I was painfully aware of the time limit hanging over my head, that and the pencil stabbing into my neck, and I had no intention of being a lizard for the rest of my life.

It took about twenty minutes for her to get home, which meant I needed to change back in an hour or less to be on the safe side. The second she walked through the front door I was greeted by what had to be the sound of her fathers voice.

"GHOST," followed by something that sounded like pudding hitting a wall and Jasmine screaming and given the movement of everything in her bag, running. Off in the distance I could hear her dad yell after her in a voice that was growing fainter as she ran, "oh sorry sweetheart, the new Fenton Finder Mark Two has a few glitches, it picked up some kind of weird energy signature, so I decided to hit it with the Fenton Foamer the second it came in range."

Great, this guys either as crazy as Nikki made him out to be, it's a big coincidence, or that thing could somehow track me, either way I was going to have to be on the alert as long as I stayed in the house. After a few seconds of books slamming into me, and at least three paper cuts I felt her tear the back pack off followed by the world losing all sense of direction as she undoubtedly threw the pack to the ground, followed by what I hoped was a door slam.

It took a second to figure out where everything was after I hit the ground, unfortunately that was having in the pack on top of me, and giving the pain shooting threw my right hind leg, there was a good chance it was broken. It took almost a minute but I was able to dig myself out and pull the zipper open, a quick look told me I was alone and Jasmine's bed had a floor length skirt, which looked like a really good hiding spot. I took a deep breath and shot into the light of her room as quickly as my three working legs would carry me and hid under the bed, really hoping I wasn't going to find something horrific hiding under there.

It wasn't really a surprise to find the space under the bed immaculate, which was fine by me, a quick check told me the space was bear and big enough for what I had planned. I peaked my head out from under the bed just to make sure I hadn't left a trail of blood or anything else. When I was sure she wouldn't see anything out of the ordinary I demorphed and laid as well as I could on the carpet under the bed, grateful the space to the underside of the bed was higher than I originally thought with my lizard eyes.

After a few tense moments I once more peaked my head out from under the bed to get a better reading on my surroundings, a lizard might have been good for stealth, but the eyes did not perceive things quite up to my standard.

The room was pink. I don't mean a little pink, I mean everything was pink, the bed was pink, walls were pink, furniture was pink, EVERYTHING with the exception of the TV was pink. The site actually froze my blood for a second, and I have no idea why. I actually experienced a full body shiver after I pulled myself back under the bed.

(Looks like somebody lost their dream house.,) shaking my head a little as I kept the thought speech to myself.

With ears that surpassed a humans I heard Jasmine walking down the hall, "why does he have to do that?" Defiantly ticked off, not that I blamed her, given what I heard. Almost as if on cue I heard the door slam, "Why can't I come from a normal family," the words little more than a whimper as she threw herself on the bed, the springs above me creaking quietly and my space contracting slightly. "I just want a normal family, is that to much to ask?" I felt for her, I knew what it was like to want a normal family. For the next few minutes all I heard was the rhythmic sound of Jasmine's breathing, a breathing that was barely controlled as she stood at the border of a slight break down.

It never came though, she eventually rolled off the bed and grabbed her back pack and pulled a few books out and started doing what sounded like homework at her desk. And that's where she sat for an hour or so, not talking, just shifting between writing and typing. The quiet gave me a chance to listen to the sounds of her home and try and get a read on who else might be around. There were at least three other people on the floor, I couldn't really make out the words through all the doors and walls but they were there, probably her brother and his friends. Which gave me a total of five, possibly six if her mother was home. Not that it mattered if that thing her dad had could track me my plan was in big trouble.

Then again he hadn't come storming in when I demorphed so it really might have been a coincidence, that or he was respecting his daughters privacy.

Around the hour, hour and a half point, I heard the artificial rumble of thunder that could only be a car with some serious tweaking, and the creak of Jasmine's chair and the soft rustle of her feet against the carpet as she walked over to the window.

"Looks like dad's gone," relief flooding her voice, followed by more steps and the sound of her door opening.

Taking a deep breath, show time bird. I few seconds later I was a mouse again and a quick look told me what I had already knew, I was alone in her room. Cautiously I crawled out from under her bed, ready for inevitable return, letting the mouse mind crawl to the surface to warn me of danger, or in this case Jasmine's return.

I was left with three choices, look though her room and try and find the information I sought, which wasn't the smartest thing to do since she could come back at any second. Find her and keep watching and hope she say something useful, although at this point that was looking less and less likely. Or try and find where every piece of ghost information was kept in this place and run the risk of one of the four people I knew where here finding me. All three could be put off till a later time, but option three had the best chance of working.

I was really glad Nikki had tracked down detailed blue prints of the house, and power usage for each area, including all the additions they'd apparently made over the years. According to the file, the basement had been the main source of most of the homes energy use for a while, which was probably the best place to start.

I shot across the pink carpet of Jasmines room to her door, glad she'd left it open and took a reading of the air, checking for dangers before I entered. Four fresh scents lingered in the air, two male, two female, and one belonged to Jasmine, and given the underlying scent history of the hall the others were common in the house as well, most likely her brother and his friends. In any case, I didn't pick up any indication they might show up so scampered into the hall, grateful to be away from the burning pink of Jasmines room.

I stuck close to the wall as I ran, continually looking for places to run and hide if this went south. It took less than a minute to reach the end of the hall and find the first stair case, and by the time I was there my ears and nose had already alerted me to a possible problem, her brother and his friend were down there. Granted this wasn't a real problem, I just had to crawl down and make sure on one spotted me, if they did well, it's not like three teenagers were going to be much of a threat to me in the long run, any damage they did to me I could just morph out of.

There was one thing about rodents I did love, two if you counted the taste, their feet were designed to go just about anywhere. The clawed digits dug into the stairs and I just walked strait down them, one after another, down one side, walk across the expanse to the edge of next stair, then crawl down the side of it, and repeat all the way down. The whole time keeping my senses on high alert to let me know if I got to close to the three on the floor.

The going was slow but I eventually set foot on the first floor, and luckily I was alone, but not for long. The scent trails told me they had been here a few moments ago, and where now in what smelled like the kitchen, so they'd probably be back any time now. According to Nikki the stairs to the basement were down the hall across from the living room, which meant I had some distance to travel, made all the worse by the lack of furniture that seemed to stand between those two points. Luckily there was a small table with a slightly raised base that would hide me. Good thing to since my senses kicked on to over drive as I picked the subtle shift in smells that told me they were coming, and the not so subtle shift in sound as they started laughing on their way back.

I ran as fast as my little legs would carry me and probably got under the table a second before they walked through the door way. Not willing to let this chance slip by I moved closer to the edge of the table to get a good look at the three, as a good a look as I could get from being that close to the ground and staring up at them, not to say the view wasn't bad given how close the girl was.

"I can't believe your eating that," a girl in black, who I assumed to be Samantha Manson said, the disgust evident in her voice as she looked a at boy of African ancestry, who was probably Tucker Foley.

He had a giant sandwich in his hands that looked to by ninety percent meat, from the smell it was ham, "just because you have some weird objection to eating meat it doesn't mean I do," as he bit into it.

"She meant the fact that the harm warning alarm went off," the third, judging by the smell, it had to be Jasmine's brother Danny said shaking his head.

"Meat does not have an expiration date, that a myth propagated by the vegetarian illuminati to further their own twisted goals.

"You don't actually listen to yourself when you speak do you?" she shot back in a biting tone that can only be used by those that have a close bond.

"I'll have you know the longevity of meat is a well established fact, I'll show you….." his words trailing off as a really bad feeling swept over me as the world was filled with the sound of a high pitched scream. I didn't even have to time to crawl back under the table as it was turned over and I had a very big foot trying to come down on me.

Apparently during the conversation I had crept to close to the assembled gaggle and left my head visible, judging by the high pitched scream I guessed it was Samantha, but didn't really have to think about it as I used every trick the rodent population had tried to use on me to keep from ending up in my talons and used it to avoid ending up on the bottom of one of their shoes. I knew I could survive the hit, it didn't mean I really wanted to take it.

All around me there was chaos, feet, the two perusing me screaming at each other, and the constant high pitched scream in the background. Luckily my senses kept me two steps ahead of every move they made. The sickening thud of shoes and the occasional crash of furniture was quickly getting old as I danced between the Danny's legs and caused him to fall face first to the ground. Which was good for me since the attack abruptly ended as his partner went to him and I as able to disappear down the hall.

A few steps down I turned around and grabbed a quick look at the three to make sure they weren't hurt. Danny was sitting up and holding his head with Samantha kneeling next to him, obviously concerned. Meanwhile Tucker was standing on the couch shifting from one leg to the other and continuing to use that high pitch scream.

(Huh, apparently that's not just a female stereotype,) shaking my head and scampering down the hall, my eyes locked onto the big metal door at the end of the hall, (yeah that's real subtle). Judging from the smells coming from the direction of the door it was either open, or had holes into it, either way I could get in. Turns out it was open so I just slipped through, which was fine by me, demorphing in the hall wasn't something I was looking forward to especially since those three could be on my tail at any moment.

I decided to forgo my former elegance on the steps on the other side of the door and just jumped. I misjudged the jump in the darkness of the descending hall and over shot the first step and collided face first with the second and ended up rolling down the remaining stairs, a new side of my body slamming into the hard metal stairs one after another till I finally came to rest on the brightly lit floor.

(Well at least no one saw that,) I groaned to myself as I tried to get up and realized very quickly something was broken as indicated by the searing pain shooting through my side. With gritted teeth I demorphed into my healthy hawk body, the world around me taking on a heightened clarity. Oh yeah this has got to be the place, looking around at all the polished chrome, blinking lights, and all number of devices whose function I couldn't begin to imagine.

Sighing slightly I considered going human but choose to stay in my regular form on the off chance I needed to morph quick. Unsure where to start I spread my wings and flapped hopping onto the metal desk hoping to get a better vantage point on the situation. My claws made contact with a few papers rather than hard metal and I left small indentions in them. Shrugging I started with the papers , near as I could tell they were schematics for some kind of gun, but the math was beyond me. Under that sheet of schematics was a second that has said Fenton Finder Mark Two, the device that if memory served was what I thought had locked on to me. Most of the words were gibberish, but it did have a small description in the corner. Somehow it tracked abnormal energy signatures that had become associated with ghosts, how it tracked me on the other hand was a mystery, but considering I was a hybrid of alien technology and The Ellimist's power it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that I had my own weird energy signature at this point.

I moved aside the other papers and didn't find anything useful on them either, and moved on to my next target. A few flaps brought me to another table full of devices, given the forms some were obviously weapons or would be when they were completed, guns, bazookas , swords, a lot of stuff for hurting ghosts but nothing for communicating with them.

I rummaged around on the table, giving every piece of equipment the once over hoping their true propose could be discovered and wishing I could use the computer on the table, unfortunately talons and keyboards were not compatible. I rummaged around on the table for a few minutes, before giving up and setting my eyes on a control consol against the near wall.

I spread my wings ready to jump over to it, when I pick up a few stray sounds, and my plans changed. It takes a few seconds for the sounds to change to actual words as their sources go closer, the trio are heading my direction. Bristling my feather a little in aggravation I glided to the ground and over to the consol, landing I focus on a body I'd rather ignore, but one that's perfect for the moment. I go from hawk to cockroach and crawl between the device and the wall and wait.

In the new body it feels like an eternity, it's instincts are screaming at me to run, all around me are strange vibration that it can't recognize, vibrations I know to be the sounds of the internal machinery. The insect is terrified and wants to flee it, yet at the same time it's conflicted between the safety of shadow and danger of the light. After what was only a minute a new set of vibrations start, the sound of them coming down the stairs and talking, vibrations I long ago learned to translate.

"You sure your ok Danny," if there's any concern in her voice it's lost on me.

"Please I just fell, compared to the beatings I've taken that was nothing," that had to be Danny, and just like Nikki said the kid had a few guys at school after him.

"If your sure," Samantha again.

"I'm telling you I'm fine Sam just drop it ok," even with my limited hearing I knew that that had to carry a little aggravation.

"Can we just get this over with, it might be done here," again even I didn't have to hear him to know Tucker was afraid.

"I don't believe you, it was a mouse, I understand the hospital thing, but that's slightly pathetic."

"Do you have any idea what kinds of diseases' those things carry Danny? Those things carry the plague."

"Yeah a few hundred years ago Tuck, their harmless now."

"Of course, the vegetarian defends the mouse, of all people you should be afraid of it."

"Excuse me," I didn't even have to see Samantha I know it was going to end badly. "You think just because I'm a girl I should be afraid of mice? Do you have any idea how sexist that is?" I really wish I could see him though the consol, he must have been sweating bullets at that one, not that I hadn't thought the same things earlier.

"No, but they do eat…. yeah they yet corn, and wheat, and all those other foods they waste time growing."

"GUYS," Danny's voice cut through the air before Samantha could come back with a reply. "We've already gone through this once, if your going to debate meat vs. veggie you will leave the house and not contact me till after you've settled it, cause I don't want a repeat of last time." A few grumbled comments I couldn't understand later both agreed.

"So what are we doing down here?" Samantha asked.

"I need to change the Ectofiltrator on the Ghost Portal."

"I thought your dad said you had to change that every six month?"

"He did, but after what happened last time, I try to change it every month just to be on the safe side."

"And your doing it now why?"

"The bump on the head reminded me to do it," even in my current body I could pick up the subtle sounds of a laugh from one of them. Then my world went a little crazy as the machine started putting out all kinds of noise and I was forced to move. I scrambled along the wall then under the machine and edged my way to the light that separated the safety of consol from the rest of the lab, luckily the bottom muffled most of the noise and let me get a better read on the three.

"So where's the Specter Speeder," Samantha asked, leaning against the consol, her foot dangerously close to me, sending the roach of self preservation drive into high gear, something I was barley able to control.

"Dad's doing something to it, I'm not sure what, not sure I want to."

Tucker shifted stance several feet away, "so no more trips into the Ghost Zone huh?"

My interest perked up at that comment, it sounds like pay dirt to me.

"Not for a while, and it's fine by me, we have enough problems with the ones that keep escaping, the last thing we need to be doing right now is going and trying to find them."

Sam shifted her feet and moved away from me, "I don't know, they do make the day less boring."

"Good then you can fight the next one that escapes," if that didn't have a hint of aggravation in it, it should have, as the three walked away and back up the stairs.

I stayed where I was for a few minutes just to be sure they had left before crawling out and demorphing. I didn't understand everything that they said but I understood enough, they had a way of going into the land of the dead, and at least three fourths' of the family had a thing for fighting ghosts, if not his friends as well. But at the moment I only cared about one thing, my search might be over, I might actually find a way to see, if not be with Rachel again. To hold her, to smell her, or at least to let her know how much I needed her, how much she made my life worth living. I could feel my heart beat increase drastically at the thought, and for a brief moment I became light headed as the excitement over took me.

I forced myself to take a deep breath, shifting the feathers on my breast, as I made myself calm down. Nothing said I was going to get that far, if it even worked, and there was no point in getting my hope up, not yet. I spent another hour down there but wasn't able to come up with any useful information regarding the how to get into the Ghost Zone or where this Specter Speeder might be kept.

Aggravated, I retook my mouse form and crawled up the stairs and was greeted by the smell of food. I skulked down the hall, fully ready for round two, but got lucky, everyone in the house seemed to be in the kitchen/dinning room which left me free to run around the house to a degree. I took a quick detour in what seemed to be a second living room/library and crawled up the book case on the off chance they might have some books that could be useful. I was more than a little surprised when I found a shelf of tech manual's that had one thing in common, they all started with 'Fenton'. They actually had an entire wall of manuals for things they had invented, definite score, problem was I wasn't in a position, or body capable of reading them. Looks like I might not need Jasmine after all

(See you later,) I told the manuals and climbed down the book case, walked through the house, and back up the stairs. (Ok lets see if I can find this thing,) I said to myself as I tried to remember where Nikki said the entrance to the Op-center was. I crawled around for about five minutes but I finally stumbled onto the stair case that lead to it. I was glad to see the door wasn't completely shut allowing me to crawl through, since if what Nikki said was true and this thing did break away and become a blimp I didn't want to run the risk of damaging the integrity of it.

Checking the air, it was obvious no one had been in it for a few days, which was good for me, all the morphing was starting to effect me. One of the many downs side to morphing is if you do it to much in a short period of time and you get exhausted real quick, luckily I spread mine out a bit and had developed a considerable tolerance over the year. Had I been smarter I would have asked The Ellimist to remove it, ah well.

I spent the next few hours up there exploring and waiting for the family below to go to bed so I could check out the manuals in relative peace. At some point I must have fallen asleep since the glowing numbers on an electronic clock ended up going from 8:17 to 3:47 in a big hurry.

Yawning as best I could with a hawk beak I crept over to the door and greeted to the sounds of snoring, (perfect). I didn't bother morphing I just pushed the door open wider with my head and jumped and spread my wings as far as I could in the small hallway and half glided half flapped through the second floor on my way to the first. All in all I cut down on my travel time considerably and landed at the foot of the book case in a fraction of the time it had taken me on foot.

Looking up at the case I knew I was going to need something a little better equipped than a hawk for the job. I had a few choices at my disposal, and while the human morphs would work, I felt like exploiting the situation a little. If a human broke into their house they might get suspicious, but if ghost showed up they'd hopefully blow it off, and I had a couple of forms that might be close enough. I focused on a body I hadn't needed to take in a long time, Ax's body, the body of an Andalite.

First I felt the bones in body grow stronger followed by the second set of eyes shoot from my head, then my tail feathers fused and shot out like a whip the blade emerging just as fast. And for half a second that's all the happened I was four eyed hawk with a long bladed tail, them all at once everything started together, wings became arms ending in a six fingered hand, talons became hooves and a second set of legs started randomly growing out behind them as my body lengthened to accommodate them making me look like a horse except for nearly human torso where the head should have been. Finally the feather receded and were replaced by blue fur and my beak was sucked into my face.

For a second I just stood there enjoying the power of the body, then it washed over me like a wave, the Andalite instincts, and they encompass my very being. Unlike most instincts they didn't try and take over, they were just there, or more specifically it was there, total optimism, it didn't block out the fear and anxiousness I was feeling but it did temper it and made me smile the only way an Andalite can smile, with it's eyes. To this day I don't know how to explain it Andalites just smile with their eyes.

My two stalk eyes, each capable of moving independently of the other, kept a constant look out while I used my main eyes, to read the titles of each book. It took a few seconds to go through the titles but I finally found the manual for the Specter Speeder and started reading. After about ten pages I began to think it wasn't my way into the Ghost Zone, it just seemed to be a fancy hover craft capable of traveling through the Ghost Zone, not the actual source of the way in. Stomping a hoof I put the manual back and started from the first one in the row and scanned it looking for some hint as to the gateway generator. About eight books and forty five minutes in my tail was twitching in irritation and I was close to throwing a book through a window. Slipping the newest book back in it's spot I grabbed the one listed Fenton Portal, before I could open it I picked up the sound of creaking. My stalk eyes came together focusing on where the sound had come from as my body tensed and I readied my tail blade in case I had a fight on my hand.

At first nothing happened, and I thought it might been a natural sound for the house, then Jack Fenton walked into my line of sight. We just stared at each other for a second, neither sure what to do, not sure I was actually seeing a grown man in striped pick pajamas, and what appeared to the bottom of an orange and black hazmat suit. For half a second I allowed myself to believe he was sleep walking, or still half asleep and would chalk this all of to a dream.

"GHOOOOOOOSSSSTTTT!"

So much for that though as I watched him dive to the ground roll and pull a silver gun from somewhere and point it at me. I let skill take over as I whipped my tail out and caught the barrel of the gun with the flat of my blade and knocked it out of his hand.

(Guns aren't exactly friendly,) his eyes going large as my thoughts filled his head as I turned to face him all four eyes now trained on him, the manual still in hand.

"GET AWAY FROM MY HUSBAND," the words just filled the air as I was kicked and sent to the ground by something hitting me between the fore and hind legs. The impact forced me to drop the book from my hand and sent in sliding across the floor. I split my vision, main eyes still of Jack while the stalk ones focused on the new threat, something I had already guessed thanks to the call.

Madelyn stood a foot back in yellow pajamas leveling a gun at me, "try it and see what happens ghost," her voice murderous, not that that was a surprise, I was threatening her family after all. I already knew from her profile that the woman had skills, of course she wasn't alone in that area. With a speed no normal human could equal my tail shot out and knocked the gun from her hand, sending it sailing across the floor. At the same time I force myself to stand and leapt over Jack who was still on the ground and made a dash for the door. I kept my stalk eyes divided between the pair as I run intent on not being sucker punched again and was a bit shocked but what I saw. In the blink of an eye, on bands on both Madelyn and Jack's wrists came to life and formed guns that fired nearly simultaneously. As fast as I was I couldn't avoid getting stuck in the crossfire. I was lucky the weapons were designed to work on ghosts so they didn't do much damage, the impact hurt but wouldn't kill me, and it did help with the question of how to get the door open as I was forced through it. If it had been and Yeerk dracon beam there wouldn't have been enough of me to hit the door.

The landing wasn't my best I'll admit that, for some reason today I had a thing about landing face first on the ground. It only took a second to get to my feet and run as fast as I could, my stalk eyes locked on the scene behind me as Madelyn came busting out the door, and continued to fire at me while shouting things about ghosts and telling Jack to keep their kids in the house.

Between the energy blasts and his yelling I knew we were going to draw a crowd and hung a sharp right into an alley and used a near by trash can to leap the fence and put a little distance between the two of us and focused on demorphing. By the time she had caught up with me the 'ghost' was gone and a red-tail was on the roof above her shaking his head. She stayed in the area for a few minutes trying to find me, but didn't come up with anything, and walked back to her house.

(Well brilliant plan number two down the crapper, back to plan number one,) sighing internally as I absently preened my feathers on the roof, unwilling to fly at night, my eyes occasionally being drawn to the lit windows of the Fenton home, and of the silhouette of Jasmine. (I was really hoping I could do this without using you.) I watched the house for about half an hour before ruffling my feathers and getting a little more sleep while it was still dark out.

When first light came I yawned and stretched my wings my vision still locked on the Fenton home. I waited out the clock till Jasmine came out and got in her car, her brother in tow and drove to school, myself overhead, enjoying the morning thermals as much as possible since I'd be spending most of the day in a cramped air vent. All to soon my time came to an end as she pulled into the parking lot and the pair walked into the building and I was forced to land on the roof of the school and go through the same routine I had the day before to get in and find her. Luckily this time I had her scent and knew part of the lay out and was able to avoid the some of the major pit falls.

It only took a few minutes to track her down this time, in what appeared to be an English class. I was greet by the same sight I received yesterday, her sitting down, listening not talking to anyone except to answer questions about the book or story they had to read, but the girl was obviously too smart for her own good.

"Its obvious by the brief flash backs to his childhood that he was abused, the mention of the poker hitting the fire in the third chapter, combined with his fathers anger though out the story is really a loosely hidden alleviation to his father's abuse of him with the poker or something similar, that or Freudian slip of sorts and it actually refers to the authors relation ship with his own father."

That little explanation was greeted by blank faces all around, including the teacher. Yep the girl was brilliant, but a little weird, even for me.

It became pretty clear after a while that class was not the place to observe this girl so I crept back down the vent and did a quick change and came back less than a minute later in my anole body and slipped through the vent positioned myself over her head and waited for my time to come. When the bell rang, I once more had to fight to keep a reign on the lizards instincts to run and followed her from above, doing my best to make sense of the colors around me and not draw attention to myself. Not for the first time I remembered why I hated body's that climbed ceilings, I hated being upside down. For some reason if I was flying I as fine since I knew I could always recover, but hanging by my toes made me crazy because I knew if I slipped there would be no recovery, just the inevitable impact with the ground.

Unfortunately the hallway wasn't much different from the class room, she did have a few words with a couple of girls near her locker. But it was obvious she wasn't the most popular person there as they blew her off in that catty way teenage girls do that sounds sincere on the surface but is really a slap in the face. Yeah I was really glad I dropped out of high school. Two hallways later she managed to pull away from me, I nearly gave myself a stroke trying to follow her but I managed to catch up with her as she stopped and traded a few words with her brother.

In a soft voice full with a hint of concern, "I hope that thing doesn't show up at school," I gathered they were talking about me.

He shifted his weight a little and I tasted a scent coming off his body that I recognized as fear, "and why," his voice rising slightly, "would that happen?"

"Why does anything attack us," a small smile on her lips as she looked intently at her brother.

"Uh, got me…," the smell of fear rising further off him as he started to squirm and slightly shift his vision, "SAM," he finally let out as he bypassed his sister and took off after the goth girl.

Shaking her head slightly and pulling the backpack strap closer to her body, she whispered, "be careful little brother," and walked on to her next class as I did my best to follow her.

The next class proceeded pretty much like the previous, and so did the classes that proceeded it. Half way through the last class I bailed, I wasn't learning anything I hadn't the day before, and it'd been two days since I last ate and my stomach couldn't wait any longer.

It only took a few minutes to escape and for me to be back in my real body soaring over the city, letting the wind in my face forcing back the hunger and aggravation I was feeling at the situation. An entire day and all I learned was that her brother might be the closet person she had a relationship with, not that I couldn't relate after a fashion, after all my closest friend on the planet was a metal dog.

At that thought I let I opened my beak, "TEEEEESSRRR," the call of the hawk, the sound of death's approach as I forced the feeling of pity out of my mind and let myself get lost in the joy of being a hawk. I needed to rise with the thermals for a while, to soar high into the sky and look down on everyone else, to remind myself that life was still good, and no matter how this went down, no one could ever take this from me. I soared and swooped for almost an hour till the call of food was to much to ignore and I turned my attention to the ground and the promise of filling my stomach.

It was to late in the day and I was to tired to go after a mouse so I decided for something a little more high tech, buying food. I circled for a few minutes hoping to find a restaurant chain I knew and came up with squat, and ended up choosing between a gas station and a place called Nasty Burger. I don't know who the hell named it Nasty Burger, and I didn't want to know, but judging by the cars in the parking lot, it had to at least be edible, which was more than I could probably say for the gas station food.

I let myself come to a rest in an alley about a block from the Nasty Burger and focused on a form near and dear to me, my own human body. First the sensation of growing taller came over me followed by my feather adhering to my body and running together to form clothing. My claws receded while my back toe swung around to the front and split in two as they turned into human feet, then socks and shoes. I focused on my beak softened on my face forming a mouth, my eyes shifted from gold to blue, and my feather became hair, while the rest of body took on it's correct proportions and form. By the time I was done I look like any other fifteen year old, at least that's how old I though my body was, I'd acquired my when I was on the mid months almost late months of being fourteen, and I guessed enough time had passed since my return by The Ellimist that I was now in my early maybe even mid mouths of my fifteenth year. I was dress in a brown shit with a picture of a red tail on it, it was s little ironic but I liked it, blue jeans, tennis shoes and a beat up brown jacket. The jacket came in contact with my now long hair held together in a lose pony tail that extended a little past my neck, and I had no intention of wasting money to get it cut.

As usual the first thing I did was set the timer on the custom watch Nikki had given me, for some reason being human always messed up my sense of time, and hour fifty after it was turned on it would beep giving me a nice window to find a place to demorph before I could get trapped in my old body. Doing a quick check I found my wallet in the jacket, and not for the first time, was grateful Nikki was kind enough to share the money the Chee had acuminated over the years with me. Running my fingers through the bills I grabbed a twenty and slipped into my pants and put the wallet back in it's spot and headed down to see what nightmare I was walking into.

There was always something weird about being human again, something familiar yet alien, and a it's a little unnerving. Going from a form that can fly or fight to a body that's half blind, nearly deaf, and without any form of natural defense was maddening for my hawk mind, and a little for the human side of me too. Every time I change I have the same thought, 'if it wasn't for our brains, humans would just be another prey animal,' and that's really kind of sad for the dominate species on a planet.

Shaking off the thoughts I walked out of the alley and tried to focus on the path in front of me and tried not to look to out of the ordinary, something that wasn't easy considering I had a look of intense concentration on my face. It wasn't something I consciously did, it was just something that happened. I'd been a hawk so long I'd mostly forgotten how to make facial expressions and as a result my face mostly resembled the expression of a hawk. Not that that was a bad thing, if someone bothered me I just had to turn my attention to them and most would move on real quick fearing what I might do.

A few seconds later I pushed the door to the Nasty Burger open and was greeted by the scent of grease and felt my mouth fill with saliva. A quick skim of the board and realized this was just like every other burger joint so I made my order, two nasty burgers with cheese and a bottle of water, grabbed my food and left. Of course I had a good reason to leave, the smell of food was having a bad effect on me, one I had only seen from one other person, Ax. Andalites have no taste buds as humans think of them, so when we introduced him to food, or more exactly his human morph, he went a little crazy and tried to eat everything he could get his hands on, including but not limited to cinnamon buns, pizza boxes, and cigarette butts out of convenient ash trays. And unfortunately ever since I regained my human form, I found myself becoming like him. It was no where near as bad, but every so often I'd go a little crazy and try and stuff anything that I might have eating into my mouth at once and if that happened here I didn't really need the audience.

Thankfully my flight over had already revealed a few things to me about the lay out of the town, including a little park near by that should provide relative privacy. It only took a few minutes to walk, and as I had hoped was more on less deserted at the time. I parked myself on a bench and pulled out a nasty burger and started eating, trying to keep the urge to scarf the food down in check. I had to admit inspire of the name they made good food, then again considering how hungry I was anything might have tasted good. After I polished off the first I moved onto the second and quickly realized I was being watched, and not just by anything, but by one of the most detestable creatures on earth.

Pigeons

Pigeons are to birds what sewer rats are to mammals, no wait, rats actually serve a purpose. Pigeons do nothing but eat, sit on statues or buildings looking for food, circle garbage dumps looking for anything edible and bother people hoping for scraps. Did I mention all they do is eat? As it is, the only thing redeeming about the wastes of feathers is that you can eat them, and of course they try to avoid that, not that it's stopped me from killing more than my fair share.

The little gray and brown buggers just stood on the tree watching me eat, waiting for any chance they got to grab a free meal.

"Not today boys," I half growled as I started eating faster just to spite the scavengers. A few minutes later the burger was gone and I was scanning the inside of the wrapper to make sure I got every scrap of food off it. "Go bother someone else vermin," looking at the gathered masses, "your out of luck this time," as I walked over to the garbage can and tossed the very clean wrappers away, a hint of a smile on my mouth.

I still had my water to go finish off and didn't feel like sitting so I stretched out of the table since I didn't see anyone in a hurry to take it. For a while I just watched the sky above me as I sipped water from the bottle and tried to figure out what to do.

"Maybe I should work the brother," my words barley audible, "he does seem more open and I know he knows the lay out of the lab." Slipping my arm under my head, "but that still means getting around his friends, and I don't think that's going to be easy. I could try the manual thing again, just have to be more aware," closing my eyes. "I can't believe I was that stupid, I'm better than that, I should heard him coming, hell I should have had a better plan than that to beginning with. Face facts Toby you have not been playing with your full tail for a while, you got lazy with the last three times, this is a different monster, and you have to be on top of it or it's eat you alive." Stretching my back slightly, "Your only going to get one shot at this, one shot at her, you can't throw this away, your so close, so get it together and get it done."

"Excuse me?"

At the sound of the voice I probably jump three feet in the air hit the concrete table, rolled off straight into the equally concrete bench and then onto the ground.

Before I knew it the source of the voice was at my side, "are you ok, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for that to happen…"

It was about then that I recognized the voice as I looked into the worried face of Jasmine Fenton, a few strands of her red hair in her face as she helped me up and onto the bench. Rubbing the back of my head where it had connected with the table, "I'm ok, I think," groaning a little in spite of myself.

Sitting next to me, "are you sure," genuine concern in her voice.

"Trust me I've had worse," rolling my right shoulder, "to what do I owe the wake up call?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were ok, you were talking to yourself," the wariness evident on her face.

Crap, how much did hear, how much trouble am I in? Trying to cover my butt, "you never talk to yourself?" the comment coming out more sarcastic than I originally planed.

Defensively, "that wasn't talking, you were grunting and growling," jumping to her feet, "and I just wanted to make sure you weren't hurt."

Grabbing her hand as tried to storm off, "whoa, whoa," was all I got out before she tore her hand away and faced me.

Without an once of fear in her voice, "try it and I'll scream," her eyes locked on mine, daring me to try something.

My eyes went wide at the look and a cold chill ran up my spine as I realized I had this girl pegged all wrong. Raising my hand in defense, "ok we're obviously on different pages here," the fear in my voice genuine, "I just wanted to say I'm sorry, a face plant onto stone substitute kinda puts me in a bad mood, I didn't mean to snap at you."

She studied me for a second, obviously trying to figure out if I was sincere, "no I'm sorry I shouldn't have snuck up on you," her tone cautious, but her face softened.

"Not a problem, I kinda got sucked into my own little world there for a second," a nervous laugh in my voice.

Cocking her head a little to the side, "I could tell, anything particular?"

Whoa, we were nearly at each others thoughts a second ago and now she's trying to analyze me, how did I miss this? "This and that, I'm Tobias by the way," trying to break the ice and steer the conversation away from me.

"I'm Jazz," as she walked past me and sat down on the bench.

Joining her "I'm guessing that's short for Jasmine or your parents really like music," mentally slapping myself for the pitiful joke.

Surprisingly she laughed a little, "it's been a while since I heard that one," moving some hair from her face, "and it's just Jazz, I hate being called Jasmine."

"Jazz it is then," I grasped for something else to say but nothing came and we sat in silence for a few moments.

"I know I don't know everyone, but you don't go to Casper High do you?"

Scrambling for something to say, "not currently no."

"Currently?" getting a serious look on her face, her eyes shining with curiosity.

"I may or may not," not sure where this was going and saying whatever popped to mind, "my parents are looking at a home here."

"Really," leaning back slightly, then in a hushed tone, "they do know about this town right?'

"The beautiful surroundings, good property deals, the ghosts?" mentally back handing myself for what sounded like a pickup line.

I wasn't sure if it was the first or third comment but she blushed a little then composed herself, "the ghost problem in this city is very real."

"I'll take you word for it," and idea forming, "sounds a little to tabloid for me."

"Trust me ghosts are very real," her voice deadly serious.

"And you know this how?" mentally crossing my fingers and hoping my gambit worked.

"I've seen more than my share, and lets leave it at that," her body language growing cold.

And just like that my in was gone before it had developed. Sighing and hanging my head a little, we sat in cold anonymity not acknowledging each other. "I guess it's not a stretch," unlike before this time I had no ulterior motive, "I mean there's a lot of things no one understands, so I guess ghosts aren't out of the realm of possibility."

"They are very real," her gaze still looking straight ahead, her voice slightly distant as if remembering something she didn't want to, kind of like the other had those few times we had to tell other people about the war with the Yeerks, and told them of the horrors we had committed. "If you live here, you will have to deal with them, and that is a very bad thing, because they are very dangerous."

"How dangerous?" I tried to control my voice and not make it sound to eager, trying to keep a hint of disbelief in it, hoping the hawk like gaze of concentration was appropriate.

"Enough for me to tell you to leave and not come back," her eyes finally meeting mine again. Behind her blue eyes was a look of pain, and a silent plea for me to drop it.

"That's not going to happen," leaning back, a wariness in my voice as I briefly showed my age, "I get the feeling they want to stick around," adding as an after thought, "it's a money thing."

She gave me a quizzical look for a few moment then shook her head in disgust, "it almost always is."

A few minutes passed and I took a few more sips of water, the bottle somehow not spilling a single drop despite my fall, the feeling of tension in the air had lessened but not by much. "So when do you have to get back to your parent?" the question coming out of the blue.

"Whenever I feel like it," the words coming out a bit angrier than I had intended as I glanced at her.

The second I said it hers eyes lit up, "problems at home?"

Waving my hand, "just stress," not a complete lie, "been traveling a few days now, and nothing seems to be going quite right and I just wanted to get away for a little while."

She hummed slightly at the comment, probably filing it away for a later date, "so how much of Amity Park have you seen."

"Not much, mostly just here and the Nasty Burger, still don't believe they actually have a place called that."

She laughed a little at that, "I said the same thing years ago," she leaned back on the table, her body relaxing, "the NB's history is long and complex, to complex for me to try and explain, lets just say it's been part of Amity Park since before I was born and will be long after I'm dead." Pushing off the table and offering me a hand, "so how about a tour?"

I hind of disbelief in my voice, "your willing to give a complete stranger you just met, and possibly gave a concussion to, a tour?"

"Sure, it's kinda my job" a weird little smile on her lips that seemed to be more for show that serenity.

"Your job is to give possible new residents tours?" I mentally slapped myself up side the head again for that one, I was starting to sound way to much like Marco.

"My family is a little eccentric," shifting her gaze and seemingly aging in front of me, "so it's up to me to be the normal one," her youth returning, "you'll hear all about them soon enough if you move here."

Side by side we started walking out of the park, "I'll have to take your word on that," my tone somewhere between sarcastic and joking.

"Meaning?" her interest peaked.

"Lets just say I know more than a little about having a weird family."

"I'll remind you that if we drive by family's house," a knowing smile on her lips as walked to her car.

Pulling open the door on the car and looking over at her I couldn't help but wonder what weird convergence of fate and luck had done this. Earlier I was on the verge of giving up on her, now the very person I was trying to get close to was offering me a ride in her car. Of course this was the easy part, the hard part was still to come, and I had the feeling things were going to get weirder the closer I tried to get to this family.

And thus we come to the end of chapter 2, still no ghosts, but I think I have get every main charter except Mr. Lancer into chapter.

Please R&R


	3. and this is my family

"And that would be Casper High, probably the number one site of all ghost attacks in the city. And be warned, if you go there ghosts are not the only thing you'll need to worry about, stay away from Dash Baxter, he will make your life miserable."

Raising an eyebrow, "personal experience," as I looked past her to the school I had formerly crept through the ventilation system of.

"Sort of, he makes my brother's life miserable, takes his lunch, shoves him into lockers, tried to start fights with him, the basics and since he's on the football team he gets away with everything."

"Oow, know how that is," a slight snarl in my voice. If things went well I planned on repaying the Fenton's, and if that meant psychologically scaring a jock, well I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

"Problems at the old school?" she kept her eyes on the road, but she was defiantly trying to size me up as she grabbed a quick peek.

"Lets just say I went hungry on more than one occasion, and had several intimate experiences with the inside of a toilet," the anger in my voice very real as old anger bubbled to the surface.

"Sorry," her eyes snapping back to the road, "and that would be the Bucky's Megastore sign, at night you can see the glow for half a mile in all directions," she was trying to change the subject, not ready to go that far into my mind yet. "Bucky's has pretty much everything you could ever want in popular music, movies and….. not again," slamming on her breaks. If it wasn't for the seatbelt I would have gone through the windshield, "Hang on," as she turned around and threw the car into reverse.

Grabbing the dashboard, "WHAT'S THIS ABOUT," as I hung on for my life, the memory of when Marco and I stole a tank flashing before my eyes.

"Just look up, it's pretty obvious," not bothering to look at me as she handed the car like a stunt driver.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but she was right about it being easy to see. In the sky above us was what appeared to be a green octopus and a person riding a flying surfboard with a pretty big gun going at it tooth and claw, well tentacle and blaster. The person circled over head and released a jet of pink fire at the dead cephalopod, but the blast never came close as it shot a tendril at the board and pulled itself out of the way while knocking the rider down and off balance.

"Well that's new," I finally managed to get out, for the first time since coming back to earth I was truly at a loss for words.

"That would be a ghost and the latest ghost hunter, brace yourself," she barked as she jerked the steering wheel and forced the car into a sharp 180 degree spin then brought the car to a halt for half a second before slamming on the breaks and sped down the road. Regardless of what she was trying to do I wanted to watch, I'd seen two or three ghost hunts when I was staking out each team, but compared to what I was seeing now that'd been tame.

The rider finally managed to regain control of it's board, but control seemed to be shaky at best, and it seemed to be in pain by the way it grabbed it's side. It didn't make it any easier that it lost it's weapon and the octopus was putting a strangle hold on it's ride and lashing tentacles at it's feet. Unfortunately at the speed Jazz was going I couldn't keep them in sight, had I still possessed my hawk eyes it wouldn't be a problem, but my human eyes just weren't good enough. Sighing I gave up and turned around and slumped into the seat.

In a mocking tone, "for someone who doesn't believe in ghosts you sure liked the show."

"What can I say, you don't see things like that everyday."

"You do in this town," her tone a mystery, sounding angry, relived, and a little jealous all at the same time, "especially since she moved in."

"I take it you don't mean the octopus?"

"The girl fighting him," shaking her head, "no one knows who she is, she just showed up one day and stated blasting ghosts, ever since there's been a big increase in senseless ghost attacks, at least the ghost boy is only reactionary, she hunts them down."

"Ghost boy?" I was going to have to talk to Nikki about her research methods, she was obviously missing a few really big details cause I hadn't seen squat on either of these two in any of the files she'd put together.

"You never heard of him?"

"I don't think so," scratching the back of my head.

"Your moving here and don't know about the ghost boy," raising an eyebrow, "you obviously don't do research before you move. He's our protector, has been for several months now, if it wasn't for him we'd probably be dead a few time over by now." The whole time she spoke she seemed to sit a little straighter, a small smile at the corner of her mouth, like she was proud or something. It was times like these that being a hawk hybrid was useful, most people wouldn't have noticed the changes due to the subtlety of them. For a hawk awareness is everything, and that was true for me as well, especially when I was human and I forced myself to look closer and read everything a little more deeply, to make up for my weakened scenes.

"So how many people in this town hunt ghosts," something I really needed to know.

"Generally just three groups, the rouge hunter back there," jerking her thumb back, " the ghost boy, and them," lightly nodding her head forward, her head lowering a little as we approached her house and the giant 'Fenton Works' sign you could probably see from space.

"Subtlety is not their strong suit is it?" as I leaned forward in mock interest.

"That is the understatement of the century," a wariness washing over her.

A few seconds later a blur of orange and black shot in front of the car and Jazz slammed on the breaks again, this time to avoid putting her father in the hospital, a few seconds later we were in her drive way.

"No," she squeaked putting her head on the steering wheel as her dad walked around the car to the open driver's side window.

Fuming, "Where have you been! You were suppose to change the bag on the Fenton Weasel…"

"Dad.." her voice calm, but tired

"….and the Fenton Ghost Gloves need to have there power cells changed…."

"…dad…." growing in aggravation

"…and the Fenton Stockade needs to be cleaned…"

"… DAD!" she finally yelled getting the larger mans attention.

"Yes sweetheart."

In a voice that was barley controlled, "those are Danny's chores, not mine," her fingers digging groves into the steering wheel.

"Oh, you sure," a confused look on his face as he seemed to soften as he scathed his head, "I could have sworn I told you to do it?"

Exhaling sharply, "have I ever been late doing my chores?"

"No, but.."

Cutting him off, "have I ever not done my chores?"

Sheepishly, "well no…"

"Does Danny ever do his chores on time?"

His face lightened at that one, "DANNY," and he stormed off.

"I'm sorry about my dad, he's a good person he's just…."

"WHO ARE YOU," an orange and black arm shooting through the still open window and grabbing for me, only missing by a faction of an inch.

Shrieking and nearly jumping out of her seat, "DAD," she forced her door open and pushed him aside, then in a hushed tone, "go inside."

"Not without answers," crossing his impressive arms and glaring at me through the windshield. I'd been on the receiving side of a Hork-Bajir controller battalion, and even that didn't scare me half as much as what I was looking at.

"He's," looking back at me, "a friend, now go inside."

He kept his eyes on me, but finally relented and moved off towards the door, but mid way there he pointed a finger at me and every instinct, both human and hawk, went off and told me to run and not stop. When he disappeared into the house I finally managed to draw a ragged breath, till then not aware I wasn't breathing.

Shaking her head Jazz moved around the car and opened the door, "I am so sorry about that, my dads…"

"I always heard that kind existed. Never thought I'd see one," slipping out of her car, grateful my legs were holding me despite feeling like jelly.

Raising an eyebrow, "'that kind'," her tone accusing as she her mannerisms shifted to defensive.

Not looking at her, "father's that would kill a guy for looking at their daughter," my words having a vague far away feeling as I remembered what had happened when Rachel introduced me to her family so look ago. "He must love you very much," my eyes slowly shifting to her, "your lucky, a lot of people can't claim that."

She gave me a weird look at the last comment, "I guess," her response slow her eyes looking me up and down.

"Look I should probably get going," inching down the driveway to the road, "my parents are probably wondering where I got to."

I was almost to the street when she yelled at me, "so…… how long are you in town?" a certain degree of trepidation behind her words.

For a second I considered not turning, just running down the road before flying away. In the end I just sighed and looked back, "a few days, maybe more depending on my folks, why?"

"I was just thinking…. we kind of cut the tour short," her arms crossing over her chest and shifting her weight slightly to one foot, "maybe we can pick it up tomorrow?"

For a second I was dumb founded, the whole time I had watched her she'd barley said anything to anyone, and here she was actually asking me to hang out. "Sure I guess, same time, same place tomorrow?" the response was a little lame, but than again I wasn't use to people asking me that.

"I'll see you then," giving me a smile and walked backwards to the door.

Nodding my head slightly, "deal," and walked down the street, then stopped and shouted back, "and please leave the car at home, I don't think I could survive another ride like that."

Stopping at the door, "my driving wasn't that bad," she shot back.

"Not till the end," a barked back teasing and jogged away just as my watch started going off. As soon as most of her house was out of sight, except for the sign and everything on top, that could be seen from a long way away, I darted into an alley and demorphed and took flight. For a few moments I considered sneaking back into her house and watching her, hoping her walls were down enough to get a better read on her but decided against it. As observant as she was there was good chance she might pick up on my knowing her to well, and the last thing I wanted was for her to think I was a stalker.

I let myself fly for over an hour and run over everything that had happened, trying to figure out if she had said or done anything I could use to further my own ends. Unfortunately no matter how I looked at the situation I kept coming up with the same thing, the girl had been analyzing me the entire time. I don't think she even knew she was doing it part of the time, but every question, every movement she made was a test, a way of reading me. Between Nikki's bio of her and the psych books in her room, it was obvious is was her passion, but it didn't prepare me for the reality of experiencing it first hand, and I was honestly afraid of what she might pick up from me in our time together. I knew full well I had serious mental problems, between the war, the being a hawk, and the mess that was my family I had enough mental quirks for ten people.

Then again, she was only studying for this career path, so there was s a chance I might be able to pull this off, I might not have been a great actor, but I'd been at this long enough to know how to cover my tail. Assuming I showed up the next day it was going to be chess match the entire time, letting just enough of who I was out, but keeping everything else buried from her subtle interrogation while I wormed my way into her confidence enough to get the answers I needed.

I ended up flying back to the park and spending the rest of the day and part of the night in a grove of secluded trees and tried to figure out what I had told her, and what kind of cover story would fit. It needed to be rooted enough in the facts of my life that I could bluff my way through any mistakes I made, something that was going to be easy as I looked back. I had laid myself open a few times and gave more than a few hints that my family and I didn't get along, something that was pretty close to the truth in one respect. Of course there was a chance she hadn't picked up on any of it, but I doubted it, she was sharp, and I was going to have to watch her, well, like a hawk.

At some point during the night sleep over took me, but by that time I had already established that didn't have to worry much about night time visitors. From what I could tell no owls called this place home, there were a few stay cats that might show up, but they'd have to be desperate to go after a bird my size, and everything else that stalked the park at nigh wasn't even a blip on my radar. Well except for the possible ghosts, but there wasn't much I could do against them.

By the time the sun stared to come up I'd been watching the ground for at least half an hour, waiting for breakfast to present itself. The park was a veritable smorgasbord of treats for a bird like me, rats and mice of every shape and size, the few odd shrews, lizards, and even a few snakes not to mention the small birds looking to make a quick meal of the local insect population. So many choices, and everyone was at a disadvantage, even if I was a normal hawk, it was apparent I'd been off in my earlier evaluation, this place hadn't had a decent predator in a long time, and the game had gotten lazy and started to think they owned the park.

(Time for a wake up call cats and kittens,) if I had a normal mouth I would've been smiling as I shot out of the tree the second it was bright enough, below every creature in the park scrambled to safety, but they were all slow, all fat. I finally set me sights on a shrew that had long since outlived it's usefulness, the chase was short, it tried a feeble dodge and run, that only bought it a few second. A quick call to stun it, a flare of the wings, and it was over, my claws biting into it's back, severing it's spinal cord. It died quick without feeling much pain, years of experience had taught me how to be an effective, but merciful killer.

Instinct kicked in as I spread my wings out and wrapped them around my body, hiding the sight or myself tearing and ripping with my beak and talons, from any passer by, human or animal. I worked the meat, bones and fur down my throat, enjoying the still warm meal far more than I did any burger. After a few moments I finished my meal and pulled my head out of the canopy made by my wings, blood trailing down beak and neck.

A quick flap brought me back to my tree and I started the ritual post meal preen, repositioning and cleaning my feathers for later use. It took some time, but I eventually finished and felt like new bird and let my mind turn to the few things I needed to do before I met Jazz. If nothing else I had to get a new shirt, everything else was generic enough for her to believe I just had a few copies of the same thing, but the shirt was to distinctive, and I needed to trade it in.

I'd seen a few places between my flights over the town and Jazz's tour, but none of them really seemed to carry what I was looking for, so despite my better judgment I settled on the one place I really didn't want to go and couldn't check out from the sky, the mall. When I was human I never had a problem with the mall, it wasn't my favorite place, but it did bother me, but ever since gaining feathers, things rarely seemed to go well in there for me. If nothing else the fact that I could see the sky in some of them, and know there was no real way to get to it was maddening.

The flight over was quick and I ended up showing up to early according to the signs on the doors of the chain stores so I circled the building, riding the newly formed thermals that were rising from the parking lot. I made a few laps, just enjoying myself and occasionally looking down to see when other people were showing up. Eventually the lot started filing up with mall walker and finally the real customers which meant it was time for me to slip into something a little better suited for the job. Luckily I'd already found the perfect place after my third lap, a little out cropping used for deliveries, it was relatively secluded and couldn't be seen from the parking lot with out a lot of work.

A few seconds after I landed and assumed a form I'd become somewhat adept at using and stared the hike towards the doors after setting this bodies watch. I'd acquired the woman years ago, when she was a controller, and doing her best to make my life miserable. Of course since then I'd found some uses for Taylor's form, for one thing she was beautiful, maybe not at supermodel level, but enough still more than an average woman, but that was half the reason the Yeerks had wanted her. I had since gone on to use that beauty for my own ends, it wasn't something I was really proud of, but some times a pretty face and a nice set of legs went a lot further than claws, teeth, and a death threat.

As expected a few minutes after I entered I started feeling eyes on me, playing the roll I flipped my hair, flashed a little smile at anyone that looked way and looked for my target. I eventually found my mark, a man behind a register who was checking me out, good thing for both of us he didn't know the real me. Sashaying over and giving him a big smile and getting one in return and slightly bent over the desk, giving him a peak down my low cut sweater.

Doing my best to sound like I was flirting, "could you help me?"

"Sssure," stuttering slightly, his balance thrown by my behavior.

"My friends little brother is having a birthday," throwing my hair back to give him a better look down my top, "and I'm trying to find him something."

"Um… what does he like," a sheen a sweat forming as I licked my lips, and generally using every trick the movies had taught me about seducing a man.

"Animals actually, I was trying to find a shirt, but this place is," taking a deep breath, "so big," giving him what I hoped was a seductive look.

Swallowing, "I think there's a place half way down the mall, near the food court. I could take you?"

Quickly, "no thanks," as I pushed back off the table and moved away from him quickly heading towards the mall entrance, I knew I could have used the main map at the entrance, but I needed to keep my skills sharp. After a few steps I passed a woman, another employee, that had a front row seat for my little display and looked at me like she could kill me. As I past her I heard her say something to low to make out, but I had a good idea what the gist of it was.

In response I just gave her a little smirk, "if you got it flaunt it," and kept going. After a few minutes I finally found the store, not that it was that hard to miss, the place had vines hanging all over it and a stuffed, and obviously fake, gorilla up front. Shrugging I went in and was pleasantly surprised, despite the jungle theme decor, it was loaded to bear with shirts, posters, toys, statues and other bits and pieces featuring nearly every animal you could think of, and more than of which I had become.

"Cassie would have liked this place," a smile, and this time a genuine one, went across my face. I walked around for about ten minutes looking at all the choices, trying to find something that looked like me. I eventually settled on a dark blue shirt with a reared back mustang on the front that should fit my real human body, bought it and slipped out one of the malls side exits rather than go back the way I came and deal with anyone that had seen my little display.

A quick jog later I was back in the alcove and demorphing then morphing my real human body to slip the shirt on before going back to my hawk body. It took a few more flaps than normal but I managed to get back into the sky, for some reason the morphing fatigue setting in early. I spent some time on the mall roof resting, this wasn't the first time I'd gotten tired that fast and knew I just needed a few minutes rest.

When I felt better I jumped back into the sky and set off towards my next task. When you don't have a home, finding places to keep things gets a little difficult, luckily I knew a few tricks. I thermal ride later I spotted it, a slightly broken down old house, or at least that what it looked like at first glace, I could spot the subtle clues that revealed it wasn't as dilapidated as it looked. I'd found it yesterday, and if I was right I'd work in the short run. It took a second but I managed to find the broken window I'd seen earlier and shot through it and landed with ease.

Till now I'd only gotten a brief glimpse inside, due in part to most of the windows being to dirty, blacked out, or boarded up, but it turned out I was right, this place was most likely an off season haunted house. All be it one with a really weird theme, skeletons and zombies on exercise equipment. Shrugging it off I morphed into a German Shepard, a form near and dear to me, and tested the air to see if anyone had been around lately. Not picking anything up I trotted out the door and did a quick sweep of the place, as I thought despite the exterior decay, the inside was remarkably well preserved and stable, albeit rodent infested. As I thought the place hadn't been occupied since Halloween, which meant the odds of me being disturbed anytime soon were low.

Finally settling on a room on the second floor to be my storage facility I demorphed and relaxed for a few minutes as I looked around the room and tried to figure out where to put everything. The cabinet in the corner would probably be enough to hold the few shirts I might end up needing, not to mention any other clothing depending on how long this thing went on.

(I should probably give Nikki a call, let her know how I'm doing,) the words not doing anywhere beyond me, not hat it mattered here. Generally I avoided contacting her for at least a week, but there were things going on here that hadn't made it in to the reports, things I needed to know, things that could get me killed if I wasn't careful.

Shaking my head I demorphed, to many things to worry about, not enough time to deal with them all, and with any luck Jazz would fill in some of the blanks today. A quick change and my hawk shirt was folded in the cabinet drawer, and the mustang was now in place. I laid back on the floor after words and stared at the ceiling, "put your game face on Tobias, it's show time." Sighing I forced myself into a sitting position, "so why don't I feel good about this to her."

Doing a full body shiver I forced the thought for my head, I deserved this, after everything I'd given up, I deserved a little happiness, this was payment for my life, so what if I had to string one girl along, if it wasn't me she'd be a controller right now.

Walking into the hall, "so why does this feel like a mistake? She's been nothing but kind to me so far, is it really right to use her for my own ends? I never did what I did for payment or reward, I did it because it was right, because I had to help her, and myself. She…. they, wouldn't want to me to do this, they'd want me to get on with my life, look ahead, not that I have anything to look ahead to. All I have is the past, all I can look forward to is an endless struggle in the world of predators. Maybe this isn't what I should be doing, but it's all I have, and I've come to far give up now, I have to know if this will work, if I can get to her."

The aggravation I was feeling at the situation grew till I started to snarl, it rose in my throat and erupted as a roar as I slammed my fist into the wall, "Carp," pulling my hand back and holding it, feeling something broken with in, through clenched teeth, "well I feel better now."

Demorphing, everything finally became clear, what I was doing was wrong but I was going to do it anyway, I had to know if this would work, regardless of what happened, I'd make it up to Jazz. I didn't know how, I didn't when, but I'd make it up to her, I promised both her and myself that.

For the next few hours all I did was try and not think for fear that I'd talk myself out of doing anything. Even flying didn't do anything, no matter what I did the thoughts were always in the back of mind, waiting to come to the surface. Finally I just came to rest in the park, my talons dug into the tree to keep me from me from running away.

Taking a deep breath I finally jumped off the tree to the ground and morphed, if I was right, and she was on time, she'd be coming around the bend in a few minutes. Letting out a long slow breath I sat on the concrete bench that had started this, hoping she wouldn't show up, and I could do this some other way, but right on time there she was.

"Wow, you're here," she actually sounded surprised as she walked up, "I figured you'd blow me off."

"Back at ya," a slight hint of aggravation in my voice.

"Problems at home?" dropping down next to me, "anything you want to talk about?"

"No no, just a bad day, so where…." there was something about the way she was looking at me, "what?"

"Your not bruised."

That caught me off guard, "come again?"

"Your face," looking closely at me, "where you landed yesterday, your not bruised. How, that should have left a mark, something."

"Um…," crap, how did I miss something that obvious, "…what can I say I have tough skin, runs in the family."

She kept looking at me, studying me, and I just hoped I wasn't sweating bullets, "my little brothers the same way," getting off the bench, "I on the other hand bruise like theirs no tomorrow."

"Sorry about that."

"Not your fault, so where to?" spreading her arms.

"Your home you tell me?" sliding off the bench,

"Mall, Bucky's, the emergency ghost shelter that never gets built, a few other places, of course it'll take a while, since you don't like my driving," her tone somewhere between accusing and joking.

"Oh like you didn't go a little crazy yesterday, I've only known one person who drove like that and I avoided being in any kind of vehicle with him as much as possible."

"He couldn't be that bad."

"Lets just say it was kinda like putting a gorilla behind a steering wheel and leave it at that," I was glad when she laughed a little at that, assuming a piece of my past was a joke.

Jerking her thumb behind her, "come on, we have a long way to go, and not much time to get there."

For the next few hours we walked all over town stopping here and there, with me occasionally making up some lame excuse to get away from her for a few minutes to de and remorph. We ended up talking about everything, ghosts, her family, my family both real and fictional, what we did in our spare time albeit I slanted my truth just a little.

"Bird watching?"

"What? Ok so it's not exactly the latest trend, I still enjoy it."

"I don't know, you didn't strike me as someone that could sit still and concentrate that long."

"Actually sitting and watching is one of the things I do best."

About an hour before dusk we ended up at her house, and my blood went a cold, not surprisingly the dread was written of my face.

Giving me a smile, "don't worry, he's gone, both my parents are doing a sweep of the city, they won't be back for a few hours."

Approaching the door, "you sure," my body on high alert in case he came jumping out and shot at me with any of the devices I had seen earlier in the basement.

Taking my hand and pulling me into the house, "trust me, I've been through this enough to know their sweeps can take a while, if it's a good night they won't be home before midnight."

"They deal with that many ghosts?"

"No, that's just how long it takes before their satisfied, all we have to worry about is my brother, and possibly his friends, but they pretty much keep to themselves."

I did my best to make it seem like I looking around for the first time as she pulled me into the library/living room. "This is pretty normal given the outside."

"That's just the first floor and second, all the others are as weird as you'd think, and no you can't see them so don't ask."

Feinting shock, "am I that transparent?"

Shaking her head, "everyone who come here wants to see my parents things, and every time we show them to someone it ends badly, no offence to you, I just don't want to chance it."

"Understandable, I try to avoid chancing fate myself," unfortunately the comment didn't come out as breezy as I'd wanted it to.

"Not a risk taker huh," it was more a statement than a question.

"No, I've just been bit in the tail a few times and I pick my battles a little more carefully now," sitting down on her couch.

She sat down next to me, "I suppose that happens to all of us at some point," and gave me funny little smile that seemed to say she knew what I was talking about all to well. For a few moments we just sat there in the midst of a weird kind of silence that neither wanted to break, but both knew had to end at some point.

"I told you, I'D HANDLE IT," the sudden sound made both of us jump slightly as her brother and his friends walked past us, the door slamming behind them, "for all you know that g…"

"DANNY," Jazz yelled standing up cutting her brother off and ending the argument.

"Um…. sis…. hi," all three of them seemed to go stiff simultaneously as Danny tried to find the words for the situation.

Moving between her brother and I before he could look in the room and see me, Jazz started tearing into him, "what have I told you about arguments in the house. You know what happens, every time you do that mom or dad freak out and think it's a ghost, and we end up paying for it. For all you knew I arranged another reporter to interview mom, whatever it is keep it outside the house."

He seemed to wither under his sisters gaze, not that I blame him, the girl could be intimidating. After a few seconds he shifted his weight slightly to one leg and spotted me. "Well what do we have here," moving slightly to get a better look, "clever sis, wait till mom and dad are gone then bring your new boyfriend home."

"He's not my boyfriend."

"I'm not her boyfriend," at the sound with both stared at each other a little shocked we had synced up there for a second and spoken almost in unison and slightly blushed.

Smirking a little, "ah, so denials a family thing," Tucker said from behind Danny.

Elbowing his friend in the stomach, "shut up Tuck," and turned his attention back to me. "You're the guy she brought home yesterday aren't you," he accused walking up to me.

"I have that distinction yes," rising to meet him, the hawk part of my mind sensing a challenge approaching. I had about a inch on him, maybe more, not enough to look down on him, but enough to reinforce I wouldn't go down easy. We stared each other down for a few seconds, before I choose to back down, I had no reason to make an enemy of him, and I had a feeling it might carry some weight with Jazz. "We're just talking, whatever you think is going on isn't." He looked me up and down for a few more seconds till Jazz finally called him off.

"That's enough Danny, he isn't doing anything," her words carrying the slightest hint of a threat, something Rachel had done when she'd wanted her sister to leave as well.

Finally breaking off and walking back to his friend, but mid way he turned to his sister, "I hope he's better than Johnny, " and the trio moved on. Something about the way he said it sent chills down my spine, I may not have known the details, but it was obvious a delicate issue between the two.

Shaking her head she turned back to me, "I'm sorry about that, he's just," glancing back, "over protective sometimes. I've made a some bad calls in my social life lately," her face going dark as she messed with her hair.

Under normal circumstances I wouldn't have dug deeper, but Nikki had been pretty through in Jazz's file, at least when it came to medical records, and I didn't see anything that could be caused by an ex-boy friend. Beatings, rape, abortions if anything along those lines had happened to her she hadn't gone to the hospital for them. As carefully as I could I asked, "can I ask what he did?"

Sighing, "he was jerk," hugging herself, "he was using me to get to another girl. He flashed a smile, took me for a ride on his motorcycle, he snow jobbed me and I just didn't see it. Everyone in my family warned me about him, saw right through him, and I ignored them," closing her eyes, "and they won't let me forget it." Before I could ask the next question she raised her hand, "no it's not a conscious thing they do, they're just really over protective when it comes to any boy I'm with, they just don't give anyone a chance because they think they're all going to be like him."

Sighing I slumped into the couch, her body following a few moment later, "thanks by the way," her mood picking up a little.

"For?"

"Not getting into a fight with my brother."

"Not a problem, he was just looking out for you, can't fault him for that."

She didn't say anything, but given how she was breathing I could tell she was silently laughing. We ended up staying like that for a while, just talking, and in spite of myself I found myself really starting to like the girl. Once you got past the wall she'd built around herself, and she stopped trying to dissect your mind being around her was actually enjoyable.

The only real down side was her brother or one of his friends would show up every now and then and try to spy on us. The first few times it happened, we ignored it, but after a while we decided to have fun with it and started making preparations. The next time one showed up we pretended to make out, I didn't catch their face but by the sound I guessed it was Tucker that saw us. A few minutes later Danny came storming into the room ready to kill me, but all he got was a whipped cream pie in the face courtesy of Jazz and a photo of the event thanks to me.

That was probably the hardest I'd seen Jazz laugh up to that point, she actually dropped to her knees she laughed so hard. Meanwhile her brother wiped cream off his face with what I could only assume was a shocked look on his face, given all the white topping it was hard to figure out exactly what he looked like. He stood there totally shocked, obviously not use to seeing this behavior out of his sister, then turned and stormed off in a huff.

Finally catching her breath, "I haven't done that in years."

"Hit your brother in the face with a pie," laughing a little as well, "how many times do you get a chance to do that?"

She playfully shoved me on the couch after that, "being young, for years I've had to be the responsible one on the family, I'd forgotten what it's like to do something stupid for the heck of it."

Pulling her down next to me "your kidding?"

"No, I never had anyone to do things like this with, no one wants to hang out with the brainy girl," her voice growing solemn, "with the crazy parents." And just like that all the joy was sucked out of the room, neither one saying anything.

Finally I broke the science, "I don't know crazy is good, they called Galileo crazy and look at him now."

"He's dead," her words almost inaudible, but with the tiniest trace of a giggle.

"Thank you miss killjoy, you know what I mean," waving my arms in the air, "he's famous and of the most respected scientists in history, so people call your folks nuts now, in a few years they might be regarded as the smartest people of their generation, and your going to be listed with them." For a second I lowered my arm then stopped and considered what I was about to do and how it might be interpreted, then just did it and wrapped it around her shoulder. "Screw what they think, you're a smart, funny girl, if they can't see that screw 'um they don't know what their missing, I'd do that with you again in a second."

For a brief moment the world stood still, then she pulled away, her eyes wide and all I could think was that I was dead. I hadn't been playing at anything, I just wanted to make her feel better, and I'd screwed up, I'd gone to far and made it seem like I was coming on to her rather than just trying to comfort her.

Then she hugged me, it was quick, but it was hug none the less.

I don't know what would've happened next since the world suddenly erupted into chaos as I heard the sound of the door bursting open followed by, "FREEZE DIRTBALL!"

"DAD," Jazz scream as we fell off the couch and my eyes shot from her to the man holding the very large gun in front of me and back again

"BACK AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!" Madelyn barked rolling past the wall that was her husband and came to a stop in a crouching position with a bazooka bigger than Jack's pointed at me.

"MOM"

"Help," it was all I could think to say.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO," Jazz screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Danny called," looking behind him and calling up the stairs, "good job boy," turning back to us, "and told us you were making out with a boy," the gun still leveled at my head.

"We weren't making out, Danny wouldn't leave us alone," the younger red head growled putting herself between me and her parents, "so we tricked him. Now leave Tobias alone, he hasn't done anything to deserve this."

"I'll be the judge of that," his eyes still locked on me.

"DAD," Jazz snapped

"She's right dear," the elder red head said shouldering her cannon, we don't have any proof they did anything wrong." Then she slowly walked over to me, "but when we do," smiling down at me, "guess what'll happen."

"Fenton Anti-Creep Stick time," her husband woofed hefting his empty arm up.

"The what?" the panic rising in my voice, suddenly discovering that I was not only still capable of feeling fear, but having it all directed at two people that for all intents and purposes were completely normal.

"It's a bat, with the word 'Fenton' on it," a smile on his face that made me really nervous.

Whispering up to Jazz, "then again they might just be considered crazy," causing a nervous laugh to escape her lips.

"Not the time for jokes."

Just then my watch started beeping and I say an out, "well look at the time, my curfews up, Jazz been fun, but I have to go, my parents are going to want me home." Forcing myself up I slunk to the door, grateful her dad let me pass. As soon as got past him I looked Jazz in the eyes and mouthed, "see you tomorrow, good luck with them," grateful to see her nod slightly in agreement. As I was walking to the door I caught sight of her brother and pointed up at him and mouthed, "not over," and left the house.

I considered running into an alley to demorph as I had before but decided not to, I got the feeling something was watching me and didn't want to risk it. I ran a few blocks but the feeling never left, I wasn't sure if it was nerves, my imagination or something rigged up by the Fenton's and I didn't care, I had to demorph and fast which meant had to employ the three S's, speed, space, and secrecy.

Luckily Nikki had already thought of this to a degree. I reached into my jacket and pulled out the small plastic strip that wasn't that different from head flip candy dispenser. A quick push and a black tablet slid into my hand. Looking back and forth I spotted an alley and got ready to dart into it, when I heard the scream coming from the behind me.

"I AM THE BOX GHOST, BEWARE!" Stopping I turned in time to see a blue man hovering in the air and being attacked by a teenager in black and white that was see through and quickly becoming solid. For a second I considered watching but time was running out and with any luck this would work better than my plan. I kept running and after a minute I was sure the feeling was gone which was fine by me, I darted into an alley and pushed the tablet back into place and demorphed and hit the sky. It was almost a shame I didn't get a chance to use Nikki's gift, the tablet's produced the blackest smoke I had ever seen and made it impossible for me see no matter what form I took for a minute and ten seconds. As far as I knew the only creatures that could function in the smoke was the Chee, and they didn't have a reason to use them. Using them was risky people might overlook the smoke and assume it was a fire, but if left anyone in it blind, and could be more incriminating than if someone saw me morph.

I ended up circling back to watch the fight, needless to say it was impressive, at least in some regards, the black and white ghost kicked the others tail with out much trouble, not that that was saying much. If I could've smiled I would as I watched, I could take them both, at least under normal circumstances, they both lacked the killer edge, and their movements in the sky were amateurish at best. They knew how to fly, but they had no idea how to use it to their advantage, they moved like it was still a two dimensional flight instead of the three dimensional fight it was. They traded blows but it was pretty obvious neither had much training in it, but black and white did have a bit of an edge, blue seemed more content to make crates fly at him and scream "beware." However the energy projection was pretty impressive, that did give black and white an edge, but he used it like a sledgehammer rather than a scalpel. He finished him off by sucking him into what looked like a thermos, it might not have been the best fight I'd ever watched but in the end he got the job done.

Looking over at the setting sun I decided to go, I had a little light left and I didn't plan on wasting it and flew back to the park to think about what I had done and seen. I landed in the tree just as the sun disappeared over the horizon, the last hints of red and orange giving way to black, or as black as I got with all the lights in the park, until they shut of I'd be up for a while.

(I have to find a new place to live,) ,my thought speech on a tight beam, (the hunting's good, but not enough to justify the light,) growling a little, or as much as hawk could growl. (Going to have to look around the wooded area I passed on the way into town, a few birds probably have territories clawed out, but I can get rid of one of them, of course that means other predators coming after me.) Shaking my head, (maybe staying puts for the best, a little lights better than worrying about getting eaten in the middle of the night, hell I'm not even going to be here that long.)

* * *

Yeah that's where I'm ending it, it was a little longer but I shifted that section to chapter 4, it was a judgment call and it just felt better. Things should start picking up in the next chapter or two, it depends on how things go, and yes the ghost element will pick up later

Please R&R


	4. what big teeth you have

Mythic Strom- hoped you like the last chapter with Danny somewhat spying on Tobias, such that it was

Silverchild of the winds- yeah I thought it was only fitting to put bird boy in a situation that was outside his comfort area. Aliens, ghosts and monsters he can handle, it's the normal situations that get to him.

* * *

I've learned there are three absolutes in life since becoming a hawk, one, your not always in control of your own fate. Two, raccoons are surprisingly dangerous, and three, nothing ever goes quite as expected. Which is how three weeks later I still found myself in Amity Park, sitting across from Jazz in the park I still called home eating Nasty Burgers.

It wasn't exactly intentional I just kept getting side tracked, every day I said this would be the day I get Jazz to take me into the basement and explain how to get into the Ghost Zone, and everyday something would throw off the plan. Sometimes it was a ghost attack, either by themselves or in tandem with her parents or black and white or as I now knew him Danny Phantom. A lot of the time though it was her family that was the main problem, her brother just didn't like me and did everything he could to keep us away from each other, pranks, snooping, and the old stand by of calling their folks. Of course they didn't like me that much either, or at least her dad didn't, Madelyn on the other hand was somewhat indifferent to me. She didn't really like me but she wasn't outwardly hostile like the other members of the family.

By the end of the week she was sneaking out to meet up with me so we could have some relative peace. Most of the time we didn't really do anything, we just talked about this and that, her day at school, the latest insane device her parents were making, and my plans for the future.

Unfortunately my plan in that regard wasn't that good. For the last few weeks I'd managed to come up with excuse after excuse as to why she couldn't meet my family, or see my home to be, but I knew I couldn't keep it up forever. I had ways of preserving my mystery temporarily, our flight had been delayed, problems with the paper work or the land, I convinced them to hold off for a few days, you could pull off one of those excuses without it raising an eyebrow, even two wouldn't bother most people but doing that for a little over two weeks and anyone could figure out something's up. Honestly I was surprised Jazz hadn't called me on it yet, I knew it was only a matter of time, and it was something I really wasn't looking forward too.

By the end of the first week I ended up having to set up shop in the haunted house, I still spent most of my nights in the park but I stored my things in the house. I had to pick up a razor, a few other things to try and keep myself clean and presentable, unfortunately the house didn't have working water, so I had to make due with a gym's showers during it's off hours, and a laundry mat to clean my clothing, but I had to space it out and had only bothered with doing it twice, I knew it was a little slim but I figured with the travel story I figured she might buy it.

Jazz and I had gotten relatively close at that point, I was probably the first person in along time to really care about her outside her family. She told me things about herself I doubted anyone else knew and I ended up opening up a bit more than I planned. Somehow I ended up telling her about my uncle and aunt, granted I left out the part about having to live with them since as far as I knew the rest of my family was dead and replaced it with summer trips with them. But everything else was true, about how my uncle was a drunk and ignored me and my aunt couldn't be bother with me when I was there. Surprisingly she'd been a lot of help, actually helping me work through some old anger I didn't know I'd been holding on to towards them.

In the end I think we really helped each other, I think we really both needed each other, we'd both forced ourselves to grow up to fast and had seen and experienced things that had left their share of emotional scars. We'd both lost touch with the rest of humanity, Jazz had all but cut herself off emotionally despite outward appearances, and I'd long since stopped caring about the living. I think we helped each other back, and that was probably the only thing keeping her blind to the blaring holes in my story.

Swallowing, "so things are really that bad?"

"They think that section of the school will only be off limits for a few days," sipping on her soda, "but my parents might be banned from the school for a few weeks."

"Only a few weeks, why not permanently?"

"At some point they always need a ghost hunter and mine are the only local ones."

"Except the crazy girl in red."

"Key words there, crazy. As bad as my parents are at least they take responsibility for what they do, she just blows holes in things and flies off."

"True, very true, but there's something to be said for destroying and running, if nothing else it avoids the insurance rates rising," taking another bite.

"Yeah like anyone would insure a ghost hunter," putting her hand out

"Point taken," giving her a high five and chuckling a little, she joined me a little, but I could tell she was holding back. Sighing, "ok Jazz spill, what aren't you telling me, they slime a guy you like, destroy something important, or just make you generally miserable?"

"All of the above, but that's not what's bothering me," looking me in the eyes, "it's you Tobias, it's us, it's bad excuses you keep using."

Yep, way to smart to get fooled by me, playing innocent, "bad excuses, what bad excuses?"

"I don't know," her tone accusing but gentle, "lets start with the fact that I did a little checking, no ones building any new houses in the area. Or the fact that according to the net the only person listed with your name died years ago. Or should we move onto the fact that you only have four shits…"

"Hey," pointing a finger at her and trying to break her train of thought, "you wear the same thing everyday."

"…and that it took you a few days to get them washed."

"I told you I'm living out of a suit case, I only have so much room."

Jumping to her feet and slamming her hands on the table, "DAMN IT TOBIAS STOP LYING TO ME! I'm not stupid, don't treat me like I am, I can keep a secret."

Growling at her and narrowing my eyes, "I don't have a secret."

"Danny told me everything."

"Excuse me?" that one really got me, not just that I hadn't picked up on him following me but that, "YOU HAD HIM SPY ON ME!"

"NO," her voice barely controlled, "he followed you himself, he told me what he saw, that's why I wanted us to meet away from him so he wouldn't do it again. So I could wait for you to be honest with me, to trust me enough to tell the truth."

"Well excuse me if this isn't something I wanted to share," every word controlled but each screaming I'd kill the first person that came near me. Releasing a snarl that belonged more to wild animal than a person I turned and stomped a way, not wanting to hear anymore, less angry about losing my chance at Rachel than about her knowing what I was and having her brother stabbing me in the back.

I only got about seven steps before she grabbed my arm and turned me around. "You are not going anywhere till we talk about this."

"Talk about what, you know everything there is to know."

"Hardly, a few words from my brother does not explain what explain what happened to you, your going to explain it to me and your going to do it now, then you can leave or what ever you want, but you owe me answers."

"I don't owe you a thing," every ounce of emotion I'd been forcing into my face disappearing as it retook it's hawk like gaze of concentration.

It actually made her stagger back, but she didn't let go, "maybe your right, but just tell me why you kept it from me, why didn't you tell me you were a run away."

"I am not a bi…ran away," my whole body jerking back and out of her grasp then relaxing as I realized what she said.

"Yes a run away, I'm not stupid I can see the signs, little clothing, never wanting to let me see your family, all those stories you told me. It's obvious you ran away from that life, from those horrible people."

Even in my slightly stunned state I was aware enough to recognize the insult, "my mother was not horrible, she was a good person."

"But your aunt and uncle weren't, I heard the way you talked about them, a few weeks here and there wouldn't get you that angry with them, you had to have spent years with them to get where you are. Personally I don't blame you, if they're half as bad as you made them out I'd want to get away to, but what your doing isn't the way to handle things." Gently putting her hand on my shoulder, "I'm sure they're worried about you."

Brushing her hand off, "I'm legally dead."

That one caught her off guard and made her step back, "what?"

"They declared me legally dead Jazz," I didn't try and hide the pain, "a week after I left they declared me dead, they didn't wait, they didn't look, they just had me written off as soon as they could so they could get back to their normal lives."

Almost inaudibly, "I was right," then louder, "it can't be that bad, I'm sure…."

"There's nothing you can do here Jazz, I'm on my own and I'm happy about it, I didn't need anyone."

"What about me?" her words tender as she stroked the side of my face.

I wanted to pull away, but found myself leaning into the hand a little, "I.."

"If you didn't need anyone you would have left a long time ago. Your not the same person you were the day we met, I don't know what it is, but it's there and it's keeping you here. Maybe you don't need someone, but you do need something and I just want to help you find it."

Pulling away slightly, "why?"

A sad smile crossing her face, "your the first friend I've had in a long time, maybe ever, I just want to see you happy." I was really shocked at that, I had expected her to make a big scene, turn me into the cops, something, anything but that. We just stood there for a few moments in silence, neither sure what to say or do.

Finally I broke the peace, "no children services."

"What?"

"No children services, or DCF, or what ever you call the government lackeys that deal with people like me. I'm fine on my own, I have been for a long time, I don't need them, I don't want them," I saw her get ready to protest and I stopped her. "This is a sticking point Jazz, I get the slightest hint and I will vanish like the wind and you'll never see hide nor hair of me again."

Her eyes got hard at my ultimatum, obviously not liking where this was going, but slowly nodding her head, "but I have to know your ok, if I think your in any kind of trouble, I will call them, and I will find a way of tracking you down."

"Deal."

"And, you work towards your G.E.D."

"Excuse me?"

"You want to be on your own fine, but your at least going to get a basic education." For a second I considered fighting her, but I'd spent enough time with her to know that wasn't going to work anymore than she knew she could change my mind.

"Fine," moving past her back to the table. She joined me a few moments later, and the uneasy silence began again. We just sat on opposite sides of the table trying not to look at each other, and failing, our eyes meeting every now and then.

"You are eating ok right?"

"I'm fine," my words still having a hard edge that ended the conversation for a few more minutes.

"Your warm enough?"

Aggravation filling my very being, "I'm fine," and again all conversation stopped.

"Do you….."

I cut her off, "I don't need anything Jazz, I'm fine."

Bitterly, "well excuse me for being worried about my friend," this time she was the one giving the silent treatment.

"I know your worried," my words slow and carefully chosen, "but I'm fine, my life isn't ideal, but it works for me. I'm touched your worried about me, I am, but I don't need a guardian. Knowing," my eyes misting up as emotions I didn't know I had tried to escape, "someone is worried about me, that someone cares, it means a lot. But if you want to help me, just let me be, I'm not going anywhere, I like it here, but I need to be free to live my life the way I want to live it, to do things the way that work for me. They might seem weird, even abnormal, but I like it, and I'm good at it, so trust me and I'll trust you."

"I do trust you, that's why I'm so worried about you," a single tear staining her face.

"I know," reaching out and taking her hand, "that really does mean more to me than you know," the tears falling from my eyes freely. I'm not sure how long we stayed like that, neither of us was out of control, but we weren't exactly going to win any awards as we slowly cried. Not surprisingly Jazz came out of it first, but she didn't say anything, she just let me go for a while longer till I came out of it on my own.

"What," I knew there was something I had to settle now, it might not have been the right time, but I had to know something while we had attained a level of control over our emotions, "did your brother tell you?"

Looking up at me, "just that he followed you that first night, he saw you running away from the business and hotel district and acting weird looking down alleys like you were looking for some place safe to stay, but that he lost you when Phantom and the Box Ghost started going at it."

That did explain a few things, Danny was probably what I had sensed watching me that night, he had probably been using some weird invention of his parents to avoid detection. Yeah that had to be it, I swear Jazz had said something about her parents testing some kind of stealth device that could make a person invisible.

"I didn't want to listen to him, didn't want to break your trust, but I did."

A growl permeating my thoughts, "if I didn't know what he was like, I'd be mad. Not that I'm not, I'm just more ticked now than blood thirsty, I get that he did what he did for you, but if he comes near me again…." my words trailing off.

"He won't," her eyes slightly wide at the unsaid threat, "I promise, just…"

"I won't hurt him," the growling going away, "but I don't want him around me." For a while the air of tension hung around us, both knowing the wrong move could ruin the fragile compromise we'd somehow gotten to.

"Can I ask how long," the words quite but they hung in the air.

Sighing, "I don't know," technically the truth, I had no idea when I'd abandoned my uncle, "months, maybe years, I don't think about it much anymore."

"Is Tobias your real name?"

"Yes."

"Can I see where you live?"

"I don't live any place specific so that's kind of pointless."

"Then can I…" her words silenced as her eyes went wide as she stared at something behind me. I didn't have time to turn before I felt something hit me in the back and I blacked out.

Next thing I knew I was laying face down on the ground, the sound of birds all around me. Groaning I pushed myself up, old survival instincts kicking in as I checked my watch, I still had half an hour left till I needed to demorph. My next concern was Jazz who was a few feet away also unconscious, I darted over and checked her plus, glad to see she was still alive, my anger towards her gone for the moment. I looked her over as best I could and from what I could tell she didn't seem to be hurt.

"I should have paid more attention to the first aid Cassie tried to teach me," I growled to myself. Knowing she was as fine as she'd be at the moment I looked around. As far as I could tell we were somewhere in the woods, but that was a much as my human senses could tell me. Looking back to her I nodded my head and slipped into the woods and out of sight in case she woke up and demorphed and flapped my wings and shot into the sky to get a better look at the situation.

Just as I thought we were in the woods outside of Amity Park, it would take less than an hour for me to fly back, but with Jazz that wasn't an option, and I had no idea how long it would take to walk, provided we didn't get lost on the way to a road, and given the nearest one seemed to be a few miles off getting lost was distinct possibility. Unfortunately finding one was going to be a problem, when I'd first flown over I'd been distracted trying to remember everything in Nikki's report and had thought the place was small, on subsequent flights, it turned out I was wrong. It might not have been as big as the forest back behind Cassie's house, but it was still big enough to house a large number of different species. Aside from the rodent and raptor population, I'd seen or smelled, depending on the body, a few foxes, bobcats, coyotes, raccoons, deer, and all manner of birds, reptiles and insects. In short not the most dangerous place for me, but I didn't want to leave normal person in there for to long.

But it wasn't the natural threats that bothered me, it the artificial ones that made me nervous. Whatever had grabbed us had gotten us here quick and I doubted it just wanted to see if we could escape, something was going on, I didn't know what but I didn't like it. I did a quick loop keeping Jazz in sight as much as possible and didn't see anything that might be a threat and landed in the woods just out of sight of her in case she came to and morphed my human form.

I paced around her form for a few minutes, wishing I had morphed my German Shepard so I could get a read on the surrounding scents but couldn't risk it at this point. Between Jazz not moving and me not understanding the situation I was going a little crazy. When she finally started stirring my heart skipped a beat and I rushed over to her and knelt beside her.

"Come on tell me your ok," my words as gentle as I could make them as I helped her sit up.

"I think so," rubbing the back of her neck and looking around, "where are we?"

"Woods outside of town, don't know anything else through, don't suppose you have any clue?"

"Skulker."

"We were attacked by a stalker?"

She glared up at me for some reason, "Skulker not stalker," getting to her feet, "he's a ghost, he came after my brother once."

Standing next to her, "your brother?"

Suddenly she got a scared look on her face as she stared at me, "um…that is to say…..um…he was taken to get to my parents once." Something had her spooked, I knew Jazz was bad at lying but even for her that was bad, but I didn't push it. If she wanted to keep a secret if was fine by me, I knew all to well that some secrets weren't meant to be told.

I looked around, for all the ghost fights I had seen I'd come up with one thing, I was as vulnerable to them as anyone else. "So how do you know it was him?" my eyes on the tree canopy above us.

"I read through the file my parents have on him," again she was lying, I could tell just by looking at her face. "He's some kind of hunter, a lot of weapons, obsessed with Phantom, very dangerous."

"And your sure it's him?"

"He was the last thing I say at the park before he shot me, if it isn't him it's a major coincidence."

"No such thing as coincidences," Tobias the teenager was slipping away, being replaced by Tobias the animorph, if this guy wanted a fight, he'd picked the wrong prey. "We need the get to some place safe," my words carrying a weight I'd forgotten they could, I sounded more like an old warrior than a kid, and I knew Jazz saw the difference by the way she looked at me.

She stepped half a step back at my words, not quite afraid but taken aback by the shift in my personality, but it didn't stop her form asking, "and where are we going to go?"

It was a good question, I knew where the road was, it was just a matter of telling her the right story to get to it. "That way," jerking my thumb to the left and to the unseen road and hoping I was right about what Jazz did and didn't know.

"So you just randomly pick a direction and start walking wonderful," crossing her arms, "I've never even been camping and even I know that's a bad idea, we should stay here till someone comes looking for us."

"Yeah you haven't been camping," pointing a finger at her and kept my voice calm and low, "I have. In my life I've spent a lot of time in the woods, I know how to get around, and I know that's where we need to go. The simple truth is that way will get us out of here. Yeah we could wait, and under normal circumstances that's the right thing to do, but last I checked no one knows we're here, chances are no one even knows we're gone yet, so waiting is a bad idea, especially if this Skulker ghost is the one that put us down and I don't know," spreading my arms wide, "hunting us down. Right now you have two choices, you can come with me willingly or I can knock you out and carry you." At the moment I was hoping for number two, KO'ing her and assuming any of half a dozen other forms and carrying her out would be easier not to mention faster for the both of us.

"You know that's the right way, I mean you swear to it," she was serious but a little afraid too.

"I am," all the confidence I could muster went in to the words.

"Ok, lead the way."

I did my best to make her think I knew what I was doing as I lead her around, and to a degree to I did, but being on the ground was a little unnerving for me. Tobias the bird knew his way around the forest, Tobias the human didn't, or at least not as well. The going was slow, my human body might not have been in the best shape, but it had a lot of stamina and was at least dressed for the part. Not to mention I had a good idea how best to move in the forest thanks to all my time there in various bodies. Jazz on the other hand was not exactly accustomed to the rough landscape, she was plenty strong, but the girl handled the terrain like it was a sidewalk instead of the ever changing world of the wild. Combine that with her clothing being more for show, especially her shoes, and she wasn't exactly an icon of wilderness survival.

Every ten minutes or so she had to stop or slow down because she had stepped on something wrong or hurt her foot because her shoe didn't get enough traction, either way she wasn't helping much.

For the most part we traveled in silence at my request in case something was tracking us, but after forty five minutes or so she finally had enough and needed to relieve some of the tension that had to be building in her. "What are odds I'd get kidnapped and dropped in the woods with a woods man?"

Looking over my shoulder, "you accusing me of something?"

"No, I was just thinking out loud," her tone a little nasty.

Growling a little under my breath, "this isn't my fault Jazz."

"I'm not saying it is, but you have to admit this is kinda weird," grabbing my arm to slow me down. "Really what are the odds that you would know how to do this?"

"Don't know," pulling away from her grip, "but apparently it's a good thing that I'm homeless, otherwise we'd both be in trouble," a dark little smirk on my face as I verbally jabbed at her.

"Oh yes, because being homeless is such a good thing," she snapped back, "you're a mess Tobias."

"Shut up," my ears perking up as much as any human ear could.

"I will not, you act like this place is a second home, you need help."

"I said shut up," her voice drowning out whatever I was hearing

"And you obviously have control issues."

Lunging at her, "I said shut up," as I pushed her in to a tree and covered her mouth and cocked my head. She struggled under me, panic rising in her movement, I didn't know what was going through her mind I but I knew she probably wasn't good. Even with her struggling and my weak ears I was able to key into the sound, rustling leaves, snapping twigs, and slightly muffled foot steps, sounds my hawk mind knew well, a predator. And worse yet it wasn't human and judging by the sounds it was big and on our trail.

"We have company," my words lower than a whisper as I pulled my hand away fro her mouth and pulled her forward ignoring stealth. This thing knew where we were so there was no point in being quiet and while I knew running was a bad idea, I also knew it would catch up to us if we didn't.

I tried to call up what I had seen in the sky, I knew there was a cave somewhere coming out of a small mountain or large hill I wasn't sure which and while it might not have been the best place to go it at least it would offer some protection. If I could get her in before that thing caught up I could slip away and shift into something a little more powerful and hope I stood a chance. Growling and doing my best to keep Jazz behind me, even as she fought me and tried to break my grip on her, I arced left and prayed I was right about everything. We must have run in a near panic for five minutes somehow avoiding every pit fall the forest could through at us till we emerged in a small clearing the cave right in front of us.

The second I saw it I let out a small, "bingo," under my breath and picked up the pace intent on beating our pursuer at all costs.

Fed up Jazz pulled her hand from mine, the bond easily broken due to the sweat on our body, "WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM," she yelled at the top of your lungs, slightly lifting her left leg. "THERE IS NOTHING AFTER US," she continued as she dodged my grab for her. Getting control of herself, her voice lower, "I know your scared but you this not the way to handle it, we can…."

"RRRRRROOOOAAAWWWW.

The sound cut Jazz off and made her eyes go wide as she realized I had been right, that and fear. Behind her emerging from the same place we had stood our pursuer, a creature that was oddly familiar. Judging from the basic shape it use to be a wolf in life, and I guess still was in death, albeit a malformed one. It was green, maybe four feet tall, with three eyes, two on the left one on the right and dripping slime from it's maw.

"Ok so something is after us," Jazz whispers as she moved towards me and I considered dropping the secrecy and demorphing. Luckily I didn't have to as it stared at us then turned and ran back into the forest and out of sight.

"Oh why does that make me worried?"

"It leaving makes you worried?" her words a mixture of disbelief and relief.

"Wolves are pack hunters, if it left that means it's going to get the rest of the pack," my eyes not leaving where it had vanished.

"You ever hear the term false hope? Honestly keep things like that to yourself."

"It's always better to know what your up against," a slight snarl in my voice, "don't suppose you can fill in any gaps about that thing?"

Looking at me in disbelief, "I'm not sure, something like that attacked my house once, a bunch of dead animals while my mom and brother were away, my dad and I fought them off, their not that tough, but I have no idea if these are the same creatures or not."

"How about specifics," giving a come here motion with both fingers.

"The ones that attacked us were basically normal animals, no special abilities, maybe a little stronger than normal, not that it matters without my parents weapons we can't fight them."

Looking back over my shoulder and trying to remember where the road should be, "then we have to get going and hope for the best."

"About that," her face growing red, "that might be hard."

I covered my face with my hand having a good idea where this was going, "what," I whimpered.

"I think I hurt myself, my foot feels like it's on fire," the shift in weight to her right leg more pronounced now.

"Of course," Shaking my head as I slipped up to her and let her lean on me as I helped her to the cave and got her the lay down. I didn't know much about medicine but I could tell that something was wrong, her ankle has now bright red and slightly swollen. "Yeah that is defiantly a problem."

"You think!"

"Don't bite my head off here, ok three options, I can try and carry you out, you can try and walk, or we wait here and take our chances."

She looked out the cave for a few moments, "if we leave we're going to go slow and then we'll be out in the open, if we're here at least we're safe to a degree."

Following her gave and whispering under my breath, "that is till Fido and his boys show up."

In the time we had I made her as comfortable as I could and kept my eyes torn between the cave exist and my watch, even with the reset time was still being eaten away and I didn't feel comfortable leaving Jazz alone even if it was only for a few moments. We stayed like that for a while, neither talking, just waiting till they attacked and hoping something would intervene between those two points that could give us an edge.

Time passed and I got the feeling that we were in bigger trouble than either of us thought. I'd spent a lot of time watching wolves hunt a long time ago, they moved faster than this, and this wasn't their usual strategy, they might be playing with us which meant something a lot smarter than a normal wolf was guiding them. So we were in trouble, a pack of wolves under normal circumstances was bad, a pack of smart ones was even more dangerous.

Eventually my watch went off and I knew I was in trouble, was it possible this Skulker guy knew about me, about my time limit and was testing me? I doubted it, but I'd killed a lot of people in my life, it was possible this guy might be a dead controller host body or even a Yeerk. At the tail end of the war they did know we were human, knew about my past, so it was possible, and if it was we were in real trouble.

I started counting off the minutes in silent frustration, knowing full well I had to make a call, when it hit two minutes till the land of permanent biped-ness I moved outside the cave. I didn't have time to debate the distance so I just jogged a few feet away, enough to keep the opening in sight but not enough to keep anyone inside from looking in.

I let myself demorph, my ears changing first as they were sucked into my head and my hearing shot back up to hawk level. My shoes sucked into my feet as talons emerged from my toes as they began to change into the right configuration. On the left side of my body all my clothing started cracking and took on a feathered pattern and started changing into body of a hawk, while the right side stayed human.

"WWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAA"

The sound made me pause, my concentration lost and left me midway between two forms. I didn't have to see it to know what it was, it was ingrained in my very being, the howl of a wolf, they were coming. The only good thing was they were maybe three minutes off, plenty of time to settle into another form. I closed my eyes and forced myself to focus and demorph as fast as I could.

From behind me I could hear the sound of rustling, and it wasn't the wolves, "Tobias, whatever it is get in here." I didn't have to look to know Jazz was hobbling out of the cave and trying to find me. As fast as my morphing ability now was things were not going orderly I was half the size I had been, my whole left side hawk, even my face was split down the middle, while the rest was mostly human. If she came out there was no way to cover this up, no way to hide, I couldn't run, I couldn't fly, I couldn't do anything but stand there and demorph.

My perfect hawk ears could hear both sides nearing me, I had a few seconds before Jazz could see me, maybe a minute for the wolves probably less. I forced every ounce of concentration I had into the morph, trying to take control of it. I needed to bypass the shrinking and get my body symmetrical, a large bird Jazz might over look. With every second that went by more shifted and both side grew closer.

I heard Jazz the second she hit the mouth of the cave, "TOBIAS!"

Here voice was full of concern, mostly because she couldn't find me. I'd finally gotten both my wings and had managed to flap into the tree line, luckily my body was light enough at that point to get enough air to make a decent flight. I managed to finish the demorph in the trees, my eyes on her as she looked around, panic growing on her face.

"TOBIAS!" her call twice as load as before, filled the air, alerting everything in the area to her, and letting the wolf pack know she was in trouble.

(Stupid Jazz,) my thought speech controlled as I was forced to think fast and jumped off the branch. I needed to keep Jazz in the dark, and keep her safe, which meant doing something really stupid.

To a human the ghost wolves were nothing more than glowing green shadows, to me they were loud moving night lights and finding them wasn't hard. It only took a few seconds to spot them as I zipped through the branches as only an experienced flyer can. A quick glance told me the five member pack wasn't in a hurry, a quick shift of the head of the alpha, who didn't seem have any eyes but countered it with four ears, told me he knew I was there but wasn't interested as he kept moving.

I didn't have time to debate the validity of my plan, it was either going to work, or it would get both of us killed but I had to do it. I did a quick flap and landed a few yards behind them and started to morph. I had a lot of forms at my disposal, but only three I considered combat morphs, not say all my bodies didn't have uses in battle, bit I'd found I really liked three when it came to up close and personal combat. First I got larger, much larger, in matter of seconds I was the biggest bird on earth. Then the digestive system started shifting while my feathers melted into my body leaving me naked while my wings and legs changed forming legs, paws and claws that could kill anything in it's way. My eyes lost some sharpness, but were still better than my human eyes and my sense of smell shot up, alerting my to the wolves changing direction and coming after the new scent I was putting in the air, just as I planned. A stubby little tail formed on my butt as the fur set in, a very special fur, not seen in this part of the word except for zoos. Finally the mind came up, it was a little worried about such an alien environment, but it still had the air of confidence, but it still yearned to see some white and cold. I was now a creature that was the alpha predator of it's world, it didn't know fear, couldn't comprehend running, I had a natural layer of protective armor born of the world I lived rather than for battle, I now had the strength to turn a car or shatter a mans skull if I wanted to with one swing of my paw.

Yep it's fair to say I loved being a polar bear.

Rachel had been the first of us to fall in love Ursus family, but where she preferred the weak sighted grizzly I loved the crystal sharpness of the polar bear. Granted the bear ran a little hot in this environment but I wasn't planning an extended battle, this was about getting the job done and doing it fast, something old Nanook was perfectly suited for.

I quick check of the air told me everyone of the dead wolves were now on my trail, what ever was guiding their actions was more focused on me than Jazz. The polar bear wanted to let out a roar at the on coming mutts, but I held back, a roar now might send them running to Jazz and that was the last thing I needed. Not to mention my roar would probably reach her as well, and I didn't want to add another fear to her growing list. This had to be a close up fight, if I had to chase them there was no way I could keep with all the trees. I let Nanook's confidence wash over me and force my fears away, I was doing this for Jazz and I had to do it right.

A few beats of my heart and the pack showed, apparently no longer taking their time. A quick head count told me they were all there, or at least I hoped that was all of them. They looked at me with a perplexed look, not that was a surprise, I was a few hundred miles outside of my usual territory. Aside for a few details they were all remarkably similar, one had one eye, three had three, and old four ears, who had a gold collar around his neck. But the scent was what really got me, they smelled normal for the most part, except for a trace of something I'd never smelled before and I doubted a human nose could pick up, I couldn't tell the difference from them and normal wolves. I had expected them to seem like a rotting corpses that'd been out in the sun to long, but they didn't, the added scent made them almost smell sweet, but not quite, whatever it was I didn't have the word for it, but it was familiar, but I didn't know from where.

Aside from the normal scents they did have one other hanging on them, a transfer scent, one of metal with the same vaguely sweet smell surrounding it. Given the metallic scent I was betting it had been a cage, but at this point I was open to anything.

Almost in unison the five bared their fangs and growled, a typical show us force, a bluff to avoid a fight.

(Not today pups,) my thought speech hitting each of them. As expected they all had a similar reaction, except for the alpha they moved half a step back, their ears and noses came alive as they sought the source of the sound, but their eyes stayed locked on me. The alpha alone kept his focus on me, I wasn't sure if he knew I was the source or just protecting his pack, but it wasn't comforting.

(Be smart,) my thought speech once more invading their minds, (leave the girl alone and go away.) I wasn't sure if they understood, but I hoped the alpha was as smart as I thought he was.

I was wrong, one eye was the first to attack darting out from the others and circling around me and leaping on to my back. He tried to bite into my neck, but learned jumping on any bear is a mistake as I reared back onto my hind legs, gaining my full ten foot status, and sent him tumbling to the ground. Two of the three eyes struck after that shooting at me from each side, I managed to catch the one on the left with my paw and sent her end over end into the one on the right, both of them slamming into a near by tree. The last three eye moved in before her pack members hit the ground and went straight for my throat, only to meet the back side of my paw as I sent it into the upper branches of a tree.

While I was distracted with the other three the one behind me tried to strike again, luckily I heard him coming, and with a speed that defied my bulk and turned and leveled a paw slash across his muzzle sending him the ground, his body rebounding off slightly as his side impacted the ground before me. I took a second to look at him, my claws leaving marks across his snout, but I hadn't penetrated the ectoplasm that made up his skin. It was nice to know that while I couldn't draw blood, or the ghostly equivalent, I could hurt them.

I didn't have time to enjoy myself as his pack mates tried to take revenge for their downed comrade. One of them managed to get a grip on the back of my neck, and discovered first hand how tough my blubber was, wanting to take him or her out of the fight I rolled over, crushing it under my weight and taking it out of the fight. Not surprisingly the others took the chance to try and drop me. One laying her fangs into my throat while I was on the ground and the other latched onto my right shoulder and tried to tear my arm off. Snarling I lashed out at the one on my throat and tore her off me with my left arm, albeit she took a chunk of me with her, and hurled her into a tree. Blood flowed freely from my neck now and stain my fur a deep red. Letting out a roar of rage I twisted my neck and grabbed the offending wolf on my arm with my jaws, gave it a few quick shakes and launched it into a tree. I enjoyed the sickening slump that rang from the body as it hit the ground and for a moment I had to fight the bears instinct to eat my kill.

I quick check with my ears told me the four were still down for the moment, but left a bigger concern, other than to sit the alpha hadn't moved. Growling I shook off the pain radiating from my wounds and faced him, ready as I could be for his attack, although if he was like those of the rest of his pack I wasn't in much trouble.

Dropping down to four legs, (You and me puppy, let go.)

I swear he actually smiled at me and a chill ran through my body, this mutt defiantly had a brain or a back up plan and I was a little afraid to find out which. His lips lifted showing his fangs as he let out a growl and stood and took an attack posture, and then did something no normal wolf could do, he grew, and grew. In the space of ten seconds he quadrupled in size, his shoulders now hitting the sixteen foot mark if not more, and then there were the claws now visibly sticking out from his feet, big enough to split me down the middle.

I looked up at him and despite his lack of visible eyes he stared down at me, almost daring me to try something. (You want a fight mutt, you got one,) as I charged in, I'd taken things this big before, I didn't see a reason I couldn't do it again.

That bravado lasted all of three seconds as he back handed me with his muzzle, sent me into the sky, through three trees before being stopped by the forth, and hitting what I was pretty sure was every branch it had on the way down. (Shame I didn't have a camera, I could have made a fortune off that shot,) groaning as I tried to get to my feet and felt several broken bones come loose, minus the bone now coming out of my left front leg. (I am so not getting paid enough for this,) as I turned my attention back to where the super sized alpha wolf stood.

His growled filled the forest as he came at me, (well at least he forgot about Jazz,) I whimpered as he charged me and dove down with his muzzle, he slipped his nose under me before I could react and jerked his head up and sending me back into the air. The bird in was happy about the change in scenery, everything else was not, because I knew this was going to end up hurting. I hung in the air for what felt like and eternity but was probably only a few seconds and started my return trip to earth, the super wolf under me, his jaws open, and his intent quite evident.

If I was a hawk this wouldn't be a problem, but I didn't have time to demorph, but that was still the key to survival. I focused my mind on everything I knew about flight both from the hawk and the human worlds and hoped I was right as I tried to take control of the fall and make my bulk move where I wanted it to. I shifted my weight as best I could, tried to pick up a blast from an up draft that managed to push me an inch off course but it was enough. I missed his mouth, sort of, I came down in his nose and kept sliding, my claws from my three good legs leaving tracks all the way down till I came to rest on his face.

Not surprisingly he didn't like that and tried to flip me off, which put me in position to level my claws on his forehead and slip onto his back and dig every one of my claws into his neck. After that I quickly learned what a rodeo rider felt like as he did everything he could to get me off, he spun, jumped, jerked and did a good job of destroying everything in the area under his feet.

(Yeah defiantly need a camera for this!) a slight giddy feeling washing over me as the insanity of the situation washed over me. I was a bloody polar bear with a broken leg riding around on a giant green wolf, and destroying a forest, (and here I thought there weren't any crazy things left to do on earth, YYYOOOOAAAAAHHHHH!) and simultaneously letting out a roar with my mouth, "UUUUUUHHHHHGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAA!"

I'm not sure how long we did that but I began to recognize the area from my position on top of him, somehow we were heading back towards Jazz and the cave, and I had no way of turning this monster away from her. Going desperate a lunged upward and bit into his back left ear, which was probably a bad idea in retrospect since I had to loosen my grip on him. The next thing I knew he jerked his head, I lost my grip as I was sent flying over the trees, again, and slammed into the side of the mountain back first, but I had my prize, part of his ear had come along for the ride. I slowly slid down, and was greeted by the smell of Jazz, who as expected was drenched in fear, and unfortunately the sight of super wolf pushing the trees aside with his bulk.

(Looking for this,) I snarled at him as I jerked my head up and ate the piece of ear in my jaws, (come and get it.)

Oh yeah, that ticked him off, and that was not a good thing, he charged jaws open and I tried to scramble away, something that didn't work very well with what I soon discovered was two broken legs. The first one from earlier, and at some point my right rear one. I only got about five feet before his teeth descended on me and my world went dark.

It took me a second to realize I wasn't dead after that, as big as he was, a near ten foot long polar bear didn't really fit in his jaws. I had gone head first into his mouth and was shrouded in darkness except for the occasional stream of light coming from the cracks my body produced in his mouth. This also opened up a new range of smells for me, due to a few incidents I knew what the inside of a living wolf's moth smelled like, of course that was as a hawk so I couldn't smell that much, a polar bear on the other hand picks up a whole new range of stink. I didn't really have time to ponder what I was smelling as the chewing started.

I understand the circle of life and all that cliché stuff, but I really didn't want to be on the other end of it. Teeth dug into my arms and legs, blood flowed freely out a dozen new wounds in addition to the old ones, and I wasn't sure I could stay conscious much longer. In my current state I could only see three options, be eaten, which was bad. Demorph and try and acquire the mutt, not a good time to figure out if that would even work, provided I survived the trip back to hawk mode. Or somehow make him spit me out, which was a little more vague than I would have liked. All the ideas were bad and I was running out of time, even in the darkness I could tell my vision was starting to go murky, the blood was going to kill me faster than the mutt around me.

(Better to die a hawk than a bear,) my thoughts directed at the ghost wolf. Even as my body started to go out I forced myself to morph, taking a body that would be easier to kill. This plan was going badly, the smaller I got the easier it was for him to hurt me, bear blubber was replaced by hollow bones, a body built for power and weight changing to one built for staying in the sky. (AARRRGGGHH,) my thoughts going everywhere as my arms changed into wings and the nearly mended bones snapped as he chewed. Half way through the demorph I was mostly dead and he swallowed.

Now I knew what every mouse I'd killed felt like, well almost, those had all been dead when they went down my throat, something I wished had happened. Not that I wasn't close my wings were gone, so was one of my legs, blood was draining out of me like, well someone that was missing several limbs. Thinking was getting hard, oxygen was not an issue anymore, who would have thought ghosts would have such air tight bodies, after all they traveled through walls. Something in his body was acting like stomach acid, for all I knew it was stomach acid, not that I should be anywhere near his stomach if I remember my biology classes correctly, and it started burning every piece of my skin it could touch, I had no choice to close my eyes and keep them closed. Actually closing my eyes was a blessing, I didn't want to know what was going on around me.

(FOCUS TOBIAS,) I didn't care who heard me, I had to think, had to get out, but all I could do was see Rachel's face in front of me. I'd been so close, I was close to Jazz, I could get to the Ghost Zone, I could've see her, of course I was going to soon. I started seeing all the times we'd spent together, flying after she'd acquired her bald eagle, sitting on her dresser and reading, laughing at Marco, fighting for our lives when she was in her grizzly or elephant morph, when…."

(Elephant,) my thought hanging in the air as I tried to think, (elephant,) why did that mean something? Then it hit me, understanding forcing it's way to the surface, I had an elephant body, (I HAVE AN ELEPHANT BODY!) I had no idea how far the thought went or if it traveled at all, but it was enough to get my mind in gear.

I focused everything I had left on the image of the pacaderm, I'd long ago acquired and hoped this would work. First the trunk shot out of my beak, the leg that still remained grew thinker along with the rest of my body. I lost track of the other changes when my legs grew from the stumps that had once been limbs, just glad to have them back. The more I changed the tighter the fit and the less air their was, if this was going to work it had to happen soon or all I'd do was give this guy digestive problems, provided ghosts even had digestive tracks.

Time started slowing down, the momentary rush of adrenaline was gone and everything thing was going dark again, I'd lost track of how many times I'd nearly died today, what was one more attempt. I started feeling like I was on a cloud, a big cloud that was constantly changing shape conforming to my body, a really wet cloud that was pulling me, and spasming.

The next thing I knew I was flying, well falling, to the ground covered in saliva, acid, ectoplasm, and probably a few other things I didn't want to think of. I opened my mouth and sucked in as much air as I could, filling my lungs with sweet life giving oxygen. While I continued to morph and hope my eyes were still hawk so they'd be fixed I used my ears to listen to the wolf glad to hear him coughing and hacking as he tried to regain his composure from spitting up a half formed elephant loogie that was to big to come out of his mouth.

Sucking one more deep breath and finishing my morph I checked for Jazz, glad to hear her behind me and charged forward towards the ghost wolf, intent on finishing it while I was a little closer to his size. As it was my african elephant morph was about twelve feet tall, smaller than my opponent, but it would do the job. It became pretty clear my eyes had been elephant inside the mutts body and until I changed back I was blind so had no idea what position my target was in and didn't care when I charged. I slammed into him with my tusks, trunk and forehead, from the feel on the impact I guessed it had hit his side, which was fine. I kept going straight, the canine's superior size meaning nothing to my power, I moved him around like a rag doll right into the tree line then threw it.

He barked, yipped and whimpered under, not that I cared, he hurt me and I had every intention of hurting him back. I was going to show this guy who the real predator was, he though he was tough, he was nothing compared to me, he wanted to kill me, he'd have to get in line behind a whole civilization. I broke off and moved back and charged him again forcing him though more trees, and giving him what I hoped was a new set of puncture wounds. Next to me I could feel him start to go limp, not that I was done, I called on every bit of strength I had left and lifted my head up, suspending the monster into the air.

(Next time pick something your own size,) the mental roar not controlled going everywhere as I slammed him into the ground so hard the world seemed to shake. Just to finish him off I placed my front legs on him and reared back and dropped as much of my weight on him as I could, the fog of anger and rage finally lifting as I stood there trumpeting my victory.

"HHHUUUHHHHRRRROOOOOOOMMMM"

Finally appeased I turned in time to hear Jazz yell, "HELP."

(Son of a…,) my thoughts trailing off, is this girl ever not in trouble? Despite my injuries and the massive fatigue setting in I ran as fast as legs would carry me, which was really fast despite the bulk of my body. I didn't have to ask what was going on when I got there I could hear, the other four ghost wolves were back up and going after Jazz. At this point I really didn't care what happened, or about being nice, I homed in on Jazz, and pushed my way through anything in my way. I forced my eyes open for a second and was greeted by a new wave of pain and something that barely qualified as sight, I could hardly even see a blurs, but I saw black and blue and grabbed it with my trunk.

"WHOA," yep Jazz alright as she tried to scramble away from my grasp.

I wasn't in the mood for this, and chances were she had already put a few pieces together and knew I was somehow wrapped up in this. (Cool it Jasmine,) my thought speech flooding her mind, the aggravation quite clear.

"Tobias," her words low and scared, ok maybe she hadn't put everything together, but she did stop struggling long enough for me to put her on my back away from the mean green eating machines.

(No the forest outside of Amity Park is full of wild telepathic elephants, YES IT'S ME!) the last part came out a lot angrier than I wanted it to but I really wasn't in the mood. (Look I can't see, and those things are biting my feet, give me a few seconds here and I'll…..Ok I don't know what I'll do, but I have to get rid of these mutts first.)

Homing in on the now annoying mongrels I wrapped my trunk around one and introduced him to the ground face first then tossed him like a frisbee in the other direction, the rest of it's comrades following suit a few moments later, and then we were safe, or as safe as we could be with five unconscious ghost wolves littering the landscape. I just hoped when they came to they'd be smart enough not to attack us.

(So you ok,) my voice softening as I slipped my trunk up to her, (well as ok as you can be in the situation,) trying to joke and lighten the mood.

"What are you," she squeaked weakly pushing my trunk away.

(That is more complicated than you could even imagine,) reaching back towards her with my trunk, (and this would go faster if I could see you,) then as an after thought, (now please stay still so I don't hurt you.)

It didn't really matter what she said at this point there wasn't much she could do to stop me from doing anything I wanted. Luckily she didn't fight and I was able to wrap my trunk around her as gently put her back on the ground.

"Don't kill me," she whimpered as I let her go.

If I could've seen her I would've glared at her, (when have I ever given you the slightest hint I was going to kill you?)

"Well…"

(The answer to that is nothing,) sighing, (I'm not going to hurt you, if I was I could have done it a lot sooner, or I could have just let them do it,) waving my trunk in the direction I hoped some of the wolves were.

"That doesn't mean you won't, look at you, you could step on me," I didn't have to see her to know she as probably pointing a finger at me.

(Fine then I'll give you the edge,) and I demorphed, grateful to finally get my eyes back, glad to finally slip into a body that was completely healthy. And the first thing she tried to do was hit my with a stick, not that she connected. I heard her coming before it got near me and flapped away and landed over her head in a tree. (Ok I'm going to overlook that because your stressed, but try that again and I'll fly off and you can find your own way out of here, because personally I don't need it. I don't like being a chew toys for living animals, and now I can honestly say that goes about triple for the dead ones.)

Glaring up at me from the ground, "your responsible for this aren't you?"

Spreading my wings, (oh yes, blame the ghost attacking the ghost hunters daughter on the bird,) leaning forward, (you ever think this might be your parents fault?) the words coming out a bit flippantly but at the moment I didn't care.

I could tell from the look on her face she wasn't trilled with my answer, "excuse me Mr. there are no such things as coincidences, and you still haven't told me what your are! What are you some kind of ghost bird?"

Shaking my head, (believe me I wish I was dead, that would make things so much easier on me.) I straightened and considered my options with the loaded question Jazz had given me. On the one hand she knew a little of what I was, and going all the way might be for the best, on the other hand if I told her everything I could wind up in a lab somewhere with electrodes in my brain as scientists tried to figure out what made me tick.

Taking a death breath I took the plunge and hoped I was doing the right thing, (I'm what happens when you mix humans and alien technology.)

"What?" her eyes wide.

(I'm…)

She didn't give me a chance to finish, "that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" throwing her hands in the air. She started pacing as best she could with her hurt foot and pointing at me, "I told you Tobias I'm not an idiot so don't treat me like one. If this is some crazy scheme to get at my family just tell me and get it over with, your obviously working with Skulker."

(Ok first I'm not lying, and second I don't even know what a Skulker is let alone how to work with one!)

"Oh come off it, it's so obvious he sent you here to get close to me and make sure someone has an eye on me while so he can use me as bait for them!"

Cocking my head, (you live in your own little words don't you? If I was working with this guy do you really think I'd let that thing,) waving my wing at the direction of the alpha wolf, (EAT ME!)

"Your committed," he answer shaky.

(And you need to be committed,) leaning forward, (look what I told you is the truth.)

"Oh yes because so much of what you've told me so far is the truth!" jabbing back

(Most of it is yes, hell most of the stuff I lied about you already saw through, the only thing you didn't piece together is that I'm a bird in my off hours.)

She just glared at me for a few minutes after that, from the look in her eyes she seemed to be thinking things over. "How do I know what your telling me is the truth?"

(You don't, I could argue with you till your blue in the face and never prove anything I'm saying is true. Right now the call is all yours, either way I'll help you get out of here, but I can't promise it'll be a fun trip either way.)

Looking up at me and wearily asked, "how much of what you told me is the truth?"

(As I said most of it is true, and what wasn't you already figured out. My name is Tobias, and I am an orphan, my parents are dead, and my aunt and uncle declared me legally dead, and I have been living on my own for a long time.)

"And…," waving her hand up and down, "…that?"

(That involves you to suspend your beliefs a little.)

"I'm listening."

Sighing, (one second,) flapping down to her, my body finally feeling better as I morphed my race horse form and bowed down before her, (get on, this could take a while, and I don't want to give them,) nodding my head to the wolves, (a chance at round two.)

She was a little nervous but she finally got on my back and we started walking away from the nightmare scene behind us and back towards the road. On the way I told her pretty much everything, my life, the war, even the deals I made with The Ellimist. Of course I did leave a few things out, she didn't need to know about the mess that was my family history, or that I'd been crawling through her house, or the Chee, but I had to jump around a few creative hoops to avoid that one. In the end I wasn't sure how much she believed, but we did manage to get to the road and head towards her home.

After I had finished my story we didn't say anything to each other, I had nothing left to say, and she had a lot to take in. After what seemed like and hour fifty I managed to get her off so I could demorph and rest a little, carrying her wasn't hard for the finely tuned athlete of my horse body, but between everything that had happened I was exhausted mentally, physically and spiritually.

"So you were using me," she asked me weakly, her legs in front of her as she sat hunched on the ground looking down at me while I stood on the ground before her.

Taking a deep breath and sighing I look away from her, (in the beginning yes.) I took another deep breath as I heard her breathing starting to speed up and become slightly erratic, I didn't have a lot of experience with the sound form this side but I knew it, she was getting ready to cry. This situation required a delicate touch to keep it from going south, which was in no way my area of expertise, but I had to try.

(Yeah, in the beginning I was just trying to get close to you to get to your parents equipment. But do you really think that would take near a month for me, I could have just knocked you out, tied you up, acquired you, taken your form and asked your dad to show me how it works, if he likes to talk about ghosts as much as you say he does he'd do it in a heart beat. Then I could just find her and the world could keep spinning just like it always does.) The truth was I could've done that, I'd staked Jack out once while she was in school, and from what I could tell he would start talking about ghosts and his gear if you gave him the slightest indication you were interested. (But I didn't did I? I kept up the human act, limited myself to walking on the ground instead of flying, ate processed food rather than killing what I needed, went to the mall and bought new clothing. I was human for you, I haven't done that for anyone in a long time, haven't wanted to. Being a hawk is freedom Jazz, raw freedom, I clipped my wings to be with you, do you really think I'd do that for as long as I did if there wasn't a good reason.)

During my speech she'd calmed down, but her sorrow had been replaced by rage, "you wanted the Ghost Portal, that's a good enough reason!"

(No it's a good reason, not the reason, I like you Jazz,) my words growing an edge, (and that's saying something. I haven't gotten close to anyone since the war ended, haven't wanted to, because I didn't want to watch someone else die.) Spreading my wings, (everyone that gets close to me ends up dead or lobotomized, you really think I wanted to pass that onto other people? This was suppose to be fast, in, out, and I'm back with the one person I can't loose, then I get side tracked on you, a normal girl that was a means to an end, nothing more,) turning away form her and the anger draining away in favor of regret, (one that didn't stay that way.) I turned back to her, the weakness gone, (I don't know why I like you Jazz I really don't, seems like every time we're together I end up digging some horrible memory up I'd prefer to leave buried. Before you I had come to terms with what I am, I liked being a freak, I liked not dealing with people, I liked not having to order food, I liked just being a bird.) At some point in the speech I lost conscious control of what I was saying, things were just starting to come out at random,. Things I wasn't even aware of thinking. (Because of you I actually miss being human, miss doing all those stupid little human things I'd given up on, once I actually considered going past the time limit for you. THAT HASN'T HAPPENED IN YEARS! I haven't done that since Rachel died, do you have any idea how much that actually means to me? Going human means giving up everything, no more freedom, no flying, and me dealing with the fact I have no place to go! I came for her, I stayed for you!)

If I could have cried I would've, every ounce of emotion I had was just torn out, things I didn't even know about myself had been laid out before the both of us, and I think I was more was as surprised by them than she might have been. I couldn't even look at her after words and turned away, feeling angry and embarrassed with myself, I felt like I had betrayed myself, I knew I liked Jazz as a person, I wasn't aware it had actually been that much. I had to go, if I stayed I was going to hurt her, I had done enough damage emotionally, I didn't need to do more.

I spread my wings only to have her hand come down on my back, I'd been so caught up in myself I hadn't heard her coming, it wasn't enough to stop me, but enough to get my attention. "Don't go," as simple as the worlds were they felt like they had the world attached to them.

I couldn't look back at her, (follow the road, you'll fine.)

Her response was simple, "please," falling somewhere between a plead and a demand.

(You'll be….,) I wasn't able to finish as she wrapped her arms around me as best she could with my wings out and hugged me.

"Don't go," I could hear the raw emotion and feel her start to tremble around me, and I couldn't do a thing to move. I folded my wings back as she held me and cried for reasons I wasn't sure of, it might've been me, it might've been stress, it might've been something else, but I hoped it was for me, for us. After a few moments I started to morph around her, retaking my human form, a little surprised she never moved while I changed, she just kept holding me. When I was done she was still hugging me from behind, and I took her hand in mine, and joined her as the walls crumbled and I mourned for things I hadn't mourned for in years, for Rachel's death, for that of my family, for my own, and most of all for putting Jazz through this to begin with. I lost track of time real quick as we just unloaded on each other, shifting from open emotion to silent weeping, but we eventually got everything out of out system and she pulled away from me.

Then she punched me between the shoulder blade and I went down like a brick. "That's for lying to me," her words almost hollow and raspy but with a faint hint of a former laugh she'd used so often with me.

"Your going to have to be more specific," I groaned rubbing the spot where she had hit me, "I lied a lot."

"You could have just told me all that from the beginning," folding her arms over her chest.

"Yeah because you wouldn't have me locked away in the wacko shack if I told you that on the front porch," a slight laugh creeping into my words as I realized just how insane that really sounded.

"Not if you were a bird," shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

"Oh no, your right because there no chance your dad would come out screaming," waving my arms, "GHOST BIRD GHOST BIRD EAT FENTON WHATEVER GHSOT SCUM!"

She opened her mouth and from the look on her face she had a to counter ready, but all that came out was laugh. A laugh that was contagious as I soon joined her. We both ended up rolling around on the ground for a few minutes desperately trying to breath as the full impact of the situation we were in hit us. It took a while but we finally calmed down and I just laid there with my eyes closed, not moving, not thinking, just enjoying the sun streaming through the trees, and the feeling of warmth that swam through my body as for the first time in years I didn't have anything left, no anger, no hate, no regret, no longing, I was empty, and I felt great.

"Um, you guys need help," the words were slightly nervous but they cut through the sounds of our breathing. Even with my human ears I could tell it was above me, ten maybe twenty feet up, and it sounded a lot like her brother.

"I don't need this today," I whimpered and squeezed my eyes closed even tighter, "first I'm shot, then the wolves, now I'm hearing your brother."

"NO YOUR NOT," Jazz yelled at me scaring me a little and forcing me to open my eyes and see the ghost boy hanging above us and floating down.

He was scratching the back of his head and looking a little shifty, "yep no brother's here just me, your friendly neighborhood ghost boy. So you two need a lift back, and I'd recommend it, this place is kinda crawling with ghosts."

"No kidding," I growled as he landed between us. Something about the way he looked at me making me nervous, like he really didn't like me, almost like the look her family gave me. He defiantly looked like he might be related to them, actually some black hair dye, contacts and normal clothing and he might pass for her brother, well except for the glow. The glow seemed to be the one thing all ghosts shared and it made than all easy to spot, of course they could have found a way around that.

I shook my head sharply, driving the thoughts out, this was not the time or the place for them, besides I doubt Jazz would be so hypocritical as to yell at me for lying and then not tell me something like her brother was dead after I spilled my guts to her.

"We could use a ride back," Jazz did her best to be civil as she straightened out her clothing and hair and tried to look presentable. "You did deal with Skulker right? He's kinda the reason we're here?"

"Oh yeah, yeah no problem, I, um, followed his trail, he left this big ransom demand in the park so I decided to come and save you. You know gotta gives ghosts a good name and all that stuff."

I' m not sure if it the was the total BS act he was putting on or if it was the fact that he was trying to make himself seem important, but something put me off. "Yeah I think I'll just walk home thanks," and started to walk back towards the woods, only to have Jazz grab me by the by the jacket and pull me back as well as she could given her foot.

"We'll take you up on the offer," she growled at me.

I considered saying a lot of things to her, but let them slide, she needed a doctor, and I wanted to get way, whether it was under my power or his I didn't care. The flight back was weird to say the least, he put his arm around both of us and just flew away with us, he obviously had some experience in this area, but didn't know much about winds and currents. More than once we hit a big pocket of air or a massive updraft and he'd lose control for a second or two and nearly give all of us a heart attack.

"Ever consider flying lessons?" I braked at him, considering breaking off and hoping I could demorph before I hit the ground.

"Like you could do better," he snapped back.

"GUYS," Jazz half shrieked and held tighter on to the ghost boy, "if your going to argue do it on the ground."

It took a while but he managed to get us back into town without killing us, and I had to admit it was faster than I would have gotten there, but no where near as elegant. By the time we landed by an abandoned building the sun was starting to set and the first few street lights were turning on.

"Now get home you two," he tried to put on a relaxed face, but I could see the fear and anger under it, "I don't want to come after you again."

"Right, thank, sorry about my parents shooting at you so many times."

"No problem Ms. Fenton," giving her a little salute and flying off.

Then almost as an after thought she yelled up, "really I'll be fine GO AWAY!"

I didn't exactly know what that was about and I didn't care, as soon as he was out of sight I grumbled, "that one really bothers me."

"Really," crossing her arms.

"I doing trust anything in the sky without wings, glide flaps or webbing between it's toes."

"What," cocking her head slightly.

"Flying Flogs, I think their South American they glide with the skin between their toe."

"That's not what I meant, he just saved our lives and your coping an attitude," something in her voice letting me know there was more to the story than what was on the surface.

"No I saved our lives, he provided a lift, and I have a right to cop an attitude the kid knew nothing about the sky, he nearly killed us at least three times. If your going to fly you should know the dangers in the air, if he was a bird and flew like that, he'd be dead a dozen time over, and at least once by my talons," I growled getting close to her so only we heard the last part.

With a hint of a growl I moved pat her and looked around, not seeing anyone I moved into the darkness provided by a nearby wall and demorphed and flapped into a dieing tree while she watched me. (So,) I asked down, (where does this leave us?)

"I don't know," wrapping her arms around herself, looking right in my eyes, "did you really mean what you said back there, about the war, the alien parasites, super beings playing chess with the universe just because they can?"

(Unfortunately yes,) spreading my wings, (I'm living proof it happened Jazz, but you don't need to worry that's all in the past.)

"And what about me making you want to change back?"

(Yeah I did, and you do,) lowering my head. I didn't want to have this conversation right here and now so I changed the subject, (but the question still remains where does this leave us? If you want me to go I'll go, but if you decide to make a buck off this I'm telling you now, I won't end up in some lab while people try and figure out what makes me morph.)

"I'm insulted," putting her hands on her hips, "you really think I'd do that?"

(You, no, but I know people, and I know they'd think about it, that's how I know you did for at least half a second, maybe it was for different reasons than money but you thought it, don't deny it.)

"Ok yes I thought it, but not for money, your unique Tobias, one of a kind, do you have any idea what you could teach us about genetics, physics, the very nature of our intellects could be affects by what could be learned from you. And more than that you wouldn't have to be alone anymore, people could be look after you."

(Yeah like a cosmetic company looks after a rabbit, I don't think so. I like what I am so you have to promise this stays between us.)

She looked up at me with sad eyes, "ok, this stays with me, but you have to promise you won't run…fly……whatever, please, stay here if only for a little while. I…we need…."

Cutting her off, (yeah, I leave we're both alone again and back where we started.) Sighing, (hawks are solitary, humans aren't, hard to believe that's the one thing that won't go quietly.)

"Is that really such a bad thing?"

Filling my lungs with air, (I suppose not,) looking off towards the setting sun, (you need to go home Jazz, your parents are probably freaked.)

"And what about you," taking a few steps forward.

(I've been through worse, I can shake it off,) looking her in the eyes, (you need to go home, get some rest, you've had a big day and you need to sort through a lot of stuff. It took a few hours before everything sunk in with me that first night, trust me, when it hits you'll want to be alone to muffle the screams.)

"What screams?"

(The one's you'll have the first time you wake up after your first real nightmare,) she nodded slightly at that, something about the way she looked at me after that told me that might not be a problem. I got the feeling she'd already been through that first nightmare already.

"What about you?"

(I told you I'll shake it off.)

"I mean where are you going to be, how do I get in contact with you, how do I know you'll be all right?"

(In that order, not telling you, you don't and you can't. Look I'm a big boy and I don't need anyone watching over me,) and I saw the despair wash over her features. (Ok, ok, I'll find you tomorrow, don't bother looking, if I don't want you recognizing me you won't. Now go home and get some sleep and don't worry about this old bird, I've been in more scraps than you can count and I've always come out in one piece now get before I make like as pigeon and pretend you're a statue.)

Covering her head, "you wouldn't."

(You have no idea what I'm capable of, now go.)

Finally she relented and started back home peaking back over her shoulder every few steps till I spread my wings and disappeared into the sky. I knew if I stayed put she would've just kept looking and never gotten anywhere.

I was in trouble I knew that, while I trusted Jazz, I now knew I was to close to her to be objective about this situation. The smart thing to do would be to keep flying and never look back and let both of us get on with our lives. But the truth was I did like her, and no matter how I looked at it, if I left I was going to miss her, but our situation would never be the same after this. If I stayed things could go bad, and it was better to have good memories of her over the last thing we shared being me being shot at or stuffed in a cage.

It was to late to be thinking about this stuff, it'd been a long day and no matter what I decided it would be wrong. Letting out a scream I headed back to the park to get some sleep and hope the light of day made things seem a little clearer. If nothing else my body was screaming from all the fighting and morphing and I needed to really rest it, beside there was no point in me flying at night, and I had plenty of time to get away from her if I decided I needed to at dawn.

* * *

Skulker's Lair

"BLASTED GHOST BOY," the roar echoed through his home, rattling the heads of various animals, both formerly alive and dead, he'd mounted. I'd taken him over fifty years to get the home just the way he liked, at least of dozen of his trophies on display in every room of what was widely considered a mansion in the Ghost Zone.

Of course that was only to the citizens of the Ghost Zone, to Skulker it was just another place to keep his trophies and it had simply grown from the small shake that it once was into it's current form as he needed more places to keep his mementoes. Every room was testament to his reputation as the greatest hunter in the Ghost Zone, all but one, and it still haunted him. Over his master fire place was a single empty spot where a plaque holding the ghost boy should have gone, it remained bear since he learned of his existence and with every defeat the exoarmor clad hunter grew more frustrated, which was what lead him to hurtle a four hundred year old table against a wall and shatter it.

"I HAD HIM THIS TIME," his roar again filling the room as he swept his arms over a table sending one of his trophies to the ground. The ten legged ferret hit the ground and bounced, like many of his captures it wasn't dead in the typical sense, it was frozen, unable to move. At one point it had been one of his favorite pieces having spent almost a month trying to capture the rodent, it's speed being almost unmatched within the Ghost Zone. Now however it meant nothing to him in the wake of another defeat by the ghost boy.

"It had been perfect," he growled as he moved over to another table that contained his plan. Overlooking it his body began to hiss then his head split and dropped down, allowing his true from to be revealed. While he might have appeared to be a frog like creature now, when he had first arrived in the Ghost Zone he had been a normal man. But as his reliance on technology grew, and his armor became more encompassing his physical form shrank till that was all that had become of him,

Slipping out of the exoframe he walked over the map, trying to figure out how he so badly miscalculated everything. He'd captured the ghost boy's sister and her boy friend and had personally delivered the message, that if he wanted them back he'd have to face him in combat without the aid of his friends. He'd even released his hounds to deal with the pair just to add another element of jeopardy to the halfa's situation and to ensure no one interfered with his insurance policy.

"My beloved hounds," he smiled tracing where he had placed them on the map, where he failed they would succeed, whispering "do your master proud Cerberus, lead my prey to me."

And that brought a smile to his lips, he might have lost, and yet he had won. Soon enough the ghost boy would come to him, looking for revenge after having found the mangles corpse of his beloved sister. He would come storming into the Ghost Zone ready to annihilate everyone in his path till he got what he wanted, and then it would be over. Every inch of his compound was now booby trapped with equipment equally capable of killing a human as stunning a ghost. By the time he got to the ghost hunter he'd be to tired and hurt to do anything by bleed till the final blow was struck.

"You are mine this time boy," and laughing evilly, victory finally in his grasp, a cackle that was cut short as the perimeter alarms went off. "Your faster than expected whelp," the hunter growled as he moved back into the exoframe and powered the armor and activated the relays to synchronies with the compounds security system. The visual appeared on small screen on his arm and showed the five blips of his faithful wolf pack, but no sign of the ghost boy.

"BLAST," he roared as he moved past through the house, his armor deactivating the security devises in each room, if his team was back something was wrong. It took a few moments to navigate the huge estate but he finally found them and it frightened him.

He had found Cerberus almost twenty years ago, and the beast had almost destroyed him and he wasn't sure how. It wasn't the strongest thing he had hunted or the fastest but he was unusually smart, and it had refused to give up and it had somehow nearly torn his armor to shreds. Rather than freeze the best or put it on display he choose to tame it, and he had never doubted the decision,. Together they had hunted some of the most dangerous creatures in the Ghost Zone, and nothing had ever escaped them. For a time it almost seemed like the pair was competing against each other, each trying to out do the other, and somehow he had come to care about the mongrel. In time Cerberus had gathered a pack around him, and while the four that followed the eyeless mutt were not as strong as their leader together they were a true threat to anything Skulker decided was prey.

And in the end that was why he had chosen to retire them, they were to good at their job. He had come to rely on them to much and feared his own edge was dulling. It was only due to his constant defeats by the ghost boy that made him bring his faithful hounds back into the game, and then only in a limited capacity.

"WHAT HAVE THYE DONE TO YOU," it wasn't his intention to roar it out, but the sight before him was worse then he had thought. He knew the halfa would hurt them, but nothing like this, He knelt down in the middle of the room, his pets coming to him. The three eyed sisters Blaze, Strike and Bolt and the one eyed male Gash all showed many of the same wounds, blunt trauma and gashes that defied anything the ghost boy could do with his powers. But it was Cerberus that carried the bulk of the damage, ectoplasm dripped from four large puncture wounds in his right side, his muzzle was bent at and odd angle almost like his jaw had been broken in several places, the way he carried himself seemed to indicate his right two legs were badly hurt and his body seemed battered in a hundred places all over his body.

"My poor partner," he moaned silently as he petted the dog gently as it whimpered under him, "I've kept you out of the hunt for far to long, he never could have been able to beat you at your prime. I'm going to take him alive my pet, and when you heal," looking at the others and slipping his hand under Blaze's chin and lifting her head, "when you all heal, I'll let you kill him yourselves, and then we will hunt down his spirit and your will use it as a CHEW TOY!" That earned him a few yips from the surrounding wolfs as they moved closer to their master.

Gently he removed the collar from Cerberus' neck, "now lets see what the whelp did to you." His armor came to life as it tapped into the small camera in the collar and relayed the images to projector in the wall, it's opposite lighting displaying everything the alpha male had experienced. He fast forwarded to the part where Bolt had arrived and brought the others to the two humans and fast forwarded again till the pack stopped and turned around, the images before him surprising him.

"What is that," as the screen filled with the image of a white bear, "there are ghosts in the forest?" There was a kind of doubled edged feeling as he watch the battle, he was glad it hadn't been the halfa that had done this, but was worried that something he had never heard of was capable of such a feat. He watched everything on the screen with great interest the bear creature fighting Cerberus, riding him, being thrown by him and still coming back for more. He was glad when he saw his pet eat the miserable bear, not that it explained the wounds. Then the spasming began, the camera jerked as the wolf went into fits until spitting up appeared to be a malformed elephant that preceded to demolish his prized companion. From where his pet fell he was able to watch it protect the halfa's sister then attack rest of the pack then finally transforming into a bird and have a one sided conversation with the girl before changing in into a horse and carrying her away.

"What is this creature," he growled, he knew everything about the Ghost Zone and yet he had only heard of a few creatures that could assume the forms of animals, some very old, other were far newer, but all were considered dangerous. He replayed the footage several times, focusing on the creature and calling up his home's library and searched for the information.

"It might be one of them," he softly cooed as he scratched Gash between his ears, "you may have found me something more interesting than the ghost boy my pets. Oh yes far more interesting , as prize almost as rare, and far more coveted, a beast walker." He wasn't able to help himself as he started to laugh, years ago a few had swarmed the Ghost Zone, and most now resided in Walker's accursed prison, captured before he had a chance to hunt them. Even in his time incarcerated in that infernal prison they had escaped him, each hidden away from the rest of the population in one of the many levels that few had access to, included the super max wing, one of the few wings that hadn't experienced any break outs from his jail break. He still dreamt of what might be in that wing, it was said to hold the most dangerous of ghosts, and if rumor where true, the most deadly of the beast walkers.

"You'll all be eating well tonight my friends," looking around, "you have brought me a true prize, something I can lord over that accursed Walker and his collection." Picking up Cerberus, "yes my friends you have done well this night, rejoices, not only will you feed, your privileges have been restored, when you heal, the ghost boy will know your bite. But first, I'm going on one last solo hunt to take down one of the most elusive creatures around, and I think the ghost boys sister just might help," and throwing his head back and laughing hysterically as his wolves joined in and hollowed along with their master.

* * *

And another chapter down, damn this was a long one. Well some wanted ghosts and you have them, granted the only ones that did anything are my own creation but they're there. Tobias got lucky with his first Ghost run in, only time will tell if it lasts against one with a few more skills. And yes this isn't over between Tobias and Jazz, they will still have words, and she's not just going to accept it, but at the moment she's still in shock, when that wears off, he's going to be in trouble

Please R&R


	5. Hunting and Chess

Mariko The Reviewer- Wow thank you and I hope you got the books. And yes Tobias does sell Danny short, bit you have to remember Tobias has a few years on Danny, and his life has and does depends on certain skills (flying, hunting, spying, fighting), where as Danny doesn't have to worry quite as much and most of his skills seem to come relatively easy (minus cloning of course, and Tobias can do that with a star fish). They come from very different worlds and when the day comes that they deal with each other, well you'll see.

Mythic Storm- Don't worry other animorph charters will be showing up, and some will be dead, and they will have a big part in some places, and Wolfe is indeed coming, but not quite in the way you think.

* * *

By the time I came around, the sun was already up and the rodent population had already high tailed it back to the safety of their borrows or wherever they wanted to hide or spend the day. Not that I cared anymore, all night I'd had nightmares, Rachel telling me I'd failed, the other doing the same, Jazz laughing at me, guys in white coats cutting my skull open, and green wolves eating me, at some point all the above while I was being eaten. Yeah not a good night.

The second my eyes opened the pressure was there, weighing on my mind telling me I had to make a decision about what to do next. Despite the hours that had gone by I didn't feel any better or gain any new insight into the situation, it was still a rock and a hard place. While I trusted Jazz, I didn't need to bring my problems into her world. But to give her up meant giving up my last tie to humanity, and I wasn't sure I could get another. Then there was Rachel, I was so close now to getting to her, provided I could even find her, or she was there at all. At least Jazz now knew what I wanted, and it was possible I could get her to help me now.

(Yeah that's it Tobias, ask her to steal her parents ride and help you find her dead girl friend, that'll go over real well,) ruffling my feathers at the thought. Truth was even if I wanted to I respected Jazz to much to ask her to do something like that. It didn't matter how many times I thought about it or how many ways I looked at it I still kept coming back to the same basic decisions, and I didn't want to make any of them.

I suppose if I was a smarter man I wouldn't even be in this situation, but if that were true I wouldn't have gone through the construction site with the others that fateful night my life started falling apart. But that was also the night my life finally came together, when I found a purpose. Of course what were the odds something that screwed up twice would happen again?

(Nothing is coincidence, isn't that what you started telling yourself after you started working for The Ellimist? Everything is connected, everything has a plan even if one can't see it from where you are, maybe he wants me here for some reason, needs me to do something. Or maybe your telling yourself this to avoid making a decision?)

(Time to settle this the way a thousand other people make all their really big decisions,) I told myself and jumping into the air. It took a few minutes but I finally spotted what I was looking for shining in the morning sun, right next to the park fountain, well actually I found a lot of them. A quick turn into the a bush hid me from sight as I morphed my normal body. A short walk later and I was fishing what I needed out of the fountain, glad it was early enough that no one was there to see me. I ended up settling on a shiny quarter that screamed 'take me'.

Sitting on the side of the fountain I examined the coin, checking both sides just to be sure it wasn't a two headed coin, and hoping this would work. "Alright," talking to the coin, "this is how it's going to be, this isn't some little problem, I really need your help because I'm at a lose. Heads I go see Jazz, try and get Rachel back, and pray I don't end up in a lab. Tails I run away, disappear back into the woods and wait to die like any other self respecting hawk would. I don't need you to land on your edge or vanish down a storm drain or any other cliché things like that, I just need a straight answer and you can go back into the water and we can all go on about our lives like normal people."

Not surprisingly the coin didn't talk back, luckily I wasn't far enough gone that I expected it to. Sighing I flipped it into the air and watched it's trip onto the sky, rotating end over end. It felt like an eternity but it finally started to some down, for a split second I considered grabbing it, but decided against it, better to let end naturally other wise I'd never know the true results. It hit the ground, rolled around for a few seconds, then fell the momentum still rattling it a little, but the results were there and I knew what I had to do.

I tossed the coin back into the water and hid in the bush again and demorphed and spread my wings and took to the sky. Letting my fate ride on a coin toss might not have been the smartest thing I could do, but it did settle some things for me, if nothing else I was not long for the world of humanity. It said tails and I was going to abide by that call, I might not have liked it, but it was what I was doing.

(Goodbye Jazz, goodbye Amity Park, goodbye ghosts, this bird is getting lost, have fun doing whatever you do, this bird is now off the clock, forever.)

I managed to get around a sixty miles out of town, maybe less before my stomach started to bother me and I landed in a tree over looking a little field that had the tell tale signs of rodent life and I decided a little pit stop wouldn't hurt. Three hours later I was still trying to grab one of the freaking rodents, every time I went for one it managed to somehow slip out of my grasp and dart away. I'd had bad hunts in my life, days when I just couldn't grab a meal to save my life, there were days when I'd go days without food and have to settle on road kill for a meal, but this was different. The buggers were faster than normal, more agile, maybe even smarter, no matter what I did they managed to avoid my claws at the last possible moment. The smart thing to do would be to leave, that's what a normal hawk would do, but I wasn't normal, this had quickly becoming a matter of pride on my part. I could deal with them out smarting me, but I was not going to let every rodent in the meadow have the last word, one of them was going to be a meal if it killed me.

It took another hour but I finally manages to grab one and tear the life out of it. The critter had been just as fast and sneaky as it's brethren, but by that time I knew their tricks, it shot left I shot left, it went right and so did I, it tried to double back and I mid air flip that no ordinary bird could do and sunk my claws into it's back. It struggled, the whole way though, it ended up taking a small chunk out of my leg, but in the end it succumbed to fate as I broke it's spinal cord with a snap of my beak.

I don't remember the last time I enjoyed a meal so much, letting the blood slide down my throat, the meat warming the inside of my body. And there was a certain satisfaction in it as well, those mice were in no way normal, I didn't know what had happened to them, but something had. For a bit I just let myself bask in the glow of the kill and enjoyed the rest as a feeling of euphoria spread over me. It didn't last though, the bite on my leg wasn't bad, but I didn't want to chance it and morphed my quickest form, a mallard. Like with most of the birds I had, the changes came quick, due in part to the massive similarities in form. Feathers slightly shifted, muscles shifted slightly intent on distance flying over gliding, legs, beak and eyes shifted. The biggest changes were internal as I developed a body capable of handling just about any kind on food the bird could get it's beak on. In the space of two seconds were once a red tailed hawk was now a healthy mallard duck. I didn't let the instincts surface before I reversed the morph and took my real form and flapped back into the sky. I landed on a branch over looking the meadow and started my ritual preening and basically just enjoying myself and continued to bask in the glory of a hard fought meal.

I couldn't stay there forever and took back to the sky after I'd managed to get all my feather back in place. I stayed along the road for most of the trip, letting the thermals that rose off the pavement keep me afloat. Every few miles a thought of Jazz or what I was giving up would creep into my mind, but I was able to keep them at bay, I was leaving and that was all there was to it. I didn't need to bring my problems onto Jazz, she had enough with her family, and Rachel was gone, I could spend years in the Ghost Zone and never find her, but I just wait and find her naturally after I pass.

I managed to get maybe twenty miles from the meadow when I spotted a small pillar of smoke rising from a bend in the road and figured why not. If I was lucky I'd turn into a full blown forest fire and if nothing else the flames would make a great up draft no other bird would dare approach. If nothing else the near out of control updrafts would take total concentration to ride and I wanted to focus on something other than running from my problems.

Turns out the smoke was coming from a car with it's hood open that was pulled over on the side of the road. I did a quick circle in the sky just to make sure they were ok and from what I could tell the pair of twenty something's seemed fine as they sat on the side of the road and listened to the radio between them.

(I never can catch a break,) I moaned to myself as I started to veer off and head off down the road when the radio caught my attention as the music was stopped for a series of ear splitting beeps that I recognized as a emergency broadcast signal. Just to be on the safe side I landed in a tree to check it out just to be sure I didn't need to avoid something down the line.

"A ghost warning has been declared for the city of Amity Park."

(And,) shaking my head, seemed like every time I turned around that was being broadcast down there.

"Reports are still coming in but it appears a ghost has attacked Casper High."

(And,) bobbing my head, again no surprise.

"And he has taken a hostage."

(AND,) bouncing slightly on the branch

"While nothing is currently confirmed it is believed to be one Jasmine Fenton, daughter of local…." After that I kind of phased out for a minute, I knew I was in a slight state of shock, she had been fine the night before and now she was in danger again. It took everything I had not to jump off the branch and turn around and go after her, but eventually sanity won out, the ghost boy could handle it, he had for months, and if not him than her parents would. Having her parents saving her might be for the best anyway, as bad an opinion as she had for them professionally having them save her might help her. There were nights I still wished my dad would save me.

"Reports are still coming in, and all information…EEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRREEEE" the message being cut off as high pitched static seemed to signal the an override of the signal.

After a few seconds new voice came out of the speaker, "Attention, I am Skulker greatest hunter in the Ghost Zone, and I have the girl. Any attempt to rescue her, will result in her death, be it from human or ghost. I could attempt to explain what I have done, but decisive to say if anything is done to stop me or rescue her, her death will be quick horrific, and it will be on all of your heads."

"My demands are simple and nonnegotiable, I want the one who damaged my pets yesterday, that means nothing to the rest of you , but I know he or she understands what it means."

(He wants me,) the words just projecting themselves making the pair under me jump to their feet and look around and scream some nonsense about ghosts and needing to leave the city.

"You alone will result in the girls salvation, if you are someone else turns you into me, she will be free to go, I don't care about her, I just want you. I make no such promise to you, but I believe you to care about the lives of these creatures, so I know you will come, if not, then she dies, and I will come for you, and far more will die until I have you. This may seem extreme, but unlike others I have hunted, I am unwilling to go through subtle pathways, you have hurt my pets and for that there is no restitution other than your hide nailed to my WALL. You will come to me, or this world with burn."

Closing my eyes, (great, I knew coming to this town was a mistake, everywhere I go people end up dead,) my words carrying to those under me as they stared up at me for the few moments.

"TTTTEEEERRRRSSSEEERRRR," my call filling the air as I jumped and headed back to Amity Park as fast as my wings would take me and cursing myself. If I had stayed low, avoided morphing, I could have done this and left, but no, I had to make a friend, had to save her life, had to screw up my nice normal life. I managed to catch a head wind and ride it for a few miles before going with a crazier idea and soared up into the sky with a thermal.

Raptors and birds like us travel via the winds, we don't flap much to get from point A to point B, we ride the wind and glide there, but I knew a few tricks most birds couldn't conceive of, including the most idiotic of all human concepts, drafting. Basically you get behind something faster then you and ride into it's slip stream, that increases the speed your going with a fraction of the normal energy provided you can ride out the distortion wave coming from the vehicle in front of you. If a normal bird tried this it would be torn apart or thrown from the sky with only the hope of a mid air recovery for survival. I on the other hand had done in more than a few times, and everyone of those times I thought I was going to die, but given the situation I didn't really have a choice, the longer I waited the greater the chance Jack and Madelyn would try something incredibly stupid to rescue their daughter.

The only real question was what could I find that would take me there fast enough, there were a few cars on the road but none of them were fast enough to get me where I needed to go. I hovered in the sky checking every direction hoping to find something that could work and did pick up anything, then the roar hit me. It was faint and obviously artificial, and I knew it well, a jet engine, one getting closer very quickly. Even with my eyes it took a second before it became clear, and I was speechless when I saw it, and F-16 in the middle of no where, moving like a bat out of hell, and heading my way.

(Hello old friend,) I managed to get out, the time Ax and Rachel had hijacked the same plane coming back to mind. We'd all been a part of that, granted I'd been a bug at the time, but I'd still been in the plane, still felt it's raw speed, I knew what it could do, and I knew it could get me where I needed to go quick, provided I could survive the flight. Even for me, drafting with one of those might be a one way ticket to death.

I didn't have much time to consider my options it was coming, and it was getting close fast, (why not, like they say, live fast, die young, and leave a corpse nothing it it's right mind would eat.) I did a quick circle, and started trying to calculate what to do, not that that really worked. This was going to be pure dumb luck all the way, all I could do was hope that I could get in the wake without overshooting and hitting the plane or get sent end over end till something stopped me. This wasn't going to be liked the others, with the backlash winds the jet was putting out, one wrong move and it'd be a midair K.O.

The roar kept getting loader and I was doing my best to gain height I was going to need speed to do this, and best way was a dive, (oh this is going to hurt,) I moaned slightly actually afraid of what I had planned, and at the same time giddy beyond words, if this worked this might be the crowning achievement in stupidity for me. A few seconds before it was going to pass under me I dove and hoped they didn't care about the possibility of a bird strike and veer out of the way.

Every instinct, human and hawk, started screaming at me to stop and I didn't listen, every second we got close to one another. I could see every seam in the plane, every nick, every sign of wear and tear and I hoped I wouldn't add to them. I worked on autopilot letting my feathers move on their own a they tried to cut through the interference the planes approach was creating. I had to fight for every inch of sky, the currents trying to whip me around but I knew compared to what I was about to hit they'd be nothing.

Seconds passed, and I still fought, the turbulence nearly turning me aside several time, but I held on, trying to angle my body to come into the slipstream. I had to nearly be parallel with the jets trajectory or this wouldn't work, and that meant one really bad thing, I had to pass along out side of the jet to get where I needed to go. Luckily I didn't have to think about that much as it shot under me about the time it dawned on me how much of a bad idea that would be.

I knew it couldn't have been more than second but if felt much longer as the winds formed by the jet nearly shot me end over end, and how I missed the tail was mystery but I did and before I knew it was in front of me, and it was no longer in control of my body. I was stuck in a slight spin, my face now pointed down and at that speed I was going to break my neck if I stayed there long. A primal scream tore at my throat that was drowned up by the engines in front of me as I let myself flip in the air once, propelled by the wake of the jet. The single flip was enough as I used everything I had to right myself, but I felt something break when I did it, probably a rib bone, but I couldn't be sure.

Somehow I had managed to into this artificial monsters wake and stay alive, and I was having a hard time processing that and staying behind it. The heat coming off was incredible, and I felt like my eyes were being cooked, but I had to stay there, had to focus on it, other wise I'd be dead. The winds wrapped around my body and hammered me, each trying to push me in a different direction, the only thing keeping me safe was that they balanced each other out to keep me aloft. I kept my wings pulled tight to my body, only my tail could be trusted, that and I didn't want one of my wings ripped off in the maelstrom I had put myself in.

I wasn't sure how long it took but I finally managed to get a degree of balance in the winds and was able to actually enjoy the feeling. My eyes were burning from the heat and chemical stink, I was pretty sure I had a dozen broken bones, feather were being ripped and burned off right and left, not to mention I was pretty sure I'd lost a talon, and I felt great. I wasn't sure if it was the act of doing something this incredibly stupid or just the massive surge of adrenaline that had to be going through my body, but I felt the best I had all day, maybe in years.

It was then that I actually was able to think about the situation, what were the odds and F-16, a twin of the one I'd once helped steal would be out alone today, heading right in the direction of Amity Park, and I'd be able to get in it's wake without ending up a crispy hawk fritter? As far as I knew there wasn't even a military base near Amity Park, of course theses things had a bit of a range on them I knew that from experience, so it was possible there might have been a aircraft carrier or base somewhere outside in a neighboring city or shore line. Not that that was really a concern, if getting outside of this things wake didn't kill me, the ghost would, either way, where the jet came from wasn't really going to be a big worry for me.

I lost track of how long I was in the wake, most if my attention divided between the jet in front of me, the ground below me, the wind around me, and the feeling of my body being cooked and beaten at the same time. Of course what I was seeing wasn't really helpful, at the most all I getting were weird blurs of color, that could have been anything, but at least they were green. That was pretty much all I had to work with, green stay with the plane, gray or brown pray I can get out without ending up in a thousand pieces.

And then almost like magic, I open my eyes, and all I see is a big gray blur, I had no idea if it was right or not but I had to go with it, and shifted my tail feathers and aligned them with the rest of my body and the wind picked up about a thousand fold as I lost control. My body was beaten and battered as I flipped end over end, my plan to gently pull back and arc out the slipstream when the winds died down was gone. Up down, left, right everything was gone, I was just a burning ball of meat and feathers dropping to earth with no way to get control of anything, I'm wasn't even sure my wings could still work, I was pretty sure one of the snaps I'd felt was a wing bone.

After a few seconds the panic started to were off I and I could have slapped myself, one set of wings were gone it didn't mean they all were. I focused my mind recalling the mallard body, the morph wasn't as fast as before, new parts had to be grown and mended, but I still changed fast enough to break out of the fall and regain control.

New wings and a good set of eyes made all the difference, and I was glad I was right, off in the distance I could see the out line of Bucky's Mega store. It was at that moment I realize I had one small problem.

(Where the hell are they?) My body was screaming as I sat down on a near by building to demorph and sort through everything. I knew he was here, but I didn't recall him saying where he was. (Wonderful, I nearly get myself killed trying to get here fast, and I have no clue where to go now.) Almost I cue a police car passed under me, it's sirens flashing as it burned up the road. (good as place as any to start,) I sighed taking wing once more, albeit at a more leisurely pace than before.

I was in no condition for a fight, every muscle I had was screaming, my mind was all over the place, and I had a bad feeling about this in the pit of my stomach. Somehow I doubted this was just about me kicking the crap out of his pets, I didn't know what this was really about but it had me on edge. If I turned myself in I was dead, if I fought I was dead, no matter what I did I was in trouble.

In the end I had no choice but to follow the car and it paid off as every cop, EMT, fireman and pretty much anything else you could think of was sitting in front of the school, including Danny Phantom and what I was guessing was this Skulker guy. Near as I could tell he looked like a big robot, which was interesting since he had the ghost glow, who knew robots could be ghosts? He also kind of explained the metallic scent attached to the wolfs. I veered off before I got to close and headed in the other direction, I needed time to think, time to plan.

I got about a mile away, and landed in a tree and tried to think of something, anything that could keep everyone alive and out of this creatures hands. Plans have never been my strong suit, it wasn't that I couldn't think tactically I just preferred to deal with everything as it came. That's probably why I never had the patience for chess, I hated thinking moves ahead, in the wild trying to out think your opponent could get you in trouble.

(Bingo,) the answer right in front of me, he was a hunter, so was I, and he wasn't thinking like I would. He was setting plans in advance, he was trying to think those three moves ahead, which meant if I could throw off his first move, everything else would come apart right in front of him.

I had gone big and tough with his mutts, so that was probably what he was expecting, so I needed to go fast and agile, preferably something he hadn't gone up against before. Depending on how the Ghost Zone worked he had probably come up against almost everything I had in the inventory, well except for a few forms that were from way outside our solar system, and I really didn't want to use them. The few forms I had acquired while working for The Ellimist, from what I could recall, all had one thing in common, they were acts of desperation. A few were relatively useless, forms I had to take to survive in an environment, but two or three were weapons of mass destruction masquerading as real animals, and I couldn't risk using any of them.

This was going to require an earth touch, and thanks to a The Ellimist I had just the thing. When I had him refresh my memories of Rachel a few other things had come to light, including a few memories I didn't know I had, and on top of that an adventure and a form I hadn't thought about in a long time, one he gave me back access to. If I was right it might give me the edge I needed, it could throw him off just enough for me to somehow pull a miracle out of my tail.

But first I had to get in the school and to him without him knowing it was me. In the end I just had to hope he was expecting a big show of my arrival instead of something subtle. I flew back as hawk but stopped before I caught sight of the school, figuring my vision was good match for his, and that it was far enough, I morphed a house fly, and hoped it was small enough to get the job done. It was that or go mosquito, and considering the last time I had done that I ended up on another planet it wasn't something I was interested in repeating. The going was slow, and I had idea where I was heading part of the time but I managed to get to the assembled people and slip by them without getting swatted and found what I hoped was the school door and slipped through the crack.

A quick look told me I seemed to be alone so I demorphed and was glad to see lockers on both sides of the hall. (Well this is either the right place or I'm in a really weird theme restaurant.) Despite the dead air I was able to get enough lift by flapping to fly around, it took a little work but I managed to find my way to the emergency stairs. (There are days when over protectiveness pays off,) my thought controlled as I looked up at the sign next to the door showing a layout of the stair well leading all the way to the roof, (now if they just left the doors open for me.)

I stood in the cool floor for a few moments looking up at the door wondering if there was any chance I could open it by pushing down on the bar, my weight may have been enough, but I doubted there was any way I could push it open. There was no way around it so I morphed the body I hoped could get me out of this. My feathers disappeared as they were sucking into my body as green and brown scales grew in their place. I started growing taller, my tail lengthening, my legs getting longer, my neck gaining power. My wings shifted into hands, each finger ending in a killer claw, similar but different from the claws taking shape on my toes, including my main weapon. And then the energy flooded me, the hawk was tired, this form wasn't, it was built for stamina every inch of it was designed for strength, every part of me a coiled muscle. The morph was one of my fastest non bird morphs, but then again the similarities were remarkable, well not so much if you listen to scientists. And then it was over and the instincts flooded my mind, there was no fear, but there was a curiosity, it didn't know where it was, and it didn't smell it's pack but the seem of food was all around it. The first time I'd taken this form the instincts had overridden my mind and I'd nearly killed Rachel, now that was no longer a problem.

With a skilled ease I pulled down the bar to the bar and entered, the nigh vision kicking in as I saw strait up the dimly lit room. I walked up each stair as well as could be expected given they were meant for human feet, and I was about as far away from that as they were likely to get. Each step was silent, my legs meant for stealth as well as killing. The walk was short and the scent of my prey filled my nostrils. Each smell told a story but I only cared about three, Jazz, the ghost boy and Skulker.

A good nose backed by the right mind is a thing of wonder, I could tell where a person was, where they'd been, what they'd done, who they'd done it with, and what they'd had to eat. Right now I could tell Jazz was surrounded by metal with the same sweet scent the wolves had had, the same scent Skulker seemed to have, the same one the ghost boy had actually. The smell must have been part of all ghosts, who would have thought they'd all smell sweet. Both Jazz and the ghost boy had the stink of fear rising off them, but the ghost boy also had a fair share of anger rising off him. If the robot could perspire I couldn't pick it up, which gave him one more edge, if I knew how he felt I could have a better idea of how to play this.

My ears weren't as good as my hawk one, but they were better than my human ones and started picking up what I recognized as Skulker's and Danny Phantom's voices before I got near the door.

The ghost boy was the first voice I could clearly make out, "what do I have to do to make you let her go?"

"Nothing," the machines voice cool and slow, "for once this isn't about you, this is about a greater prize."

"Hello, ghost boy here, only two halfa's on the planet, nothing is more valuable than me." That one got me, I didn't know what it meant, but it got me, of all people I knew what it was like to be one of a kind. I also couldn't help but notice just how much Danny sounded like Jazz's brother, even had the same first name. I shook my head to get the thought out, now was not the time for those thoughts.

"Your rare child, but I have my eyes set on a true test this day."

"Yeah you've been saying that for the last hour and I still don't know what that means."

"You will, it'll come soon enough, and that hunt will shake the pillars of this world." Ok maybe he's not talking about me, I know I'm tougher than most, but he must have me confused with something else.

"Yeah, you can't even handle me, and you make this guy sound like he could take three of me at once. There is no way you can beat this thing so let the girl go."

"No, she is bait for the creature."

"How do you even know this….thing will come for her."

"He doesn't, it won't, he's insane," Jazz barked, it was nice to know the girl was keeping my secret.

He ignored her, "because I'm a hunter, I know how to make things come to me, I knew how to get you to come to me, I know how to make it come to me. It's all about bait, if I hang that little girl in black out in front of you you'll come running, and if I'm right it'll do the same for her," the sound of metal hitting metal making me guess he kicked what ever was holding Jazz.

"Leave them both out of this," his voice a barley controlled growl.

"You are in no position to make demands, or have you forgotten," the sound of clanking filling the air.

"No," the growl growing more pronounced in his voice.

"Then repeat it for me…..child."

"If I touch you, if any ghost hunting equipment touches you, if anything you've ever dealt with here touches you the cage releases," his breathing growing erratic, "acid…" his trailing off

"Acid that," the hunter helped.

"…acid that will eat through her in under six seconds."

"Correct, and unless you want to explain why she's a puddle, you'll stay there."

"And if this thing doesn't come."

"Well we see how long your patience holds out," his voice descending into maniacal laughter.

"gggggggrrrrrgggggg," I couldn't help the growl, it just came out and low as it was it could still be heard. Two things flashed though my mind, either he didn't hear it and I'd be fine, or he'd blow the door off it's hinges to get to me, either way I wasn't going to wait and find out. Steeling myself I kicked the door with a leg that had stopped hunting this world long ago, one that could tear though a car door if I needed it to, one that sent the flimsy roof door off it's hinges and into the air before landing a few feet from the ghost boy. I didn't even wait for the door to hit as I ran as fast as my legs would carry me and jumped legs out stretched claws in killing position as I slammed into the metal hunters back and sending him to the floor. My weight temporarily held him down till I spring boarded off him doing a midair twist and came to a sliding halt in front of him. I ran back in the second I hit the ground and leveled a kick to his metal head and sent him back into the air before coming to a hard landing on the ground.

A quick scan and I found Jazz locked in a small cage, she was obviously alive, but mad and I could see her mouth the words, "go, run."

(Not going to happen, I'm getting you outta here,) my thought directed only at her.

"Ok that's it," the ghost boy barked from behind me, "I'm dreaming it's the only option, no way Skulker is fighting a velociraptor on a school roof, that does not happen."

Well he was right about that, he was watching a deinonychus on the roof, similar in design, but not quite the same thing, but it could do just as much damage. A deinonychus that had bitten off a little more than he could chew. In front of my Skulker has gotten back to his feet and was dusting himself off.

"Impressive sneak attack, good use of…." he didn't get a chance to keep talking as I ran in and leveled a kick to his stomach that nearly broke my killing claw but sent him skidding back a few feet. Finally stopping and running his hand across his shirt that now sported a long slash, but as far as I could tell that was the only damage to be done. "Sneaky, underhanded, violent, I like you creature, oh yes I like you a lot."

(Yeah the feeling is one side I assure you,) my thought speech on a tight beam so only he and I heard it, leaving everyone else in the dark.

"Interesting, lets see how well you handle this," holding his arm out, the limb coming to life as a cannon unfolded form it.

Jumping back to avoid the barrage of energy blasts, (where do people getting those things form?)

"Good reflexes, lets see how long it lasts," as his other arm unfolded into a similar weapon and he started firing with both barrels. Luckily being shot was nothing new to me, humans have shot at me, so have aliens, with everything from normal human guns, to dracon guns, tanks, jets, and even alien space craft, so dodging was something I had a little experience in. The blast nipped at my heals as I stayed ahead of them before jumping back and sailing over the brightly colored beams. The guy was fast, the second I got past them he got me back in his cites and started firing again, this time however I was to close and was able to side step the blast before leaping at him head on ready to sink my teeth into his throat, or as close as could get.

Unfortunately things didn't go quite as planned, all the color drained out of him till he was nothing but a white outline and I passed right through him. I came to a stop a few feet away and dodged left as he fired again, the scent of the weapons discharge alerting me before he could get the shot off. Then he started again, each shot growing closer, but each just short of me, my senses telling me where to go, how to move before he could connect with me.

"Impressive, your everything I heard your kind to be!" the metal lunatic cackled as he continued to fire.

(My kind,) I snarled to him as kept moving.

"Human ghosts with animal blood, I heard the legends I never thought I'd see one."

(Legend? Man what have you been smoking?)

"Don't be modest a group of warriors who cut a swath of carnage through the human world while they breathed, that is indeed worthy of being called legends. Is it true your kind nearly hunted a race to extinction? That you released those bladed pacifist into our realm?"

I slowed down at that, (what,) and was answered by a blast to my side that sent my sliding till I was stopped by the roofs railing. It didn't penetrate the skin, but something felt like it was broken, my breathing becoming labored as something, maybe bone, sliced into what I thought was a lung.

Behind me the ghost boy clapped, "oh yeah Skulker this guy seems like the greatest warrior on earth all right, I could dodge that my first week on the job."

Phantom taunts didn't even phase him, "I've been dreaming of this moment for so long," spreading one of his arms while he kept the other trained on me while he approached, "the chance to hunt one of you, to bring you down. Till now that chance has been blocked, your kind hidden from me. I knew a few of you were still free to do what you wished, but I never thought I'd find one you here in the living world." He now stood over me and pointed the gun at my head and his voice lowering so once we could hear, "and the fact your alive is even more surprising, and all the more gratifying. You've proven yourself to be amusing while drawing breath, I can't wait to see what you can do dead," his words making my blood run cold.

(BITE ME,) my words filling his head as I thrust my leg and claw into the groin section of his armor, my claw biting into his armor. It didn't drop him, but it made him lower his body, with out wasting a beat I grabbed his head between my clawed hands and pulled him down into a head butt. (SON OF A,) the thoughts going everywhere, shaking my head as I tried to get to my feet, (not doing that again,) my whole body wobbly from the impact.

"That thing talks," black and white whimpered as my thoughts hit him.

"Cleaver creature, it seems you are exactly what I hoped you'd be," Skulker laughed adjusting his head slightly a small dent now adorning it from our impact.

(I'm more than that, tin grin,) a plan coming to mind as my head cleared. He might be a ghost but he's also a machine, and I knew a lot about wrecking machines.

"Then lets see it," firing both blasters at me.

Neither connected as I shot right and covered half our distance in the blink of an eye then shot left turning into a spin and leveling my tail at his head, a move a deinonychus would never do. The shot went right through his head as he went intangible again forcing me to skid slightly on the ground.

"Very nice, but a little boring , you must know something other physical attacks?" As he fired his cannon at me.

I moved half a step out of the way and the beam went right past me, (and you must have something other than range attacks,) and connected with Jazz's cell sending it spinning on the ground.

"JAZZ," the ghost boy screamed as he flew over to her, "Are you insane!" he barked behind me kneeling next to her.

(You think I care about her you glorified tin can," my thought only going to him, "I didn't get to the top of the food chain worrying about others.) Then directing a shot at Jazz, (sorry about that, I should have this wrapped up in a second.)

"Oh yes," a smile on face plate, "you are indeed what I was hoping for, when you die you will be a magnificent hunt," tapping his wrist causing wings to unfold form his back. "I was hoping t make your transition to the Ghost Zone comfortable, but if you wish to be brutalized I am happy to help you," as he took to the air coming straight at me.

(Better men that you have tried,) I stood my ground, I already hitched a ride on a jet, there was nothing this guy could do in the air to scare me. My claws tapped nervously as he approached, I knew how I wanted this to end, but everything in the middle was still pretty vague. He came at me one arm out thrust in cliché superhero style, his cannon receded into his arm. The second before he hit me with his fist I shifted back aligning with his face and hopped, the claws of my fingers biting into faceplate and finding hand holds in his eye sockets, I used the grips to slid around his body and ride him, much the way I did his mutt yesterday. I growled slightly as the fire that masqueraded as his hair burned my upper arm, my killing claws dug into back and leg as my free hand gripped one of his wings.

Beneath me he roared, not that he didn't have a good reason , "GET OFF ME," his flying becoming erratic as he tried to get my off, the pair of us flying away from the safety of the building. Compared to the ghost boy, he was a breath of fresh air, this boy knew how to fly, at least as far as machines went, barrel rolls that probably exceeded mach one, power dives, hard turns in every direction available. Oh yeah this boy was good, but limited to what the machinery of his body could do, he handled more like a one man jet than an organic creature like the other ghosts I'd seen.

Beneath me despite his constant screams of rage, and the occasional blast of energy that I guessed was from the Fenton's, I could hear the familiar scream of metal as it was torn apart as my claws slowly cut into it and opened up small gashes. This was fun but it was also getting to further away from the school and Jazz, I needed him to move, which was easy enough to correct. My claws were still dug into his face despite the flesh now pealing off my arm, and with a scream I pulled them to the side, his body following, the metal around his neck screaming as it cracked, not use to the pressure I was putting on it. As I'd hoped I'd managed to turn the hunter, his body now angled back to the school, which mean the hard part was about to come.

I waited a few moments, enjoying torturing the metal demon beneath me and doing my best to time this out as we rapidly approached the school. Growling above him finally happy with the angle of decent, (tell me something, if your some freak'n hunting genius why haven't you gone intangible and dropped me to the ground?)

"Well I…" his words trailing off as the obvious answer to his problem of how to get rid of me slapped him in the face. A second later I was rolling on the roof of Casper High having fallen through my ride, and watching him regain his solid from behind him. Flexing my claws I felt the slime that I hoped had once been his eyes drip down my bloody arm and watched with great joy as he went tangible a half second before he hit Jazz's cage face first.

I let a growl slip past my lips and ran in grabbing the machine by the flaming mohawk and slammed the face plate into the section of the cage he'd damaged earlier and hoping this wasn't going to get the red head within melted.

(Rule one you two ton toaster, predators make the worst prey, rule two, don't hunt what you can't kill, and rule three, know what your getting yourself into before you walk into it.) My words only hit his mind, but I wasn't sure if he heard them of not. The connection between his head and the cage was putting off some serious sparks, and his body was putting off some really weird sounds, like a boiler was about to blow of something. Add that to the screaming he was doing I had a good idea something in that hunk of junk wasn't working anymore, which was probably the only reason he wasn't phasing though my grasp.

But then again I wasn't really concerned with his well being, I was worried about Jazz, and considering the rest of the cage was sparking I wasn't sure what I was doing was going to work. Looking her in the eyes, (you trust me?) a slight nod of her head my only answer. I had no idea if ghost tech worked like human and yeerk tech but I was hoping it did. And the fact that Phantom was hovering around me didn't help much.

"Are you insane your going to kill her," he growled with more concern than he should have had and tried to pull me off.

(BACK OFF,) my words filling his head, the roar a combination of human, hawk and deinonychus rage and actually forcing him away from me. I must have held the steel head to the cage for over a minute, my eyes never leaving Jazz, everything around us sparking and popping, and I was fairly certain my arm was going to be reduced to nothing but bone if this didn't work soon. Then finally a high pitched whistle filled the air and the cage started to violently shake and the door popped open and Jazz scrambled out to safety.

With a roar of triumph I pull Skulker's head from the cage and slammed him down on the ground as the acid dropped and started burning through the bottom of the cage.

Next to me the ghost boy knelt near Jazz making sure she was alright and doing his best to seem like he wasn't concerned about her. After a few moments he pulled away and looked over to hole in the cage that judging from the sound was eating through the floor below as well.

"Wow," looking down, "I hate to see the repair bill for this one," then he turned to me, hatred glazing over his eyes. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING," waving his hand back, "YOU COULD'VE GOTTEN HER KILLED!"

I just stared at him my head slightly cocked and holding my wounded arm. There was a lot I could have told him, for one thing most of that had been planed, sorta, I was hoping I was right about all tech being the same and it all breaking if you slammed it into each other. The only thing I didn't know was if the cage would open before the acid fell. In the end I remained silent not wanting to tell him anything, not needed to explain myself to him.

"Stop," Jazz growled from the ground as she slowly got to her feet, it was then that I noticed the brace on her foot. "He saved my life, it might not have been pretty…"

(Hey…)

"…..but I owe him everything. It's not his fault Skulker came after me, it was just bad timing, I'm fine, no harm no foul….."

She said more but I didn't catch it as I picked up the scent of Skulker coming back for round two, his gun ready to fire. I wasn't something I could've picked up but the deinonychus part of my mind did, somehow between the scent and the sound I knew he wasn't going for me, he was after Jazz. My lips raised in a snarl, unfortunately given the company in front of me it was perceived as a threat. Both fired at the same time, I managed to dodge the green blast from the ghost boy, but not the beam from Skulker as it took out both my legs but missed Jazz.

"What…you….he…that's it," at the moment I wasn't sure the ghost boy put it together and I didn't care, it felt like both feet had been burned off despite still being attached. Above me Phantom fired a beam of green energy from his hand and connected with Skulker.

"Oh I am going to enjoy this so much," as he flew off after Skulker fully intent on tearing the machine man apart.

As he fought Jazz limped over to me while I demorphed, glad to get rid of the damaged body. "Thanks," she whispered to me.

(No sweat,) my thought speech still in place while I morphed.

"I'm guessing all that stuff you said was true?"

(Oh yeah take a crazy robots word over mine,) a slight laugh creeping in voice before going solemn, (sorry to get you involved in all this Jazz.)

She gently stroked my head, "you didn't know this would happen."

(I should have, things like this always follow me,) when my body finally my own again I got back to my feet at started over to the ledge. (I'm so sorry for this Jazz.)

"This is a normal day for me, kinda," her eyes shifting to Phantom who was beating the tar out of Skulker

(Still I was right, I shouldn't have come back.)

"What."

(I'm leaving Jazz, I'm putting you in danger and I can't do that,) the sorrow evident in my thoughts even if it wasn't in my face. Not waiting for her to try and stop me I stepped off the ledge and took to the sky.

"STOP!"

(You don't need me here Jazz, besides I'm sure your boyfriend can keep you safe better than I could.)

"MY WHAT," she yelled beneath me, not that I cared, I had to leave, or she'd end up dead.

I flew like my depended on it, never stopping, never looking back, I had to get away from that place, away from her, the longer I stayed the more they were in danger. Even when night fell I kept flying, I could barley see and I didn't care, I had to get away from them before something else happened. The whole trip I tried to disappear and let the hawk take over, and it never happened, I remembered everything with crystal clarity, every move, every blow, every look, they all stayed with me.

I'd missed all the signs, everything had told me this obsession was a bad idea to begin with, the dead are dead and should stay that way. Rachel was gone and so was I, we were both dead to the world, so what made me believe that I could return, that I could come back to the land of the living. In many ways I was deader than she'd ever be. And now my stupidity had gotten everyone there in bigger trouble, that metal psychopath wanted me dead, and it didn't seem to matter who he hurt. My only option was to run, to get far away and hope he got the message, that I didn't want them, and that he'd give up, or better yet just come after me and give everyone in that town a reprieve, give those two a chance at piece.

I couldn't believe I'd been that stupid, that I hadn't seen any of it earlier, the way Phantom looked at me before, the way approached Jazz, the way he tried to stay away from her yet be close to her at the same time. He was in love with her, they were in love with each other if I was right about how she seemed to react to him. The fact that he looked like her brother was a little creepy, but he could probably change that somehow, he'd probably taken the form to throw off anyone who snooped around, after all a girl having feelings for someone that looked like her brother was incredibly bizarre.

The whole night I stayed over the road, using the occasional lights of a passing car to help guide me away from place I had made so many mistakes in. A few hours after sun up I had to stop, every inch of my body screamed rest, and I finally couldn't put it off. I landed on a branch of an old dead tree, my wings feeling like they were on fire, and giving me a painful reminder that hawks were not built for night flying, or constant flapping. I couldn't have been on the branch long before my eyes closed, and I was asleep. I had dreams filled with metal monsters, killer dinosaurs, flying people with glowing hands, and not one of them scared me.

**Your leading an interesting life**.

It was at that point the giant purple T-Rex that was barreling down on top of me stopped, frozen in his tracks unable to move, and I became fully aware of what was going on. "Ellimist," the word escaping my human lips as I stood me, my body shifting as I moved going from human to something close to hawk. I stood like a man but had feathers all over my body, my feet and lower arms looked more like those a hawk's legs, wings sprouted from my back and my tail feather from my rear, my head replaced by that of a hawk's. On top of that I had clothing on, all of it a near match for what my human body was wearing in the waking world, or would had I been in that form, though it did have a few modifications to accommodate my new avian features.

**Correct**, the source of the voice coming from behind a tree as he came into sight, his form nearly identical to my own, only his feathers were blue where mine were brown, and his clothing looked like a modified, but ornate, robe.

Doing my best not to sound aggravated, which was hard given he had invaded my dreams, "we did talk about the voice thing right?"

"Very well," a smile somehow forming on his beak, "is this better."

"As it gets," folding my arms. "I take it this is more than a friendly get together?"

"Indeed, I have known your family for a long time, I feel responsible for it to a point, it's difficult for me to see any of you hurt," despite the air of power I knew he was sincere.

"I'm fine," in spite of myself my voice held a growl.

"Really, from what I understand being fine does not include being obsessed with death, or the past."

"And who's fault is that?" pointing a finger at him, my anger rising along with a small tuff of feathers on my head, "thanks to you all I have is the past!"

His wings shifted slightly at the accusation, "meaning?"

"I've been in your employ for a long time, I may not remember most of it, but I can recognize your finger prints on a situation."

He crossed his arms at that and cocked his head slightly then snorted slightly and cackled lightly, "I'd forgotten how bright you were compared to my other emissaries."

"Former emissary," I corrected him.

"Former emissary," nodding his head, "your right of course, but also wrong in what you believe. What happened to earth was not my doing, Crayak simply outplayed me this time."

"And you just let that happen?" not believe what I was hearing.

"I did," bringing his fingers together, "as you know Earth is developing far faster than the Andalites did, faster than many worlds, and that makes you very dangerous. Guided by the Andalite's you could've become a great force for peace, that is something Crayak feared thus what happened happened. He believed that by preventing the two races from coming together as allies in a war they would be less willing to for the bonds of trust. Of all people you know what humans are like, how they treat those that are different, with the war they were forced to trust one another, forced to put their lives in the hands of others. But now they must find new ways of forming bonds, and as you know, neither race trusts easily. The odds that they will one day become enemies has increased greatly, and the possibility of humanity becoming as large a threat as the Yeerks and Howlers ever were is now very much a possibility."

"And you just let it? After everything we did for you, you get let him do it?" the wings on my back spreading in anger, instinct kicking in as I tried to make myself look bigger.

Smiling at me, "think Tobias, think."

I wanted to punch him in the beak, but I held back and did what he asked, I tried to look at the situation from all sides and really thought about it for a few minutes. "You think something better will come out of this don't you? You think by giving up what is good bet you can get something better out of the deal, that Earth can give you something more."

"For someone that doesn't like looking beyond the obvious your good at it." He began to slowly pace as he spoke, "as you know we can do nothing more than guide others on the board, it is always up to them to make the final decision and no matter how bad that decision is, it can always be changed, it may take time but they can return to the path they were once on. The fate of this world is unknown, it was when you left it is now that you've returned, it's true the path is not quite as clear as it once was but one of the many destinations has not vanished. However it will be different, perhaps less, perhaps greater than the one that once waited at the end of the road, it is all up to the choices made by those here," spreading his arms wide.

"Well that answered a lot," crossing my arms.

"Do not concern yourself with it," moving closer to me, "your time has ended. You should settle down somewhere, find a nice red tail girl and have many chicks and forget about the past. The past is gone, you should live in the here and now, let the ghosts of the past rest and focus your attention on the living. Let the next generation worry about what is to come, you've done enough, more than anyone should have too. There is always the next generation to pick up the fight, and this world has produced many interesting warriors capable of taking up your sword."

"Yeah it has," my words trailing off as the world started swimming. Next thing I knew my eyes were open and given the position of the sun I'd been out of it for most of the day. I probably still had another hour or so of light, and taking off for another night flight wasn't something I was looking forward to. A scan from where I was let me see most of the surrounding terrain, including a little field that might be a good place for a quick snack.

This might not have been the best time of day for a hunt but I was good enough, I was actually surprised there weren't any other birds hanging around, the spot wasn't large but it looked like it would make a decent hunting ground. I spent about half an hour waiting for something to move, then my prayer were answered to a degree, a skinny little rat crept out of a burrow I hadn't even seen from my position in the tree. Under normal circumstance I'd leave it alone out of principle, but I was hungry, and I didn't know when I get around to finding something else to eat.

I watched him scamper around for a few moments, unaware of the danger he was in then dove down. The rodent was fastest than I expected and ran when my shadow formed around him trying his best to get back to his hole, but in the end his best wasn't good enough and my talons found their mark just as he was about to dive into the hole. As I had thought from the tree he wasn't that much of a meal, he seemed to be mostly skin and bones as I tore him apart. As I was tearing off chunks of the mouse I absently looked down his hole, in my years I'd come to find many interesting things could be found in the borrow of a rodent. It wasn't very deep so I could see relatively well from my spot on top of it and had to laugh a bit at what I saw. Staring me right in the face was part of a brochure, for none other than Amity Park.

I couldn't help but shake my head, I'd flown day and night, and here I was looking at the source of all my latest problems, (what are the odds,) my thoughts not going more than a foot out in front of me, not that I had any reason to be worried, no you that could understand them was in the area. I finished eating and flapped into a near by tree to preen and think over what The Ellimist had said, my mind working better on a somewhat full stomach. I had his blessing, I was free, no more fighting, no more running, I could just be normal, just like Dad had been.

(And look how that turned out,) the words just slipping out. I didn't want to think about it, dad had thought he was free, and then he'd been pulled back into the war by, (The Ellimist,) the words coming out as a growl. It couldn't be, I had to be seeing things, finding connections where none existed, the super mice in the field slowing me down enough to catch the report, the jet where it shouldn't be, the brochure in the burrow they could all just coincidences and I was just being paranoid.

(That has to be it,) I half lied to myself as I ruffled my feathers and closed my eyes as the sun set. I pushed the thoughts from my mind, (first thing tomorrow I get going again, find a computer to contact Nikki not to look for me then I just disappear.) I wasn't sure how long it took but I finally drifted off and the first thing I could remember seeing was Ax.

He just stood there just out of reach looking up at me, his words filling my mind, (we have many customs, many beliefs, we are a race of scientist, artists, explores and regrettably warriors. It wasn't something we wished to be I just happened, something we turned ourselves into. We released the yeerks into the universe and as such it is our destiny to stop them anyway we can. Each generation striving towards that goal, each attempting to make sure the next must never carry this burden. This is something I believed in, it's something I still believe my brother believed in, I have yet to meet one with Andalite blood that did not believe this. This is our…..)

Whatever else he was going to say never came as I awoke with a start, a chill running through my veins. It was still dark out but that wasn't what caused the chill, the dream wasn't a dream, it was a memory from when Ax had tried to explain what his people were like. After I woke up I looked up into the sky for a long time, staring at the night sky, trying to remember where in the vast expanse the Andalite home world was, and wishing I knew where Ax was at this very moment.

(Are you trying to tell me something or not?) I didn't know where the thoughts went, and I wasn't sure I cared, I just wanted answers. Not surprisingly nothing came, The Ellimist didn't have to answer to me, he didn't answer to anyone. He just played games, and waited to see if we figured them out, problem was I'd worked for him for so long I had no idea what was really him and what I thought was him.

I just sat in the darkness trying to figure out what to do, if I left Jazz might be alright, but if I came back she would defiantly be in danger. Of course with her parents she was always in danger wasn't she, me being around might actually be a good thing, at least I could offer some protection, put my skills to good use, keep the animorph legacy alive a little longer. Phantom had potential but he couldn't be everywhere at once, and I had no commitments that would keep me from watching over her. With all the stuff her parents had I could probably outfit myself with some gear and put up a real fight for a ghost. I couldn't help but laugh at that thought as I imagined myself as polar bear decked out in guns and an ammo belt across my chest.

(And I could always learn more about the others,) the thought dissipating on the wind. The way Skulker had talked it sounded like some of the morph capable people, either controllers and or the kid we'd given the power to, were in the Ghost Zone. That could have meant Rachel as well, and the word 'free' had stuck in my mind, did that mean the others were locked up somewhere? That after everything she'd done for this world she was locked up in some six by six cell, or whatever they used to hold people there? The more I thought about it, the tighter my grip on the branch became, my talons digging little groves in it.

Enraged by the new thought I let out a scream that seemed to travel for miles and slowly died away. I was looking to far into things again, I had no proof, and flying off the handle wasn't going to help anyone, for all I knew he was just messing with me. Slowly setting my eyes on the rising sun, I watched the horizon shift from black to blue, to shades of purple then to orange and red, silently hoping I'd somehow see the answer in the simple act of nature. But all I saw was the sun, the majestic illuminating sun, that didn't tell me a damn thing.

Spreading my wings wide and lifting my head up to the sky, (ALL I WANT IS A SIGN IS THAT TO MUCH TO ASK!)

Apparently not as the branch I was standing on broke away, taking me with it. It took a second for the shock to wear off and for me to let go, but by that time I'd connected with three branches and broken a few rib bones. Thankfully the third branch knocked me clear of the tree and I was able to gain control of the fall and glide away from the tree, well not so much glide as slow the fall and give it a direction. The landing was by no means graceful, technically it was called a face plant, about an inch of dirt ending up on the tip of my beak from the impact with the ground. Somehow in the fall I'd ended up by the side of the road I'd been traveling along last night.

And just to add insult to injury a car zipped by the road the winds it kicked up sending a ratty old magazine by the side of the road my direction, which of course connected with my face flipping me onto my back. (Thanks, not how about one that tells me something?) I barked at the sky sitting up and looked over at the offending magazine ready to tear it apart with my talons. Looking up at the sky, (that works to boss,) and started to morph duck, intent on using a distance flyer body this time around.

I looked back at the faces staring back at me, all four of the Fenton's and a big white furred gorilla, if that wasn't a sign for me to go back I didn't know what was. (I'll give you this boss,) flapping back into the sky, setting my sights back on Amity Park, (your about as subtle as a load of bricks, but you do have style.)

For all I knew I was making a mistake, but it felt good, as much as I'd been arguing I should stay away, I'd been arguing to stay put just as hard, but now came the hard part getting Jazz not to kill me. (Me and my lousy dramatic exit, not to mention what her dead boy toy might do to me when he figures out I've spying on her.)

Yep I stepped in it this time, well it wasn't like I hadn't crawled my way out of worse situations. Of course those situation didn't involve people that could kill me, then hunt me down, and possibly kill me again, I was still kinda shaky on the whole can ghosts die situation.

I put it out of my mind, for the first time in nearly a month my conscience wasn't bothering me, I wasn't worried about making the wrong call, I knew what I had to do. I had no idea where that might lead, or what I'd have to do, I just knew I had a fight back on my hands, and I was going to show anyone that came around why I'm the top of the food chain in the living world.

I'd been a hawk for so long I'd forgotten that I could be other creatures in the sky when I needed to. My hawk body was good for a lot of things, it could glide, dive and attack like no ones business but it wasn't really meant for long haul flights. The mallard on the other hand was the semi truck of the bird world, it could fly for hours on end without stopping or slowing down, and at the moment the constant pumping of my wings felt good, the rhythm relaxing me as I flew. It was actually a little embarrassing looking back , I'd been at this for years and I had forgotten rule number one, always make sure your using the right body regardless of the situation.

I spent the entire day in the air, shifting from red tail to mallard in the sky, never once slowing down to rest or stop. It wasn't quite the frantic trip the last one had been, but it wasn't really leisurely either, but at least I wasn't getting my wings roasted this time. By the time I finally hit the 'Welcome to Amity Park' sign on the outskirts of town the sun was gone from the sky and the hum of street lights was filling the air.

I could've gone straight to the Fenton's but it was late by the time I hit the park, and I figured on top of everything else waking her up might not have been the best idea. I bedded down in the same tree I had for the last few weeks and fluffed my feathers, tomorrow was going to be a long day, and I had no reason to try and take it without a few hours sleep. If I dreamt I didn't remember it, but that might've had something to do with the wake up call.

"GET UP!" the words invading my ears as a light tore through the darkness right into my opening eyes. The shock sent my heart into over drive and for a second I forgot where I was and tried to fly away, the hawk coming to the surface before the human. Which sent me into a branch half a foot above me and onto the ground face first. "Serves you right," the light growled over me blinding me, but my mind now processed what I was hearing and the rest of the world.

(This is the second time today I've had my beak imbedded in the ground over the last twenty four hours, was that really necessary?) my thoughts directed solely at the light a it picked me up and place me on my feet.

"I really think it was yes," Jazz's voice filling the darkness as she messed with the flash light converting it from the horrifically bright light beam to a soft glowing lantern and sat down next to me.

(Let me guess your mad?)

She leveled a finger at me, "no I was mad when you jumped off the roof, I was furious when you didn't show up later that night, what I am right now doesn't have a word." The look on her face told me anything I said would be wrong, so I kept my beak shut as she continued. "I was worried sick about you, you could've been killed what were you thinking?" her voice softened a little but still hinted that she might ring my neck if I screwed up.

(I was thinking you were in a cage filled with acid because some psychotic blender with a gun wanted to hunt me down and put my pelt on the wall.)

"Oh like this is the first time I've been put in danger because of the people around me." Waving her arms, "my parents are ghost hunters I have ghosts invading my home at least once a month, being attacked because of the people around me is par for the course. If I really didn't want you around I would have told you so."

(You were also in shock, that night, you didn't know the danger you were in,) I hadn't meant for that to come out as angry as it did, but it couldn't be helped.

"Yes I did, I heard everything you said it's just..."

(Did you believe it, I mean all of it?) my eyes locked on her.

Sighing, "no, but would you if our roles were reversed?"

I didn't even have to think about that, (no, but I knew the danger I as putting you in by being around you, especially if others knew what I was, I couldn't put you in that kind of danger.)

"That wasn't your call to make," she growled at me, "I'm a big girl, and I can take care of myself and I don't need you protecting me from something you couldn't know was coming."

(Except you didn't, I did know it was coming, and you still ended up in danger, just like everyone else around me.)

For that I got a slap in the face, "ego maniac," she hissed.

Moving my beak a little, (excuse me?)

"You think this is all about you don't you, Amity Park was a mess before you got here and it'll be a mess long after you leave. So you added one more little problem, my parents have been doing that for a long time. And just for the record I can defend myself, I just choose not to carry my parents weapons. Do you know what it's like to have to carry a weapon everywhere you go because your worried ghosts will get you other wise, I do, I did that all through grade school. I got tired of that real quick, not the carrying, the fear, and I told myself a long time ago that wasn't going to be the case anymore. It didn't matter when the ghosts finally did come for me, I wouldn't carry a weapon, wouldn't live in that fear everyday. So you added a new element it doesn't change anything, I still know I can protect myself if I have to, it's just a little harder without the gear to back me up."

(That's the difference, your afraid to carry a weapon, I am a weapon, tempered by years of battles with everything from aliens to mother natures deadliest creatures. I'm a gun with enemies, and apparently if what that machine said was true, they can still get to me, I won't put you in that kind of risk)

"Again all about you, you don't have the right to say how I live my life."

(Except it's my life and if I choose not to be here that's my call,) folding my wing over my chest.

"Then why do you keep coming back?" her tone somewhere between accusing and tears. "If I understood what you said on the roof you've tried to leave twice, maybe more, if your so set on leaving why do you keep coming back?"

Turning away from her, (I don't know…)

She cut me off before I could continue, "yes you do, same as I do," her tone softening as she moved closer to me and placed a hand on my back. "Your human, you try and hide that fact behind the facade of being a bird and a warrior, but your still human, still a kid deep down. You want a place to stay, a place to call home and people to care about you, if you didn't you wouldn't have bothered with me, wouldn't want to leave so bad just to protect me. You keep coming back because you know deep down this is where you belong, a place as screwed up as you are, a place with someone just as messed up who wants you to stay," her fingered gently stroking my feathers, the anger gone from he voice.

(You'll be in danger every moment I'm here.)

"I told you, I've been in danger for a long time, who knows maybe I'll start carrying one of my parents things again."

Turning my head to look at her, (what about not giving into fear?)

"It's fear if I'm doing it to keep them at bay, not to keep you near by," her fingers tracing up my neck to run little paths along my face.

(You don't know what your getting into…) my words stopping as she placed two fingers on my beak, while it didn't stop me for speaking I got the message. And that's how we stayed for a while, Jazz slowly working little patterns in my feathers with her nails, illuminated by the soft glow of the lantern till the sun started coming up.

Finally I had to break the silence with a pressing question, (don't you have school?)

She softly cooed "it's Saturday."

(And wouldn't you parents wonder where you are at some point?)

"Not the first time I've snuck out, and I can tell them the truth, I was with my friend, it's not like they don't already hate you," a small smile on her lips as she watched the sunrise.

(Just what I needed people with guns being mad at me,) a small laugh in my thoughts. Looking at the sky, (how did you find me anyway?)

"This," placing a small polished chrome box with dials, buttons and a display screen in front of me.

(Jazz I live in a tree and I eat raw meat, that doesn't mean anything to me.)

She looked down at me with an accusing look on her face, "the Fenton Finder Mark Two."

I swallowed slightly remembering the name of the device that apparently had picked me up when I'd snuck into her home. Trying to play cool, (again that doesn't mean anything to me.)

She stroked my head, "and I told you I'm not stupid, the day before we meet this thing goes off saying I have some kind of strange energy signature, and a few hours later a thing that looks like across between a person and a horse runs through my home with one of my parents books in his hand." Shaking her head, "I may not be the smartest person on earth but I could put two and two together. Thankfully dad had moved onto something else before he fixed it so it still picked your energy up, which is for the best because there's no way I could have rigged this to pick you up alone."

(Ok yes, I snooped around your house the day before, I was hoping to avoid using anyone.)

"Best laid plans of mice and men," a little giggle in her voice, "well birds and boys in this case."

Looking up at her, (oh very funny,) my eyes rolling slightly.

"Don't take that tone with me your already in the bird house," her giggle becoming more pronounced.

(Stop that,) a little taken aback by her bad pun.

"Or what you'll fly the coop again?" this time flat out laughing.

(Ok that's it, no more bird jokes, puns, or one liners for you till you get better material,) spreading my wings and flapping up into a tree.

"There's no reason to fly off the handle bird boy," her laugh growing louder.

Staring down at her, "you've been saving these up haven't you, this is my real punishment isn't it, your going to make my ears bleed with horrible bird jokes?"

"You really think I'd be that catty?" smiling up at me.

(Let me guess ran out of bird one liners? Just let me remind you, I may be human, and I may like you, but I'm still nothing more than a big pigeon, keep talking I will get feed at some point, and you'll end up needing to take a long shower.)

"Go ahead but that'll put a strain on this relationship."

(You'd be surprised how many friends I did that to, for the most part it brought us closer together,) she looked up at me for a few seconds then started laughing even harder, and after a few moments so did I, after realizing just how crazy the conversation had gotten.

After a while we both calmed down and she laid against the tree I was in, "can I ask you something?"

(Go ahead but I may not answer,) earning a small glare from her

"What did you mean by that boyfriend crack before you left?"

(Now who's treating who as stupid Jazz? I saw how the two of you acted around each other, you care about each other a lot and given the choices I'm guessing your in some kind of relationship with him.) I looked back at the sky, (of all the people to chose I'd probably go with the ghost boy to if I was in your situation.)

Under me Jazz started to shift between snorting lightly and coughing, for a second it sacred me till she got a hold of her self. Her words tinted with laughter, "we are not in a relationship, we so far on the other side of the spectrum from dating it's not even funny."

I kinda relaxed at that, (then what are you?) I really was curious, I might not have been good at reading people as I once had been, but I knew there as some kind of link between the two of them.

"Um…." scratching the back of her head, it was obvious she was conflicted about telling me something. Finally she sighed and spoke, "have you ever seen his weapons?"

I thought back to the few times I'd seen him fight, "yeah, a gadget or two why?"

"My family, well I technically, supply them to him, he's good alone but sometimes he needs a little extra, I thought it was the least I could do considering my family is responsible for all the ghost attacks, and with him trying to help us."

(So he's protecting the source of his weapons, I guess that makes sense," looking down at her, I could tell just by the tilt of her head she was lying, or at least holding something back, but I didn't press, had no reason to, if it was important she'd tell me at some point, it wasn't as though I hadn't held a few things back myself.

"Can you come down," she asked looking up at me, her voice far away and sad.

(Sure,) dropping down from the branch and morphed my human form, sensing she might be a little more comfortable with a human face.

Taking my hands in hers, "I can't do what you want Tobias. I can get you into the Ghost Zone, but from what I understand it's huge, nearly impossible to navigate, and full of creatures that hate humans, I can't send you there in good conscience. Even if I felt comfortable I've only been on that side once, and that's when the entire city was sucking into the Ghost Zone, I could…." her words stopped as I pulled one hand away and put a finger on her lips.

"The past is gone," a sad smile on face, "people die all the time and we, I, have to learn to live with that. I could find her but then what, start up the relationship again, it was weird when she was human and I was a bird, now we're entering into a weird necrophilia level. She's gone I'm here, if there's any justice I'll find her when it's time, when I pass, till then I have to learn to live in the here and now."

"What brought this on?"

"I had time to think," I whispered, "she wouldn't want me to live like this, obsessing with trying to bypass life and go straight for death. She was all about living, all about the struggle to keep going. Besides if I showed up out of the blue still breathing she'd kick my tail eight ways from Sunday then eat whatever's left." From the look on her face I knew she was buying it, not that it wasn't the truth, I'd come to that realization on the flight over, but that didn't change the fact that I still had to find her, not to be with her, but to make sure she was free, to make sure she had the after life she deserved.

"She must have been one hell of a girl," her voice somewhere between sad and relived.

"Yeah she was," getting a little misty eyed.

"Tell me about her?"

"Only if you tell me about one of your old boyfriends," squeezing her hand a little.

She gave me a sly look, "alright, but Johnny probably won't measure up to Rachel, but you might understand why my family has such a big problem with you."

"Fair enough," signing, "where to start, if she had grown up she would have been either a super model or a professional assassin, maybe both…………."

* * *

The end to another chapter, I think I got all the mistakes, but I'm not sure, there seemed to be a lot more of them this time, and after the third read through you just have to hope you got everything. Yes Tobias is now home, and I have no plans on making him run anymore, FINALLY, after a while even I got tired of having him massively doubt himself.

The next chapter is going to have a lot of shifting gears in terms of how the story is told, going from Tobias POV to normal DP style, and possibly even going into Jazz's POV, I'll try and make it clear, but the writing alone will do that.

Please R&R


	6. I'll wait for you

Mythic Storm- Yes we will see some things from Jazz's POV, and I did forget about some of the things in the Fright Knight ep, I'm really hoping that ep get moved out of the holiday once a year airing schedule now that he's becoming more important to the show (or I hope he will), I may or not get t that at some point

Mariko the Reviewer- glad you got the book, and once more thank you for the compliments

Magik Fantasma- and you want Vlad, Vlad is coming, I actually use his name in this chapter, and that's just the beginning of the impact he has in the story.

Ok general note- this chapter kind of jumps from style to style as needed shifting from POV or DP, as listed at the top of each section, while I would have preferred to stay from one persons POV, it's kinda obvious that would be really hard as you read through the story., any way where we go.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

(Ok you do realize I haven't gotten through High School right? I have no clue what you just said.,) I'd been back for two days and I was already going crazy from all the tests she'd put me through.

"Don't worry this is way beyond anything you could learn from a high school science teacher," her eyes shifting from me to the machine in front of her. She put the Fenton Ghost Analyzer on her desk and scratched her head looking for a way to translate everything that had just come out of her mouth. Slightly gesturing with her hands, "whatever allows you to change shapes, morph as you call it, is a distant cousin, scientifically speaking, to ghosts. If what I read in my parents books and notes are true ghosts carry a piece of their DNA after they die, it's part of who they are and can't be removed. Somehow these Andalite's, that is the correct pronunciation this time right?"

(As close as the human mouth can get,) I semi lied from my position on her bed. She'd been trying to say it right for the last few hours and she still couldn't get all the sounds right, of course it had taken the others a few weeks with the help of Ax before they could really get the word out.

"The technology they created works on a similar principle, when they extract DNA out of other creatures they somehow store it the same way ghosts do. For the most part it's dormant in you, but that changes when you morph, the energy signature spikes radically, you don't quite register as a ghost but you do register as something along those lines, like you're a cousin or something. This Z-Space you told me about, where you get the additional mass," raising any eye brow as she flipped through some notes, "I'm not sure it isn't somehow tied to the Ghost Zone, the energy isn't the same but it's close, to close to be an accident." She scratched her head slightly, her face twisting into a mask of confusion, "but I still have no clue how or what that way is, or how it could possibly allow you to do what you do, or effect the transfer of instincts from one body to another. Don't even get me stared on the whole flying between galaxies in this Z-Space place, I'd have to take a few astro physic courses before I even tried to understand that."

(You think your confused, I've asked Ax everyone of those questions, and every time without fail with in three minutes I thought my brain was going to explode. We're dealing with technology way outside current human understanding, the fact that you understand any of is amazing.)

She blushed slightly at that, "I'm not that good, if it wasn't for my parents stuff I wouldn't be able to tell you any of this." Clearing her throat, "but at least we've managed to establish a few thing with these tests, we know the rest of my parents things don't pick you up and the Ghost Shield doesn't read you as a ghost, but I can't be sure about the rest of the ghost hunters out there."

(I'd say it's a pretty good bet they don't, remember I was watching thee different groups and wasn't so much as a blip on their radar the entire time.)

"That's everyone else Tobias just because no one else had picked you up it doesn't mean someone won't, you need to be careful. Speaking of which have you thought about my offer?"

(Yeah,) looking up at her, (and as I tried to explain before I can't live with you.)

"Why, no ones in the op center most of the time, I can open a window so you can get in and out, it might not be homey but at least it's a roof over your head and I'll be close by in case you need anything."

Sighing, (I told you it wouldn't work, I'd go stir crazy after a few days, it happens every time I try to live in doors,) spreading my wings (I'm a hawk, I need the open sky. ) Moving closer and nuzzling her with my beak as best I could, (don't worry about me I've been at this a long time, no creature with a pulse can take me on, besides, at some point I would get caught. Lets face it, keeping my stuff here is a big risk, the last thing we need to do is compound it with my actual mock ghost signature body living above there heads.)

She growled a little and ran her fingers through my feathers, "you do have a point, and I'm not looking forward to the day when I have to explain why I'm keeping all your things here."

(Speaking of explaining weird thing, when is everybody getting back, I want to be long gone by then.)

"I think I still have a few hours before Danny gets back from Tucker's and we'll hear my parents long before they actually get close to the house. In other words we have a little time, so you know what's coming," a feral grin forming on her face.

Shaking my head, (you know when you found out I was bird I really hoped you'd let this slide, come on it's not like it's useful for me.)

She bent over her bed to her backpack, "education is always useful, and at some point you might want to rejoin the human race."

(I thought that's what I was doing by hanging out with you?)

"NO, that shows common sense," throwing me a smile when she came back up, "and I don't care if you spend the rest of your life in a tree, your getting your GED just to say you have it. You can impress all the other bird with it."

I cocked my head and rolled my eyes with her, (oh yes because a little piece of paper is going to keep the eagles from eating me.)

"Quite you, we have a lot to get through and not a lot of time to do it in," dropping a book on the bed making it shift slightly.

Whimpering slightly and trying to give her puppy dog eyes, (you wouldn't' let a poor innocent little birdie do this would you?)

Flipping through the pages, "no, but your not small, innocent, and surprisingly poor, something you will have to one day explain. And it's either this or we keep going over the ghost facts and I know how much you hated the ghost facts."

(Cursed technicalities,) and hopped over to the book, (and it's not that I hated all the ghost info, it just that I can think over better topics while your pointing what looks like a gun at me, it's kinda morbid Jazz, like I'm daring fate.)

She giggled a little at that, "the scanner wouldn't kill you ya big chicken.)

(Hey, if I can't call your parents crazy you don't get to all me a chicken,) I mock growled looking up at her and ruffling my feathers. We spent about an hour going over the English and math requirements, and luckily got a reprieve in the form of her parents coming home. I ended up jumping out of the window and heading into the business district, the sun was still high enough that a few thermals would still be going strong and I wanted to unwind from trying to memorize information I'd never use in my life.

I caught a few up drafts coming off the polished windows of the high rises, and shot through the sky circling this building and that, occasionally doing a barrel roll in the sky to clear my head. The wind rushing past my feathers felt great as I caught a small headwind and rode it higher and let the sun warm by back. Below me people went about there tasks unaware of one of the most unique creatures to set foot on earth was watching them.

I was only in the district for about ten minutes when the wind shifted, a new sound carried on the breeze, a change due to artificial means, one I'd only encountered on a few occasions. I let the hawk mind shot back into place, my movements becoming very natural as my flying leveled out, my wings out a little straighter and I let the thermal push me up as I rode it in small circles. I wasn't sure if my ploy would work, for all I knew I wasn't in any danger but it was better to be safe then mounted on a wall. A few seconds later the source of the disturbance came into sight as she shot around a building on her hover board.

I'd watched the rouge ghost hunter a few times now in hawk mode and I'd learned to recognize the warming signs of her approach. Her board put off a distinctive rhythm, but more than that whatever force kept it in the air did something weird to the surrounding area. The air pulsed for lack of a better word, when the board moved it was like a boat in water, sending waves out in it's wake, ripples a skilled flyer could identify. For the most part it was a dead giveaway she was in the area, even if I couldn't see her I could feel her coming long before she could become a threat.

A few days ago I wouldn't have had to worry about her, but that was no longer the case. The day after the fight with Skulker I was in all the papers. Well after a fashion, according to popular opinion I was the 'Ghost Bird of Amity Park'. In a way it could have been worse, at lest this way I didn't really have to hide if I was needed, but it did give me a weird superhero vibe. Which was really weird since Marco use to joke all the time we should just get matching costumes and basically be superhero's , and here I was in a position to do just that. That was provided every ghost hunter in town didn't try and kill me, or whatever they did to ghosts, whenever I showed my feathered head.

As normal she came riding up on the flying surfboard of hers decked out in red leather and a gun almost as long as her arm. To say she was not the most subtle thing in the sky would be a understatement. As she flew by she looked around, her hand near her mask's visor trying to cover the entire area but more concerned with left and right than above and below, a typical human failing in the sky. For a moment she looked dead at me and halted then kept moving till she disappeared behind several building and I mentally sighed, not wanting a fight.

My reprieve only lasted a few moment as the distortion coming off her board changed, she might have been out of sight but not out of the hunt. I gave her credit she was good, or as good as any human could be, her normal prey might have fallen for it, but I was a hunter myself, and I was well versed in the sneak attack. A quick run through to find me, probably using something akin to the Fenton Finder stored in the visor, then move on lure me into a false sense of security to snipe me from some other location. As I said she was good, but I was better.

I folded my wings in and dropped like a stone a few stories before righting myself and mentally growled, (figures the first four have no clue but number five can follow me in the sky,) and ducked between a two buildings. From that point it was on, the girl was on my tail, and learning she was not in control of the sky. It took her a second to catch up but by that time I'd regained some of my relinquished altitude thanks to a little updraft.

From behind me she barked, "that's far enough bird," and started firing at me. Instantly instincts designed to keep me safe while fighting other bird, instincts now modified for dodging dracon beams kicked it. I unconsciously started calculating sensory information, natural sounds around me, the noise she, her board and her guns put off, the subtle shifts in the air, her distortion wave, even the people below me. Everything came together to help me avoid her shots, wings shifted, tail feathers moved and the beams past by harmlessly. Her red-purple beams became a living maze for me, forcing me to gain a little altitude as the energy fired under me, then arc a hard left and turn my body as she tried to clip my wing. The turn forced me to turn right into the building, something I missed by going into a power dive, my feathers on my back occasionally hitting the polished glass on the way down. Of course some of that glass wasn't stable as she kept firing the whole way down shattering windows as she went forcing a rain storm of death on my head and filling the air with screams from those in the buildings. I'd managed to avoid the shots by altering my dive left or right, but I had to get out of there, people were getting hurt, and if she cared it wasn't enough to stop.

Below me the road grew larger and a bad idea came to mind, but if done right I could hopefully limit casualties. I pulled a hard ninety degree turn away from the building and added a small half roll to get myself righted and shot over the sidewalk right into traffic, the speed from the fall adding much needed momentum to a dangerous gambit. Like a shadow she stayed on my tail as I darted into the oncoming traffic, cars of every shape and size coming towards us. She managed to stay with me for the first three cars as I flew between two, then over the next and cutting it close enough to lose a few breast feathers. I managed to get a little higher thanks to the wind whipping of the cars to avoid that problem with the next car, and was glad she had finally backed off a little at some point during the flight, and had shot up a few feet to avoid become intimate with one of the cars grills. Thankfully she was also smart enough not to shot into oncoming traffic otherwise, there'd be a few new residents in the Ghost Zone. Then with bellow the really stupid part of my plan kicked off as semi I'd seen on the way down started coming towards me.

I silently said a small prayer and hoped this would not be the day I met up with Rachel because she would never let me live this death down. I spilled some air from my wings as the snub nosed red monster bared down on me, swallowing I pulled into a half roll and dropped nearly all of my air and flew towards it upside down. In front the horn honked, adding one more reason for me to keep a tight reign on the hawk sied of my mind that screamed for us to get out of the way. At the last second, with the hunter looking on I pulled my wings in close to my body a half second before it roared down on to of me and could crushed them and forced me to the ground.

A maneuver like that required split second timing and enough luck to win the lottery three times in a row, I didn't have either. The tip of my beak come into contact with the grill of the truck and the whole thing ended up getting torn off, and the funny part was I didn't even feel it. It was gone I knew that but I had bigger problems, that little miss calculation sent me into a spin my butt slamming into the ground followed by my face and so on, the truck above me bouncing me between it and the pavement. I think I did that half a dozen time, not surprisingly counting was not on the game plan. I did my best to keep my target in sight as the cab roared over head followed quickly by the trailer. That was what I wanted, the first bounce bringing me near the pipes and rods under the trailer, the first time wasn't high enough, the second bounce my talons weren't in the right position. The third bounce I came close, my claws connecting but not finding a grip, I knew I only had one more shot given the light coming on quick and waited for the next bounce hitting it with my shoulders. In desperation I threw my head back as I hit to gain a little height and my claws finally bit into the undercarriage and I hauled my beaten bloody body up.

The blood loss was making itself know real quick and I wondered not for the first time if a concussion would go from one body to the next. At the moment I wasn't really concerned about whether or not morphing might give away my position with an energy spike, if I didn't do something I'd lose consciousness and end up a smear under the wheels of something. I focused my body on my mouse DNA and changed doing my best to leave my claws alone, trying to keep them unchanged till I got my tail and front legs so I could get a better grip. The words do not exist for how glad I was when my muzzle grew in the place where my beak use to be, the rest of the morph going as planned. By the time my talons changed I was small enough to crawl into a small crack in the lager machine and rest,. The mouse was afraid of roar all around it, but I just ignored it, I had one other thing to worry about, other than whether or not the psycho with the gun was still after me, and that was the final element of the escape.

Given the out of state plates I was hoping my ride wouldn't stop anytime soon, but counting on that was not main plan, for all I knew that girl was somewhere above me and I was not going to wait and hope she got bored and flew away. I stayed with the truck for about ten minutes, holding on for my life and letting my energy and my courage return as much as possible. The whole time I kept my eyes and nose on the road, counting off the storm drains either by sight or by the scents rising out of them as I passed over them. That and cursing the driver of the rig for not having the common decency to see if I had been alright, for all he knew I was an endangered species, it was his duty to see if I was alright.

Eventually I managed to get the timing down of each storm drain and it just became a matter of which one I was going to make my escape through. It always nice when you consider getting hit by a semi to be the easy part of your plan. If I didn't time this just right I'd miss, end up rolling down the road and quickly hit someone's tires and make a stain so small on the road most people wouldn't even see it.

Steeling myself I creep along the under hangs till I could get on the underside of the bumper, got in position and started counting down to when a drain would pass on the street, and hoped this was going to work. Exhaling I jumped into the unknown, the pavement whipping by under my feet, I seemed to hang there for just a second, then I dropped a moment later my feet hit pavement and I rolled a little ways right onto metal and ran as fast my legs would carry me to the smell of raw sewage that signified my haven and jumped into the unknown.

Compared to the last jump this was a piece of cake as my body hit the water and was swept down stream, not that that wasn't expected, I'd been in a few sewers in my life. It took a little while but I managed to swim to the edge of the stream and pull myself to shore. Not surprisingly the first thing I picked up was the smell of rodents and bugs, and my instincts started screaming run, which is what I had in mind. I ran like a mouse possessed for half an hour, glad I'd managed to avoid every other creature in the sewer big enough to kill and eat me. Finally sure I was far enough away I ran for the first storm drain climbed up the wall and slipped out. From there it was just another quick climb onto the street and a mad dash across the sidewalk into the alley. I found a garbage can to demorph behind and took back to the sky. It only took a few minutes to realize that I was alone, not surprising considering what I'd done, and how long it had taken, although if she had still been after me, the girl would have proven herself to be the real person in the city to watch out for.

I understood collateral damage, I'd done enough of it in my life to know sometimes it happens, and it was necessary, but that girl seemed to be plain oblivious to the harm she was causing to those around her. I did a quick fly by the buildings we'd conducted our little chase at, even at this point in time it was pretty obvious she……we, had done some real damage. Crews were trying to clean up all the glass, blood could be seen on the sidewalks, and there were more than a few police and medical vehicles at the scene. But at least no one on the road had been hurt, which is what I had really been worried about, the last thing I needed was to cause a massive pile up and indirectly kill a few dozen people.

(Smooth Tobias, you go out for a flight and who knows how many people were hurt because of you.) I didn't want to think about it and circled in the sky and headed back to the park, just wanting to rest and sleep. (Just forget it Tobias, no one seemed to be hurt, and ghost hunting tech doesn't kill people it just ticks them off. Tomorrows the you get to hand with Jazz and she promised no school work so just go to sleep, catch some breakfast in the morning and forget about everything.)

* * *

**DP style**

Mondy morning

"Ok just explain this to me one more time from the top, why are we doing this?"

"I told you Tuck we have to find out what this thing is."

"The thing that saved your sister, beat up Skulker, and basically stole your thunder in front of the entire city?"

"Yes Sam that thing," Danny growled putting down the box in the Specter Speeder. "I don't know what that thing is but I need to find out, if half of what Skulker said about this guy is true I need to know in case I ever have to fight him."

"That still doesn't explain why we're going into the Ghost Zone," Tucker called back sitting in the front of the Specter Speeder synchronizing his PDA with the ships computer.

"We've already checked everything we can on this side and haven't come up with anything even close to what he was talking about, over there we might be able to find something out."

"Provided," Tucker started counting off with his fingers, "we aren't attacked by Ember, or Spectra, or Johnny 13, or Walker or any of the resident monsters in the Ghost Zone. You do remember every time we've ever gone into the Ghost Zone something really bad ends up happening right?"

"Exactly," taking a box from Sam and putting it down, "we're due for some good luck."

"And what color is the sky in your world again?" the goth asked moving to the other chair in the Specter Speeder.

"Look this might be the only time we can do this, my parents are gone for the day to spend time together, Jazz is out with that……boy, school is still closed while they try and fix the damage done to the roof, and the Specter Speeder is finally fixed, if we don't go now we might not have another chance for a while."

"What exactly is your problem with Tobias?" Sam asked turning her chair and raising an eyebrow, "he seemed ok to me, if nothing else he got Jazz to lighten up."

"And do you remember every other guy she showed an interest in? With my luck he's a serial killer in his spare time."

"Yet you have no proof," glaring at the half ghost.

"Well I would if I could follow him, but I've only been able to twice and I lost him that first time thanks to the Box Ghost and I made the mistake of letting the second one go. And now every time I bring him up Jazz starts yelling at me, telling me to leave him alone and stop making up lies about him."

"Oh and the fact that you made up lies about him had nothing to do with that?" a air of sarcasm permeating her words.

"Hey," pointing a finger at her and leaning over Tucker's chair, "saying he was homeless seemed like a good idea at the time, who knew it would get her more interested in the guy?" At the some time both Sam and Tucker's hands went up and looked at him.

"I don't have to protect you the next time a ghost attacks the school you know," he mock growled looking down at his best friends. "So when are getting this show on the road?"

"Let me do one more thing," tapping on the PDA, "ok I think we're set, but it would be nice if we had a destination in mind."

"We do, I just have no idea where it is," as Danny put his finger on the Fenton Genetic lock opening the blast doors in front of them. "Hit it Tuck." A few moments later they were surrounded by the mass of slowly swirling chunks of earth, or at least it's ghostly counter part.

"So what direction oh fearless leader?"

"Funny Tucker, bring up the map, lets see what we got," leaning over his friend chair. Tucked flipped a switch causing the dash mounted screen to come to life and bring up there location along with all the information they'd as amassed from their previous trips into the Ghost Zone. "That way," leaning between the pair and tapping the screen.

"And your basing this on what?" Sam half leaning over out of the chair.

"Its the opposite direction from Walker and Stalker," a goofy grin on his face.

"Ah yes because rhyming is bad," the raven haired girl turning back around.

"Just drive you two, I need to get changed," twin rings of light forming around his body as he changed into his ghost form and walked into the back room and started digging though the boxes looking for the right equipment.

"Just for the record, there is no way this plan will work," Sam called back.

"Guys trust me this will work."

"Just because you saw this in a movie it doesn't mean it'll work here Danny, things in the movies never work in real life."

"Look Sam this'll work, Tuck and I thought this through, there is no way this can go wrong," as he pulled out a belt with multiple pouches and slipped it on.

"This isn't like peaking into Paulina's locker when no ones looking or pulling Dash into the janitors closet," turning around to look him in the butt, "this is serious Danny, and it could get you killed, and I'm looking forward to explaining that to your family."

Turning to look at her and slipping a small digital camera into one of the pouches, "do you trust me?"

Sighing, "I trust you, not necessarily your judgment, but I'm here aren't I? Whatever happens Danny, I'm with you, but I still think this is a bad idea and I want you to promise you won't do anything unnecessary out there. No show boating, no undo risks, no nothing."

Floating over to her and taking her hand, "I promise, and if you say it Tucker I will throw you out of the Speeder and you can find your own way home," not even having to look at his friend to know he was about to tell them to get a room, or some other comment about them needing to hook up.

Feinting innocence, "who me, I wasn't going to say a thing, I'm just driving, not going to say a thing. But if I were, I'd tell you both to drop the act and make my life easier." At that Danny floated back to the boxes to finish loading his belt and Sam whacked Tucker in the back of the head as she spun in her chair.

They trio flew through the Ghost Zone for half an hour, very much aware of the danger they were in, not knowing from where danger might come or in what form. They knew full well nothing in the Ghost Zone was what it appeared, a normal girl could be a monster in disguise, a squid could be a challenge and empty space could be could really be carnage incarnate. Most of the trip Danny hung over their heads floating cross legged, keeping his eyes open in case he had to phase through a wall and deal with anything that threatened his friends.

"What about that one," Tuck asked tapping the screen as the sensor picked up a new land mass that didn't appear to be on there map.

"Looks big enough to at least be worth a look," Sam agreed looking up at the half ghost, "your call you're the one that has to go out there?"

Looking at the screen, "it's the biggest mass we've seen since coming in, and there are enough ecto signatures that it might be worth taking a look, if nothing someone might have some clue where to look."

"That's assuming you can ask someone the question without getting caught," as the goth gently shook her head, "if your right about what Skulker said these things might be to dangerous for you to go after, to dangerous for the general public to know about."

"All things considered I'd rather take someone else's word over Skulker," the half ghost moving to the back of the speeder and pulling the hood over his head. "When I'm out find a place to hide, if anything goes wrong, hit the call button and I'll be back as soon as possible."

Tucker nodded slightly to his friend, "we got it man, go."

"Watch yourself out there Danny," Sam whispered waving slightly as he phased through the wall, only to be answered by Tucker making kissing sound next to her. "Keep it up and you'll be eating that beret," giving him a death glare as she spun in her chair in time to watch Danny fly past them.

Danny had come up with the disguise himself , a modified holocaust cloak from his time with Circus Gothica used to cover most of his body but slit up the middle so he could get to his belt. A gray shirt under that with black pant, combat boots, gloves and sun glasses. Combined with the hood being up and no one could tell it was Danny at first glance. The belt around his waist was filled with every from of recording equipment they could thing of, camera, digital and tape recorders, paper and pencil, and a dozen other things Sam had bought with her families money.

"So you think he'll make it?" Tucker asked as Danny disappeared from sight.

"As long as he comes back I don't care."

"Ever wish you could go with him," he asked quietly but got no answer, "yeah, me too," as he took control of the Specter Speeder and maneuvered it away.

After a few moments Danny saw his target, and was a little surprised by it, for all intents and purposes it was a high rise, no different than the ones in Amity Park. Well no different if the ones in the living world had ghosts circling them.

"Oh I hope this isn't a mistake," the half ghost whimpered slightly, for the first time realizing just how insane what he was planning was. "Ok just go in like you should be there and hope there's a directory near by," he told himself taking a deep breath and floating forward. As confident as he tired to carry himself he was still aware of the ghosts over head, and the chance one of them might recognize him weighed on his mind.

He finally hit the door and pushed it open, and was greeted not by a receptionists desk like he had assumed from the front but what was essentially a mall at first glance. The first five floors could be seen from the door way holding all manner of shops and ghosts of every shape and size flying from one side to the other. His first instinct was to whistle as the sight, almost thinking he was in a movie, but shook it off, if this was a mall there should be a map and he needed to find it. He floated past a few ghosts on his way to the center of the structure, getting a few looks every now and then but for the most part being left alone.

It took a moment but he finally spotted a ebony monolith in the center of the complex with various brightly colored lines running over it, a sight nearly ingrained in his being, a mall directory. It was so big he actually had to fly several feet off the ground to take it all in and started reading. The first eight floors, three more becoming visible the furthering in he went were straight shopping like any normal human mall holding book stores, clothing stores, little places to grab snacks, novelty shops, and other odds and ends, but it was the other levels that interested him. The ninth through eleventh floors were restaurants, twelve was a library, thirteen was something called the 'arena' and fourteen through twenty were offices.

He ignored the rest of the areas and went straight to the library flying up the tube provided to get to the other floors. A quick flight up and he stepped out of the tube and walked over the double doors and couldn't help but notice the glowing silver sign over the doors.

'Enter At Your Own Risk

We take no responsibility for those in the arena'

"Oh why do I get a bad feeling about this," he moaned as he pushed the doors open and walked in. For the most part it looked like a normal library minus the girl with snakes for hair behind the desk and half destroyed book cases. "What goes on up there," he asked himself moving further in and looking for a computer or a card catalog or something that might tell him where to look. After a few steps the entire floor seemed to jump and plaster dropped from the ceiling above him.

"Oh yeah, I'm going to have to make this quick," he whispered moving over to the computer and started typing in every thing he could think of. Animals, human-animal hybrid, war, animal war, hawk, bladed creatures, animal legends, changing, shifting, and every combination of those words he could think of went into the computer. No matter what he put in he got nothing useful and the ceiling continued to shake and send tremors through out the rest of the floor.

After nearly and hour of typing shifting between the inventory and the ghost equivalent of the internet he gave up. It wasn't the over all frustration that got to him it was constantly getting hit in the head with chunks of the ceiling that bothered him. Whatever was going on up there he knew it was bad, and whatever he could learn might not be worth the risks of them finding out who he was and them coming after him.

Halfway to the exit another massive surge ran through the room that shook the floor under his feet, that was quickly followed by another, then another. The constant surges made everyone in the room stop, those that worked there ran and took cover behind desks and in back rooms leaving Danny there with the growing feeling of concern, on that was answered a moment later as the offending ceiling gave way.

The ghost that feel through was an eight feet tall human with six arms, three of which were wrapped in chains. His impact with the library floor sent the entire room shaking as he crashed through a table with several computers and reduced them to splitters of wood, plastic and metal. Before Danny could do anything the ghost was on his feet and running towards him a look of terror on his face.

From above the pair, emanating from the hole that now connected to two floors a new voice rang out, "who said you could leave." The voice was somehow a mix of soft feminine tones and harsh growls and ear piercing squeaks that flowed from the hole quietly and yet sounding like a roar at the same time. From above them four red-pink tentacles each ending in three fingers shot out of the hole and went right for the escaping ghost, the first wrapping around neck, two other managed to encompass five of his six arms while the last took care of his legs.

"NO," the chain wearing ghost shrieked as he struggled against his captor, but doing little again her arms, "I GIVE UP YOU WIN, I YOU'RE THE BEST I CAN'T WIN."

"I know," the voice sending a chill down Danny's spine as it took on an ice cold demeanor and pulled him through the hole, the wound in the building healing as soon as they were through.

"Ok, maybe they were right about thinking this through a little bit more," looking at the former hole, "yeah I'm going to try a few more things back home." As fast as he could while seeming nonchalant he floated down the tube and out of the massive mall and started the trek back to Sam and Tucker and hoped they could get out of the Ghost Zone as easily as they'd gotten in.

* * *

**DP style**

"IT'S OVER," the burly ghost barked to those surrounding the large cage, not that it was necessary everyone could see from the look the of upstart that he wasn't going to do anything under his own power for a while. It was the same story every week, she would come in and some young punk would come in and try to carve out a name for themselves by challenging her saying she was no match for them. And every time it ended the same way, they ended up unconscious on the mat and she took their money.

And as always just as the boys came in to scoop the challenger off the mat and take him into one of the back rooms to heal, she exited the cage, the to bouncers moving aside, walked over to the bar and bought a drink to celebrate her win. She'd only managed a few sips of the bitter swill the arena called alcohol, or as close as they could get in the Ghost Zone before she became aware of the presence next to her.

She didn't bother looking, she could tell who it was just by his scent, "impressive as always, but why you continue to waste your skills in some hole like this is beyond me, you could afford so much better if you just accept his offer."

"Not happening Bullet, her eyes not leaving the mug in her hand, "now get to the point, and if your wasting my time again, there won't just be a pay spike this time, I'll send you back to your boss in pieces."

The one eyed ghost glared at her for a moment, he'd been in the Ghost Zone far longer than she had, he had at least a hundred human years on her, and gone up against the worst death could through at him. Yet this girl that had only been here a few years scared even him, not that she didn't deserve the fear. She'd only been dead a few years and she'd already carved out a niche as one of Ghost Zones greatest bounty hunters, every creature she'd been sent after she'd brought back. After the prison break by the ghost boy, she had single handedly brought in over a quarter of the renegade ghosts, showing up everyone in Walker's employ. Up till then up till then she'd good, that had made her a legend, even earning her a job offer from walker to become a full time member of the prison instead of a lowly bounty hunter who lived from job to job. And she'd refused, preferring to remain on her own where she had the option to go after anyone she choose, anyone in her words, that might give her a real challenge like in the old days. It was only because she was a bounty hunter, and such a good one that she wasn't locked up herself, Walker had used her once on some little job and was so impressed he freed her in exchange for the occasional job. How Walker had come to that decision Bullet never knew but every time she went out she broke nearly every rule the ghost warden had put in place, and every time she came in with her prisoner. The warden just looked the other way and laughed and slapped her on the back and made her another offer to join him full time. How the girl went from getting paid in freedom to money was also something he didn't know, but didn't ask, even after all this time Walker's mind was a mystery to him, and part of him wanted him to keep it that way.

He growled silently earning a small chuckle for the bounty hunter, "I could show you how to really do that," taking another sip.

"This big enough for you," his growl becoming more pronounced not willing to back down to some freelancer. He pulled a file folder from his cape and tossed it and watched it slide across the bar and stop in front of her."

She hummed slightly putting her drink down with her left and arm and flipped the folder open with her white fur covered right hand and looked through the paper and photos with in, her tail swishing lightly against the bar stool. "Well it's about time," a feral smile forming across her mouth, "I was wondering when he'd finally throw this one my way." Turning and looking at the second most powerful ghost in law enforcement her one silver and one gold eye meeting his single eye, "how many times has old skull head gone after this kid three, four time? Seems like he always makes you guys look like complete idiots," her grin making his ectoplasm quiver while he dug groves in the bar to keep from saying or doing anything that might set her off.

"Normal price," she continued, "if he gets boring, double, any ghost gets in my way I bring them in to, and they are worth normal price, in other words, tell your boss to have his check book ready this'll cost him." This wasn't the first time Bullet had seen this, under normal circumstances she was sullen, even bitter, and all business, but the second she got the whiff of a real fight she changed, her tone became lighter, her movements more relaxed, and her look in her eyes more wild. Not that here eyes weren't always wild, he had yet to see anything but a wild animal when her looked into those orbs.

"Agreed, just bring him in," his rage and fear barley controlled.

"And my ride?"

"Waiting for you in the normal place."

"Then I'll see you in a few hours, and make sure the cells ready, all of them," her tone carrying a unsaid threat.

"Just get the job done," he growled as she drained the mug and sashayed out the door her tail moving to it's own rhythm her top mounted right eye moving this way and that shifting the what hair surrounding it. He waited till she left to pull out his communicator. "She's agreed, but I still think this is a mistake, we want to bring the ghost boy in not destroy everything in the living world."

"She's the best Bullet, she'll get it done, and I honestly don't care how she does it. The punk's a danger to both worlds and if living have decided he's not a danger that needs to be dealt with then it's up to us. She might be brutal but I'm done playing around, one way or another he'll be in the Ghost Zone by night fall, and then he belongs to me."

"And if they living decide to retaliate?"

"Well they'll have a problem with Rachel not me, and they'll all regret the day they challenged her."

**

* * *

**

**DP Style**

"So the whole trip was a bust," Sam asked looking back at Danny as he pulled things off.

"Pretty much, nothing in there gave me a clue what that thing was, and I don't even want to know what was going on up stairs, but I really think we should get out of here."

"Ok back in the basement you were sure this would work but one trip through a ghost mall and you decided to leave?"

"Not the time Tucker," as he pulled off his shirt.

"Did you at least bring me something?" he mock wined from the front.

"Like what? I don't even want to know what sell in there," kicking off his shoes. "Look I just got a really bad feeling back there, being in the Ghost Zone is one thing when there are a few around in eye shot, but when your completely surrounded it gets a little nerve racking."

"We're not judging you Danny, I thought it was a bad plan to begin with," shooting him smile.

"Yeah yeah I already know what you thought of the plan Sam, just get us out of here, if I can't find out about the bird I'm at least going to spy on my sister."

"Again with spying of Tobias," she sighed rolling her eyes, "from what you've said he hasn't done a thing to making to it sound like he deserves this."

"That's only because Jazz keeps sneaking out to see him, I haven't gotten a chance to really watch him yet. I'm telling you if I get a few minutes with him I'll find out something horrific about him."

"Ok just because lie to your family and almost everyone else, it doesn't mean everybody has horrible secrets in their past."

"Your rich beyond imagination and Tucker goes into convulsions if you take his PDA away for more than an hour. Everyone has secrets Sam I just have to figure out what his are and how they'll effect my sister."

"Ok this is slightly creepy, you have a whole over protective brother-stalker vibe going," as he looked at Danny though the reflection in the Specter Speeder's windshield.

"If you had a sister you'd be the same way," moving to the front of the craft.

"Yeah but I couldn't drop anyone after her from the sky a few dozen times till he decided to disappear," looking up at his friend.

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely, remember that Danny," Sam quoted while watching the Ghost Zone pass. "Just maybe Jazz sees something in him you don't, I mean lets face it after Johnny 13 no one in your family has been all that trusting of the guys she talks to. For all you know she's being so secretive about him just to get some peace from the rest of you, she might actually like this guy enough to want to keep him away from all the insanity that runs rampant in your family."

"Insanity, what insanity," stepping back with mock surprise.

"The weapons built into your parents clothing, the weapons locker, the weapons on the roof, the Fenton Anti-Creep stick under your parents bed. If I was her I wouldn't let any guy near your family out of fear they'd accidentally turn him into a ghost."

Looking over at Sam, "she has a point Danny," Tucker tossed in, "your family is kind of intimidating."

"Keep talking Tuck, you'll end up naked in the park," he threatened, "again."

His eyes went large at that, "right shutting up and flying."

Leaning back in the chair, "you know, I'm really afraid for the first guy that comes around if you have a daughter," Sam told him looking up as his chin.

**

* * *

**

**Tobias POV**

"So she can detect you?"

"Apparently so Jazz," shaking my human head as we walked along the street. Our voices were low enough so that those passing by wouldn't hear us without really trying to. "Figures I come close to having a life that doesn't completely suck and now I have to worry about being shot by some psycho on a surfboard flying in and shooting me while I sleep."

"You can still move in up stairs," taking my hand in hers, her voice growing sly.

"Still not going to work Jazz, I don't fear eagles, don't fear bobcats, don't fear some sudo-dominatrix with a big gun."

"Your either really brave or really stupid," laughing a little as we walked.

Shrugging a little, "a little of column A and little of column B."

"So you do remember everything I told you about hunters and ghosts right?" her words having an underscore of urgency.

"Most ghost hunting tech won't kill people," I was repeated from memory given how many times she'd drilled me on it, "it'll hurt them, maybe break bones, but killing is almost impossible under normal circumstances unless combined with medical or environmental factors, but all the same avoid direct hits at all cost. Most ghosts have four basic abilities flight, invisibility, intangibility and ectoplasm projection. But each ghost is unique and could have other skills like possession, mind control, energy absorption, physical transformation, growth, cloning……do I really need to do this here? We spent of the time you tested me going over this stuff, I know it backwards and forwards, I'm set for whatever comes."

"So I worry, so sue me," squeezing my hand a little, "I've never had to worry about my friends getting shot before."

"I keep telling you, I've been shot before, and I heal quick," squeezing her hand back.

Sighing, "that doesn't make me feel any better, birdie."

* * *

**Rachel POV**

"TTTTTTTTSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRR"

My call went everywhere and yet no where as it bounced off the few chunks of terrain that hung in the endless swirling mists of my home, if anyone knew how they got there it had long since been lost to the sands of time. Inside my head I was abuzz with the possibility of the hunt, who to use, how to handle him, wondering who to appease and how long I should use them before changing, if I didn't do it right they'd sulk for weeks in their own little way, and I really didn't want to deal with that. In spite of that I felt good, I'd been waiting months for this moment, for the hunt to begin, for a prey that could give me a real thrill.

When I'd first heard about him, I wrote him off, I thought in a few years he might be worth going after, that he might be a good substitute for Plasmius. I wanted a shot at the elder halfa so badly, the stories of his power made me quiver with anticipation, it was a shame that not going after him was one of the few stipulations Walker had insisted on, one of the few that could get me put back in the 'alien' section of the maximum security wing. The thought of being shoved back in that little cage made my feathers rise and forced a growl from my throat.

I forced Plasmius out of my mind, I had a hunt to get ready for, and hopefully this one wouldn't be as dull as the last few he had sent me on. After the prison break, and even before most of the supposed best of the best had been to easy for words, truth was except for that first job they were all kinda boring. They yell and scream and fire off ectoplasm blasts or whatever they had, and before they knew it they were on their backs my claws at their throat. They all thought they were so superior to me, always laughed at the girl with the funny right side, or had till word spread of what I could do when angered. I'd gone toe to toe with the most deadly things the universe could produce, taking them on, four or five at a time, a few stupid little humans who thought they were hot to trot just because they could fly didn't mean squat to me. They all learned the hard way, no one messed with me, no one could touch an animorph in this world, I was a force of nature given body, teeth and claws, speed and strength, human mind and animal instincts all blended together capable of destroying anything in my path.

"A chance to feel blood under my talons again, this is going to be a homecoming to remember," my roar filling the sky as spotted my ride, one of Walkers prison transports along with three of his identical ghost guards. How or where he managed to get them all from was something I still didn't know, didn't care either, but it was still a little unnerving to be surrounding by that many identical twins.

Out of habit I flared my wing as I came to a rest in front of them, "ok boys we all know the drill lets see what he's equipping me with this time."

In front of me one of the them snorted and another said something so low most people couldn't hear it, but I wasn't most people, the third floated to the back of the vehicle. "We were given strict instructions on this one," the guard seeming strangely happy, "this one wasn't easy to capture, it took almost a month to get him back after he originally escaped to…"

"I know," picking up the scent, "I'm the one who caught him for old skull face," knowing full well what waited behind the doors.

"Right of course," his body know reeking of fear as he opened the doors revealing my ride.

I jumped up on the transport and closer to him, "hello Wulf, long time no see," and ran my hand along his muzzle, "looks like your going to be helping me for a bit big guy," giving him a smile. I response he pulled away and tried to growl something in spanish that was muffled by the muzzle keeping his mouth shut.

"He has.." the guard started

"The ability to tear a hole between this world and the human realm, I know, he also aided the ghost boy, and tossed more than a few of you boys back into the Ghost Zone when that little invasion went south." I didn't have to look to know they were all fuming, not that I cared, I could take them all part without breaking a sweat. "What security measures have been taken," carefully fingering the chains that extending from every side to the cuffs on his writs that flowed down to encased his hands along to sister equipment that connected to his ankles, neck and a vest that covered his body. "They are going to a lot of work to make sure you don't get away aren't they pup." my answer was just another muffled growl.

The guard behind me cleared his throat, "under the hand restraints are a cuffs, it was promised they can drop anyone when they discharge their energy," holding up a small remote about the size of a book of matches, "this activates them, there are five charges, use them carefully.)

"Anything else I need to know?" rolling the small box in my normal left hand.

"If you lose him it's on your head, that much was made very clear to us by the warden."

"That won't be a problem, now get those things off him, we have a long way to do and I want to get started," and jumped out of the van so the three could move and disconnect the chains. I couldn't help but smile and shake my head, all that security, all those precautions, and not one of them was going to matter by the time I was done. It took them a few seconds but they managed to get them all off while I felt body parts shifting slightly and kept my attention on Wulf, waiting for the inevitable. Like all prisoners he wanted nothing more than freedom, something I could relate to, but we both had a job to do, and I needed him to cooperate with me, and meant not running away every chance he got. The second the last chain was off he jumped trying to run and only managed to get three feet before he stopped, his eyes transfixed on me and he couldn't move as new instincts took over.

"That's right pup," my voice the same but different to accommodate my new form, my fingers running under his neck as I got closer and let him get a full whiff of the pheromones now rising off my body. "That's right breath deep," my fingers running up the side of his head and bringing his head into armpit, neck any place the pheromones would rise from and put him under my spell. I had no idea if the creature in the orange prison uniform had been human or animal in life, or like me a mix of the two, but I knew this would work, it had the last time.

Pulling away, his eyes slightly glazed over, my scent putting him under a trance of sorts, he was enthralled with me, in love with me, at least on a primal level. I ran my fingers through his fur and felt him lean into my touch, begging for more. Something he would be doing for the next few hours regardless of whether or not I took anther form.

"Help me pup, and you'll get everything you want from me, but first we have to finish our job," my voice soft as I ran my neck across his. To bad he had no idea it was a lie, all he would end up getting was thrown back in his cell when this was all over. His life may have sucked but I wasn't going to jeopardize my own happiness for him, I had things I had to do, people I had to wait for, and he was in no way a part of that. "Lets go pup, tear me a hole and lets deal with these humans."

Like magic he pulled away from me, a glowing claw shooting out each finger followed by a slash of the air that opened a portal to the living the world. A world of wasted time, foolish people, and empty promises, a world I hated with a passion. My lips raised as growl escaped my clenched teeth, the sooner this job was over with the better.

"Come Wulf," my voice taking a feral quality to it, as I jumped through the portal, my companion following a moment later.

* * *

**DP Style**

"Well this is boring," Danny sighed hovering over the park, looking for his sister and Tobias. Tapping of the Fenton Phone on his ear, "you guys come up with any other places they might be?"

"It would help if Sam would help here," Tucker's voice ringing through the head set.

"I told you," her voice firing through both sets, "I'm not going to look through your sisters room so you can find clues to find them, the only thing I'm going to do is keep Tucker from going through her underwear drawer."

Danny's eyes got wide at that, "he'stryingtodowhatnow," the words coming out in a single breath.

"Don't worry I stopped him," glaring over at him from her spot on Jazz's bed, "and I already hit him upside the head so you don't need to."

"Come on Danny," Tucker whined, "you know that's where they hid all the good stuff, if there are any clues they'll be in there."

"Let me make this clear Tuck, NNNNOOOOOOO," screaming the finally part in the head set so load it made the others tear them off to get away from the ringing.

He just hung in the air for a few moments trying to figure out where to go next, other than knowing this is where they first met he didn't actually know anything about Tobias. He had impressions and assumptions and beliefs but no real proof about anything. "Maybe Sam was right and I should actually give this guy a chance before I start accusing him of things."

"Maybe you should do a lot of things meat," the words were feminine but with a growl, a voice he had heard before and his eyes went large.

Spinning in the air his hands on fire he faced the source of the voice, not quite expecting what he was seeing. He guessed she was nineteen maybe twenty with lavender colored skin, blue-white hair wafted in the breeze, one eye a striking silver, dressed in skin tight aqua green leotard. She looked like a super model, a strangely colored model, but a super model none the less, it would be true except for one mall problem, that was only on her left side. Her right side was a cross between a normal colored wolf and girl and completely nude, not that anything could be seen over her layer of fur. For the most part both sides were as symmetrical as possible except for her muzzle that dominated her mouth as the tail swishing behind her.

"Do try and make this fun for me, I've come such a long way," her lips rising in a snarl as she flew in, the claws on her right hand extending and her mouth open her fangs glistening in the sun light, saliva falling from jaws.

"Huh, I thought you had tentacles," Danny told her zipping above her as she charged and fired a blast ectoplasm at her back, the shot missed as her right ear twitched and she jerked the left side of her body up, the green blast passing harmlessly past her. Not willing to give up the advantage he fired again, the shot aimed at the back of her head, and again he missed as her wolf ear twitched as she flew down the shot passing an inch above her back. A quick twist and Rachel had righted her self and floated to the left as Danny fired another salvo of ectoplasm at her. This followed with three more blasts at Rachel , the first passing under her feet as she flew up, the second missing out right and the third passing over her back as she charged him.

Growing slightly nervous from the misses he shot right to avoid the shot intent in leveling a close range blast on her back. Again her ear twitched, and her nose wrinkling slightly and twisted in mid air and trapped his arms under her left arm and grabbed his neck with her furred right hand, claws retracted.

"This is it," her tongue flicking out licking his nose, "I was told you would be a challenge, and here your nothing more than a scared rabbit in my grasp."

Thinking fast Danny went intangible and phased through her and rematerialized ready to put his glowing green hand into her back, he never got the chance as she spun around and threw a round kick at his face, her toe claws out. The kicked missed as Danny bolted back out of the away but couldn't avoid her human elbow as she continued the spin and shot towards him leveling the blow into his mid section followed by a surge up that brought the back of her skull into contact with his nose and dropping him form the sky.

It took a second for him to regain control and halt the fall. "Ok direct is not going to work, plan B," the words under his breath before yelling, "CATCH ME IF YOU CAN," as he shot away from her at a high rate of speed hoping to catch her off guard in a chase.

"Well what are you planning meat," a smile crossing her muzzle as the right side of her body shifted, fur gave way, replaced by feathers, wings shot out of her back and tail feathers grew as the feathers spread further, retractable claws gave way to talons, her ear pulled into her head her muzzle changed into a beak. In the space of a few seconds her right side went from wolf to bald eagle, her vision heightened and every line of Danny Phantom came into crystal clarity for her.

Spreading her wings she tore off after him, loving the feeling of the wind in her face and catching an updraft as she flew. As fast as he was she was faster, the eagle guiding her, the instincts still able to guide her flight despite the strange form. Every few seconds he would look back at her, his eyes growing large as he realized very quickly he couldn't out pace her in a race.

"Ok plan C," as he turned and fired off several more blasts, each shot missing as she easily flew out of the way, her wings spilling air, or catching a thermal, neither move slowing her down in the least.

"Tell me you have more than that meat," she whispered as she gained on him, already understanding his next move. He was heading towards sky scrapers, probably hoping to lose her by passing through them, he was in for a shock.

Up ahead of her Danny was pouring on the speed, arms outstretched, doing everything he could to make it into the business district. He didn't like the idea of putting people in danger, but the ghost was after him, not anyone else, so he hoped they'd be safe as long as they stayed out of the way. Every few seconds he managed to grab a quick look back, not liking that she not only was catching up to him, she didn't seem to be the least bit tired.

"Come on, that thing can't be that fast," he growled pushing himself harder, not aware Rachel was using her natural ghost flight in combination with the winds and thermals to grant her speeds easily in excess of his own natural ability. For the most part Rachel was actually enjoying the flight, having long since missed the thrill of a hunt in a real sky where gravity had to be obeyed. Feeling generous she let him stay in the lead not using her full speed, ready to see if he could possibly offer her some diversion, and prove why he had become so feared, and how he had fought Pariah Dark to a stand still.

After several grueling minutes Danny finally hit the business district and went intangible flying right through the outside of the building. Followed a second later by Rachel who back handed the window shattering it and flying through as the glass sailed through the air hitting people, cubical walls, computers and everything else in the way. The breaking sound of glass and screams of the people in the vicinity made Danny pause and look back before he could dive through the floor. From outside Rachel just stared at him with her half eagle half human face and floated in folding her wings against her body. For a second Danny just hung in the air, shocked she had done that, he expected her to come after him, but not like that and he was torn between attacking her, flying through the floor, and making sure everyone was ok.

"Pity," her human hand dusting off her eagle shoulder, "I was hoping you'd keep running, but you seem to have a nasty little streak of compassion in you, a shame and here I thought you were finally getting interesting. Well no point in wasting a perfectly good opportunity," the right side of her body changing back into it's wolf form and she charged in, claws bared.

Not believing what he was dealing with Danny fired a large blast of ectoplasm bring his hands together, as before the shots did little as half wolf ghost jumped into the air and avoided the shot. But rather than coming down she turned till her feet connected with the ceiling and pushed off her eyes never leaving him and shot straight at him. If was only by luck that Danny missed the claws as he scrambled left and hit the ground. He wasn't ready as Rachel turned, her hand connecting with the ground, claws biting into the floor and pulled herself down. A second later her back legs were on the ground and she darted forward her body down, he went intangible on the ground but that did little as her claws glowed as she slashed at him with a modified uppercut, her ghostly weapons finding their mark and sending him sky ward into the wall.

When he hit the ground he was tangible again and holding his face, the claws didn't bite through the skin, but it felt like they had. He looked over at her ready to fire off a ectoplasm blast with his free hand, but froze as her body changed again, the gray of the wolf disappearing being replaced by yellow orange with black spots, the form unmistakably a cat. Coming out of his momentary stupor he fired hoping to catch her off guard, only to watch his green blast shot across the room and hit nothing but the cubical wall that had been behind her as she darted out of the way. A move that turned into a full scale run, and it became all to clear to him he was in real trouble. He thought she was becoming a leopard or a jaguar when in fact she was a cheetah, a creature of unmatched ground speed in the living world, a creature that apparently moved to fast for the eyes to see in when dead.

He looked around frantically, and spotted the sheets of paper blowing across the room, he didn't know if they were moving from the wind blowing through the window or her speed but he fired off several small salvos of energy hoping to get lucky. He hovered in the air, firing off blast after blast at anything that moved, his fear slightly paralyzing him to the option of escape. Green burst after green burst exploded around him as computes and file cabinets were obliterated by his actions yet nothing revealing his pursuer or gave him a clue where she might be.

"So close," the words barley registering behind him as she round kicked him in the back of the head with her cheetah leg, followed almost instantly by a by a punch to his stomach with her human fist as she zipped around to his front before he could register her the hit from behind. That hit was followed directly by a snap kick to his chin by her human leg and a heal kick from her cheetah limb, the twin shots sending him though the air and careening into a near by wall.

"Oh boy," he whimpered locking eyes with her as she came at him again her body changing before his eyes growling brown, shaggy and larger. He managed to get off the ground, and into the sky but only for a moment before she back handed him with her new grizzly right paw and sent him crashing right through a window raining a shower of glass on those below.

Gaining control of the fall he fired several blasts of ectoplasm destroying most of the shards before they could hit anyone, but in doing so wasn't ready when Rachel collided with him still in her half bear form, her weight combined with his grogginess sent him to the ground as she roared in his face and bit down into his shoulder causing him to cry out in pain. The fall was short, ending quickly as Danny landed back first into a car below, Rachel's body making the landing that much worse as the impact knocked the wind out of him and shattering every window on eh car.

Looking down at him with her one dim eye she stood to her over ten foot height and roared, letting the world know this was her kill, her food. Looking down, her grin grew wider, her lips rising each tooth showing. She slowly flexed her paw, the black claws emerging from the shaggy fur, and struck down fully intent on putting her weapons through his neck and ending his existence.

**

* * *

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**Tobias POV**

"Ok how many ways can I say I HATE, MALLS?"

"It depends on how many languages you know, but this isn't a mall, this is Bucky's like a mall but different," a slight laugh in Jazz's voice as we walked though the electronic section.

"Either way I'm not liking it here," I growled looking up, the high ceiling and skylight slightly freaking me out.

She wrapped an arm around my shoulder, "you need to get use to these places again Tobias, people have roofs that's kind of a planetary truth."

"I'm fine with roofs, I hate skylights, they send my brain into convulsions, one side says I can get through the other side knows I can't, and it's really weird arguing with yourself," my hands slightly shaking to emphasis the point.

"I understand multiple personalities, but I think you're the first person to multiple species," outwardly making it sound like a laugh for anyone who over heard.

Lowering my voice, "trust me, I'm not the only one on this planet to suffer from it," and pushing her slightly with my hips to move her away, the hawk side of my mind getting a little nervous at the proximity.

Her voice equally low, "now that's a story I want to hear."

"Another place another ti…..whoa that's gotta hurt," the word just slipping out at every TV around us changed from random shows to a news feed, showing the ghost boy collide with the ground with what appeared to be a ghost bear on top of him.

Even with my bad ears I could hear Jazz silently gasp, "oh no," under her breath as the bear roared and brought it's massive fore limb down on the ghost boy. From the angle of the shot it looked like he had been impaled by the bear, made all the worse by the recoil trailing some kind of dark liquid. The next thing I knew Jazz was weeping and pushing her head into my shoulder before falling to her knees, things might have been words escaping her mouth. I was torn between the screen and trying to comfort Jazz as she started to convulse and fell to her knees. I dropped down next to her holding her gently but tried to watch the screen wanting to know what was going on. I knew that was kind of heartless of me, but I live for battle, and if Phantom had fallen someone had to take up the fight, and that might have to be me.

A second later the ghost bear stood shot back down and came up, Phantom in it's claw, covered in what looked like oil or gas given the hole now viable in the car hood and weakly struggling against the massive killing tool. His struggle only lasted a few moments as the bear turning and chucking him like a shot-put into a near by wall, leaving a crater in the wall. But by that time I'd stopped carrying, all I cared about was the other side of the bear, of the girl. She was older, the wrong color, and was guessing to tall, but none of that mattered, I knew her at first sight, I'd know her till the day I'd die.

"Rachel," the words barley a whisper coming from my mouth, my whole body going rigged. I was torn between holding Jazz and going down there, Jazz needed me, but that might be the only chance I got to see her again, the only way to make sure she was safe, the only way to find out if she had lost her freaking mind, as she pulled Phantom from the wall with her bear claw and tried her best to embed him in the ground while roaring.

I held Jazz tight but knew what I had to do, "I gotta go," I whispered, for a second I wasn't sure she heard me then her head came up, her eyes red, with tear tracks running down her face, her mouth making silent words, all her energy still going into crying.

"I'll explain later," I whispered stocking her hair, "I have to get down there, I might be able to stop it before it get worse." At that she hugged me tighter for a second then pushed me away, her body still convulsing but I got the meaning.

I had to push through a few people as I ran through the people and was a little worried I'd get grabbed by security but couldn't stop, I had to get down there, and I had to do it fast. I burst through the doors sending some blond guy in a team jacket, I vaguely recognized seeing at Casper High, to the ground and jumped over him running for the first alley way I could find. Behind me I could hear him yelling at me, but I didn't care as I disappeared between two buildings and demorphed and jumped into the sky about the time he and some goon following him got there.

I already knew where I was going, recognizing the building from my little run it with the rouge ghost hunter and headed over as fast as my wings would carry me. It took a few very long minutes to get there, but it was hard to miss when I got close as the sounds of battle filled the air. Or more specifically the sounds of a Rachel battle, metal bending, roars and screams, walls getting torn away, basically a natural disaster given legs.

The first visual indication I was there was Phantom being launched through the air into the fifth story of a building, but he was by no means the best indication. Not much further away was Rachel, enough Rachel to flip a tank. In the space of my flight she'd gone from a half human half grizzly to a half human half elephant, and as a result had gotten much bigger, and so had her leotard that now stretched to cover all her body where as on the screen it had only covered her human side. She must have been twenty five feet tall now standing on two legs, her human side changing to match the increase in height perfectly, she still looked beautiful on the left. Her right side was somewhere between human and elephant, even with the added bulk, it wasn't enough to make her look fat, more like she was just solid. Her leg and foot was that of a normal elephant while her hand ended in stubby fingers, but fingers none the less. The right side of her head was mostly elephant, her trunk falling from where he nose would have been and a tusk jutting out of her mouth.

"I am so not getting paid enough for this kid," her hand reaching and grabbing him, "I was told you were a hot shot, now I find out someone's all talk, your not even worth the time it took to track you down." She let out a "HHHHHHUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMPPPPPPPPPP," from her trunk as she prepared to chock slam him, something I couldn't let happen.

(Rachel,) my words going straight to her at no one else, halting her movements before she crushed him between her fist and the ground. She looked up, both eyes wide, trying to find me, so I made it easy on her and landed on one of the few remaining light posts and let out a call, "TTTSSSSSSEEEEWWWWRRRRR."

(Tobias,) her thought speech was quite, almost afraid, but I let it wash over my mind, missing the familiar power in her voice.

(Long time,) I recognized how lame it sounded the second it come out of my mind but I couldn't stop it, glad when she smiled at me in spite of it, somehow she still looked beautiful despite the mutation of her face.

(You always did have a way with words, I was at least expecting a 'what happened to you?')

(You died,) pausing for a second as the gravity of that hit me one more time, (you woke up in the Ghost Zone, you somehow escaped, and now your remodeling a chuck of Amity Park and using someone who's kind of important as a sledge hammer.)

She laughed lightly at that, or as lightly as twenty five foot human elephant hybrid could laugh, (you always did know more than we gave you credit for.)

(I've had help,) looking her up and down, (you think we can scale this conversation down a little, your kinda making my hawk side insane, anything as big as you makes it wants to run, and I'm not sure I don't agree with it.)

(Worried I'll step on you if you say the wrong thing,) one of her giant human fingers lifting my head up, (don't be, I'd never hurt you,) something in her eyes making me nervous, (well not so much that _you _wouldn't survive.)

At that she started to change, her body shrinking, the elephant side losing mass as white fur grew over her body, Danny slipped from her grasp and hit the ground. In a few seconds, faster than most of my morphs now, she was the size of a normal human woman maybe a little taller, six feet or so, her left side largely unchanged her right side a body I remembered from early days, (Fluffer?)

(I didn't ask for it,) smiling up at me as she took to the sky and floated next to me on the light post.

(It's good to see you again, I've been worried, after everything that happened, I'm sorry, I didn't want it t happen like that, I should've tried to stop you, should've been me, I wanted to bring you back, I came here to…) my words halted as she took my head in her furry hand, holding me under my chin, her fingers wrapping around beak,

(Clam down Tobias, it's alright, everything is alright, it's not your fault, it was war, not that anyone knows anymore,) her cat ear dropping in disappointment.

(You know?)

(Bits and pieces, I don't know why know you know, but I know no new ghosts have any clue the war happened, and there doing their best to make sure the old residents never find out or remember it.)

(I'll give you a hint the reasons no one knows start with E and C, respectively.)

Rolling her eyes, (that explains a lot, did he give you reasons?)

(The normal run around, 'it's for the greater good if this happen right, but it's up to your world to do it,) the sarcasm evident in my thoughts. Looking her over, as she laughed, (so why do you look like that?)

(I woke up like this,) the sadness filling my mind even if her face stayed the same, (well actually a little younger, it took a little while but I figured out how to put on a few more years,) waving her furred arm over her human side. (I can't really explain the right side though, near as I can figure it's the down side to morphing tech.)

(I'd say that's a safe bet from what I've heard.)

So tilted her head a little at that, (you've been looking it weird areas.)

(I've been looking for you, I had to see you, had to make sure you were ok. I've been hearing weird things Rachel, that people like us aren't free on that side, I needed to make sure it wasn't true.)

Slowly she stroked the feather's under my neck her face growing sad, (it's true Tobias, it's not a good life for us over there but that's not saying much.) Something about her face shifted, the sadness still there but mixed with anger. (Do you know what lies on the other side Tobias, the same thing as what your seeing right now,) spreading her free arm wide. Her voice growing darker by the second, (this is all that lies for us on the other side, no heaven, no hell, no nirvana, no reincarnation, no whatever your beliefs are, just more of the same CRAP. Oh it's not quite the same, mostly a floating limbo that'll send your stomach into fits for the first month, and you do get to fly but that's not much of a consolation. Over there you have to deal with monsters, psychos, super powered bullies, mad men with delusions of grandeur, there is no peace, no freedom in death, your just treated to something ten times worse than life. Well for others it's worse, we fit right in there, the world was practically made for us, a place to hunt and fight to our hearts content. A place were there are no rules but those that the powerful set down, a world to challenge us like this place never could. I can't wait for you to join me Tobias, my beloved, you will love this world so much, it is practically your domain given form.)

I wanted to pull away from her beyond words at that point but dared not, something was very wrong with her, and if I moved she might very well kill me.

And just like that the raw rage left her voice, replaced with an almost giddy laugh, (don't be afraid my love, you won't die by my hand, I'd never dream of it, I want you back yes, but when it's your time, there is still so much for you to learn, so much you can teach me when you die. You are so much more then these pathetic creatures, you understand, it's not about civilization, money, or worldly goods, it's about strength, about controlling life and death. They don't understand that, they think it's about them, that they matter, the only reason they do anything is out of hope they'll get something back in the next life. But you've always known better, it's not about the next life, it's about the here and now. You've taken control of your life, thrown off the shackles of this pathetic human existence, you are alive where they merely live, you are the only creature on this forsaken rock that deserves to live. And that is why I can't kill you, you must continue, you were brilliant then, you must be magnificent now, I can only imagine what you will become,) her eyes growing wide as she released me and brought her hands to her chest.

(But do not fear my love, when you pass, I will be there, you will not know the existence I did, I will be at your side, helping you understand the world, helping you master your new skills. I even have a place ready for us, an and employer, he's a little up tight, but he satisfies the need to hunt in me, he helps control the roar of my other sides.)

(The what?) doing my best to stay put.

(The animals,) running her right hand through her feline hair, (they come with us after we die, it's not like before, not like what you have to deal with, they're always in the back of my mind, always talking. They want to hunt, want to kill, want to run free,) her eyes taking on a slightly crazy look. (I can't merely push them aside like before, I have to use them, have to let them take there place as part of me, but they never really do, they sit in the back trying to take over.) She brushed the back of her human hand against the side of my face, (but you'll help with that won't you, you've learned to live with it, learned to incorporate the hawk, you can teach me, and if nothing else, it'll stop the scream for a mate, and that might be even better.) After that she floated away from me, her eyes going back to normal, but still not quite sane.

The words slipping out before I could stop myself, (what happened to you Rachel,) and I suddenly feared despite what she said she'd kill me.

(You'll understand when you get there Tobias,) her eyes growing very sad, (but if I do my job right maybe you won't, I might keep those demons at bay. We are alone there, no friends, no family, no one, and no chance of a better life, just the waiting of the next day, and the next, an endless cycle, with on end in sight. For all eternity living the same thing over and over with no way of ending it. That won't happen with you,) taking me head in her hand, (you will never be alone, never fear for the next day, I will be beside you always, keeping you safe, keeping those monsters at bay.) Moving closer to me, (and you will do the same for me, you will give my eternal life meaning, give me a reason to keep going, just as you do now. The day we are back together is all I live for, all I dream of, the temptation to kill you now is so great, but I can't I need you have to live, to grow stronger.)

(I…I…,) the words lost, I believed her, I don't know why but I believed her, and she scared me. She loved me, and she was quite possibly insane, not that I blamed her, being alone for that long would make anyone nuts, especially if even half of what she was saying was true and all the animals she'd acquired over the years were talking to her.

(Quite beloved let me work, I have a job to finish,) pulling away from me and floating down the Phantom who had some how gotten to his feet. (The knowledge that you came here to find me, that you still love me, will be a light in my darkness for years to come. Enough to sustain me till the day you join me, and on that day the Ghost Zone will quake in fear of our combined fury, and all things will be rendered prey to us.) She turned away from me and faced Phantom, "time to finish this meat," her real voice losing the gentleness her thoughts had projected at me.

"Ready when you are lady," his voice tired, and from the wobble in his legs I could tell he was in shape to win, let alone fight her.

"You are amusing kid I'll give you that, you almost remind me of someone I use to know, to bad he was an idiot," I took a guess she was talking about Marco, not that it mattered at the moment. Before my eyes she changed again, fur giving way to smooth skin, the fur receding to reveal her clothing as her skin took on a pink-red shade, her head elongating into a form I had already guessed, her giant squid. In the space of seconds one arm became four, each ending in a three fingered hand, her leg became a single tentacle and the back of her head was taken up by the massive bulk of the trademark squid design, her mouth now a beak.

"I was wondering where the tendrils came from," he hacked, his body shaking as three of her arms whipped forward and encompassed his body keeping him still as she pulled him into the sky.

As I watched I knew what had to be done, I didn't want to do it but I had no real choice and focused my mind.

She held him in her arms for a few moments then brought him closer, my eyes quickly dimming, but not ceasing to be useful, "any final words to impart on the masses before I bring you back to the Ghost Zone to answer for you crimes?"

Her tentacle slipped away from his mouth to let him talk, "my city," he rasped, "my home…"

(My apologies Rach.,) my thoughts filling the ghost woman's mind as I leapt my form only partiality done, but I had what I needed. Strong legs propelled my forward, my wings useless for flight, but each now containing four back swept blades, each of them finding there mark in Rachel's back along with the talons on my feet. I wasn't exactly sure what I was doing, well actually I knew exactly what I was doing, I was about to anger the most dangerous person I could think of, and that was when she was alive, now that she was dead I was sure I'd end up a smear on the pavement. In any case it did what I hoped and brought her down the shock forcing her to let him go as he hit the ground with a audible thump.

(I take it he means something to you,) her thoughts forcing their way into mind as she ripped me off with a tentacle and brought me face to face with her.

(Not really, but he does to a friend of mine, this is nothing against you Rachel.)

(I know, you fight for them as you did for me. I respect that, and I know you wouldn't try fight unless you were willing to give your all and try and take me down.) Spreading her human arm, (then by all means try beloved I can't wait to see what you can do now, it'll be a thought to keep me warm at night, and who knows you might offer me the challenge this one couldn't,) waving a free tactical at Phantom and dropping me. By the time I hit the ground my morph was done, I was Ket Halpek, one of the first free Hork-Bajir on earth, a form who's counter part and mate rested in Rachel.

(I don't want to do this,) placing myself between the pair, using my body as a shield.

(Nor do I beloved, but I can't wait to see how it ends,) her tendrils firing forward. The first lashed out and I countered with a slash from a wrist blade, doing little more than deflecting it while my tail had better luck whipping to out and biting into another. While I was able to stop those two, it left me open to the third encompassing my neck and another around my ankles and trying to lift me into the air. She only got me three feet or so as my arm blades slashed against her tendril on my neck while my toe claws dug into the other offending appendage loosening their grip enough for me to strike harder with my arms and make her let me go while my tail whipped out and forced the same result on the one on my legs. Her arms recoiled as my feet hit the ground and we locked eyes, (you still strike with abandon beloved, good, then lets have some fun.)

Her tendrils receded and fur grew in it's place, and I already knew what she was becoming, her most beloved combat morph, the grizzly. I didn't let the change finish before I ran in and leapt at her, one arm back and leveling a open handed downward slash ready for finger claws and arm blades to bite into ghostly flesh, and not the least bit surprised when they didn't. Unlike Skulker Rachel didn't phase through strike, she caught it with her human hand, our hands intertwined as she held me back with the strength of a grizzly. I didn't let that stop me as I head butted her, my serpentine neck shooting forward over our locked arms and into her face while my tail fired out and lashed across her human side. The strikes weren't enough to make her let my hand go when I hit the ground. Her change now complete she looked at me with a savage grin on her maw. I snapped my beak are her quickly an instinctual move by the hawk as my free right arm shot down and my finger claws racked her body. At the same time her massive grizzly paw came at me and only missed as jerked my head back , my neck twisting letting me bite into her paw before she could pull it away and following up with a kick to her stomach by my leg, pushing her away but not breaking the hold we now had on each other.

We stayed like that for a few moments each trading blows, with our free hand and legs, some hitting some missing, claws and fangs glistening as we slashed and hacked at one another, neither willing to give an inch. Speed and reflex had allowed me to miss or defect moat of the strikes, while most of mine connected with Rachel, the ghost not worrying about being hit. Finally out of desperation I thrust my right leg forward ready for something a little more sophisticated. My foot found a hold and her body and I jumped with my left my body arcing in the air, turning me, my taloned feet finding their mark as they ripped into the grizzly side of her face, forcing a scream from her maw and finally making her release my arm.

The second I hit the ground I darted back and tried to catch my breath and force the pain I was feeling from my mind. I split my vision between Rachel and looking for Phantom, hoping he had gotten to his feet, if not left so I could do the same. This wasn't a fight I could win, I knew that, Rachel had been a force alive, now I knew I didn't stand a ghost of a chance against her. As I feared he was barley on his feet, if he had tried to escape he hadn't gotten far, and he was still in no condition for a fight, but then again neither was I. If she were a creature of flesh and blood with these skills I could stand a chance, but no matter what I did or how I hit her, she didn't bleed, the lines were there, the impact was present, but I had no idea if I was actually doing real damage of just ticked her off.

A growl from her brought me back to the problem at hand as she pulled her hand away, the tracks of my attack evident on her face, but doing little other damage. (Oh yes Tobias,) her thoughts flooding my mind, (I knew you still had it, your just as wild as before, and just as cleaver, a perfect blend animal ferocity and human insanity. I can't wait till you die and we can truly let lose on each other,) her human fingers forming a fist.

(As nice as that sounds your still not getting him,) growling at her with my mind. As I looked at her I knew this won't work, the hawk wanted to lash at her talon and beak for challenging us, the Hork-Bajir wanted to run and escape, and the human, didn't want to do either, it was Rachel, she was crazy and dangerous, but still Rachel, still the first girl I ever loved, the one I still did. No matter what I did I knew I couldn't beat her and I wasn't sure I had the heart to even really try. I could hold her off, by everyone else time, but I knew I'd always be holding back as least a little.

I looked back at Phantom, he had the drive to beat her, but not the energy, and I had the strength but no the will, funny. Between us we had what it took to take her out, but alon…..(STUPID!) the thought just ripping out of my mind as I saw the answer in front of me. Focusing my mind on the downed ghost behind me while watching Rachel, who now knew something was up thanks to my little out burst. (Got a long shot here,) my thoughts on a tight beam as they hit the downed ghost boy, (I don't suppose you can posses people? If that's a yes groan I'll hear,) a second later he let out a moan, that was probably very real. (Good, get inside me, let me be your strength, it might be the only thing that keeps her taking you in.) Behind me he still groaned but I could tell he was trying to move, but it was away from me, (LISTEN,) my thoughts forcing there way into his mind, (despite what your seeing she won't kill me, she'll smack me around but won't kill me. If we combine our skills we might be able to hold her off, maybe even get her off our backs long enough to figure out what to do with her.) I could still hear him trying to move, (if I fight her alone she will get you, if not now then later it's inevitable, and every person she hurts between those two points, their fate will be in your hands, every injury, every death will be your fault at least now we might have a chance, now get INSIDE ME.) Behind me I could hear him moving again, but wasn't sure what he was going to do, and then the next thing I knew everything went dark.

I'm not sure when I came too, but I knew something was defiantly wrong. I could see through my own eyes, but they weren't mine anymore, I had no control over them, couldn't move anything for that matter, I was a puppet for the ghost boy, little more than a host, just like a Yeerk. But unlike a Yeerk he was having a hard time controlling my body, his movement were sluggish, his balance totally off , in short he was trying to move like a person instead of a Hork-Bajir. Which made moving really hard as Rachel charged and leveled an uppercut on my jaw sending me…us crashing into a wall. My good plan was falling apart real fast. The impact also revealed one other small problem he was having, Rachel was not the only one he as fighting, I could sense the Hork-Bajir and hawk instincts trying take control of the body, pushing at his mind as they always had my own. Fighting Rachel under the best of conditions would be hard, but in a three way fight there was no way he could beat her. I wasn't really sure how to handle this but I tried to reach out with my mind and get a grip on the other two forces trying to overrun him, with practiced skill I soothed the two warring drives and pulled them aside, letting the new consciousness try his hand at the fight.

He wasn't like anything I had felt before, he was like another set of instincts but different, more complex than normal. I couldn't scene any thoughts coming off him, but I knew everything he was trying to do wasn't raw inbreed knowledge like so many other creatures I had running around in my mind. I had a feeling I could control him if I needed to, like I did any morph, but I didn't try, I wanted to see what he could do alone, and hope he could somehow put Rachel down.

With the minds pulled back, he was still having a hard time controlling the body, he had no idea how to balance it, more use to a human structure, not realizing the extra balance provided by a tail. But I had to give him credit he was a little better than I thought he'd be. As Rachel charged down on him, her bear claw posed to strike down, her shifted his weight as best he could, and swept the legs out from under her bringing her down. He was a little wobbly but he managed to get back to his feet and land a downward punch along the line that separated human ghost from bear, followed by a second with the opposite arm. With a roar of furry she struck back swinging her bear claw behind her catching him in the stomach with her claws leaving bloody tracks along it forcing him back and onto his butt. Anyone of my three side could have avoided that strike, as skilled as he might have been my form was just to different for him to really get a feel for and use reasonably well in a fight against Rachel.

"I take it this is your doing beloved," a smile on her maw as she stood up, "I congratulate you on a good plan. However while I promised never to kill you it doesn't mean I won't beat you to a pulp till he gets out and I can take him with me. You forget, I know how resilient you are, I know just how much damage I can do to you and still keep you alive."

She had a point there, if she tore my arms and legs off I wouldn't be much good to him, time to give him a little help. I focused my mind and forced my way forward, not into his mind, but close enough to make myself known and brought the instincts with me, letting each take there place in the back of my mind. I felt him fight me for a second, he had some skill at repressing instincts or minds but compared to the control I had it was armature at best. I focused, letting the Hork-Bajir come further to the surface and reached out past the ghost mind to my body letting the natural instincts aid in its usage. We slowly stood up, but where it had been shaky before it was now a solid stance the true mind guiding it's movements.

Rachel came back in at us after that, her charge somewhat clumsy as she bore down on us, leading with her right side. Snapping my jaw slightly Danny went for her left side barely missing her claws and raked our claws across her human arm with the blades on my left arm and turned bring the ones on the right across her back as she passed. Recklessly she through her bear arm out and just missed me as Danny used his powers to take us into the sky. As soon as we hit the sky I let the hawk come to the surface and push past him, letting it read the air, helping it guide him n the sky.

Looking down we watched as Rachel roared in fury, her teeth glistening in the sun, teeth that receded, the call changing to the scream of an eagle as her body shifted. A flap of her wings and she was up after us, but were she was close before now she kept her distance and slowly circled, her eyes trained on us as we floated. I was really hoping the ghost was somehow understanding what the hawk was saying because he'd need him now, we could read the eagle side she now presented, and she was looking for a weak point, a place to strike to end the fight fast. I began to understand as I watched her, the bear and the elephant had been blunt, brutal fighters, relying on power and force to dominate her opponent. But the eagle was a careful hunter, who watched and looked for an opening, Rachel's fighting style was at lest in part dictated by the animal she was part of. I could use this, I understood her form, and all those like it, maybe better than she did. I tried to do what the other instincts had, bypassing the ghost and impart my knowledge on the body we all now shared, hoping this would work.

We slowed, our eyes trailing on the ground, at the people below, before twisting back to her, every shift in her feathers telling a story, the sound coming off her wings and tail an opera, she was an open book and I knew what was going to happen and I was presenting it to her. The ghost shifted us slightly downward while she gained a slight bit of height, her wings flapping a single time he was focused on her just as I was, our movements now synced our thinking if not aligned close enough, I just hoped what ever he was planning would be enough against her.

We hung in the air, both waiting for the chance to strike, both knowing we would only get one chance at this. She made the first move pulling her wings to her body and diving her arm out ready to strike. Danny moved us out of the way before she could, pulling to the left, and tried to rake our bladed arm against her wings and shoulder, a strike that did nothing as she dropped like a stone past us and turned firing up and slashing her talons leaving lacerations from my stomach to the beginning of my neck, it was only a last second pull back from Danny that kept my guts from spilling out. I could feel my twin hearts beating like crazy as he ran our fingers along the wounds and tried to fly away. Thankfully he was listening to the hawk and by this time his movements in the sky were becoming more fluid, the sky no longer throwing him unexpected curveballs.

She trailed behind us, just as aware of the sky as we were but she had the benefit of the right equipment, the Hork-Bajir were climbers not flyers. A quick wing flare and she was above us, and firing down for a dive I'd expect a falcon to pull. At that moment I was out of ideas but my ghostly parasite wasn't as he pulled short and let her come at us and spinning, trying to slash out with my blades again, and striking to soon pulling up short, but the spin continued, and I could feel something happening to my tail. It grew warm, not burning but still hot the arm blades missed but the tail connected the strike connecting with her face, and unlike before my blades actually bit into it this time. And it was then out of the corner of my eyes, that I saw it, my tail was leaving a trail of burning green flame behind it. The kid was good, he had somehow learned how to channel his power through my body, the ectoplasm that usually shot from his hands were now stored in the blades of my tail having a devastating effect on Rachel. Instinctively as she flew past she grabbed her face, when she turned to face us and pulling it away a long burning trail was left her face, a few of her feathers burning along the path of our strike.

"Well," a grin somehow forming on her beak, "You've actually proven to be entertaining, I do hope this is a sign of things to come from you beloved, because I like it, brutal but sophisticated."

Phantom stared at her for a moment with my eyes then dropped from the sky, slowing slightly before we hit the ground, a second later Rachel followed us hitting the ground in front of us, her body shifting in the sky till the foot that hit the ground was that of a wolf not an eagle. If I had control of my mouth I would have laughed as Phantom tried to say something that came out as a garble of growls and sharp notes but in his own voice, the Hork-Bajir beak distorting his words.

"Ah yes, I remember that problem well," Rachel laughed lowering her guard for a moment, but it was enough as Phantom shot towards her using his ghost powers of flight to hover n the air and the Hork-Bajir's legs to propel him covering the distance to her before she could react. Every blade and claw on my body glowing with a eerie green aura as he lashed out at her intent on tearing her apart. Something close to a roar slipped past my beak but I had no idea if it was suppose to be just that or his attempt to say something. He clawed at her nose missing as she pulled back, but he kept the momentum and stabbed my blades into her chest as he turned our back to her. Shifting directions he pulled the blades out and tried to put every blade on the other arm through her neck, a strike that connected on every front and knocked her to the ground.

He didn't slow down when she hit, her jumped into the air and dove down at her ready to put my finger claws into her torso. In his haste he over estimated himself, her body shooting forward her wolves' claws digging groves into my arm and over into my chest crossing over where she had put the earlier wounds. My fist cracked the ground and head lunged forward her fangs biting into my neck and tearing back pulling a large chunk of my flesh back with her, blood now freely running from my body, well even more freely. To add insult to injury her claws on her foot stabbed into what would have been a groin on a human, thankfully Hork-Bajir are not built like humans. A growl rose from her throat as she turned to her side and kicked me with her human foot into the gaping wound she had just made pushing me off.

Well that plus the fact that Phantom floated away got us out of there, but I could tell things were slowing down, this body was resilient but it couldn't take unlimited punishment. My entire palm glowed as he fired off a ectoplasm blast and shot forward as she stood up. The blast did little as she hopped back, but was quickly countered as he punched in the nose and continued it with a tail whip to the chest and a heel kick to her jaw that sent her skidding across the ground on her tail. Flexing my fingers he released a blast of green from each of them connecting with her sending her careening into a wall that collapses on her, the damage from the ongoing battle to much for it.

We started panting after that, my energy gone, and the blood loss starting to make me go light headed. Off in the distance I picked up a familiar sound, the rouge ghost hunters hover board, which meant we were both going to be in trouble soon. Something I didn't think we'd really have to worry about in a second as I heard a movement under the rubble.

A roar somewhere between that of a human and a monster came from under the debris as it was thrown aside as she assumed her elephant form, towering over us. "Well done boy, well done indeed, maybe not the best fight I've ever had, but it was more interesting than my last few fares. But now it is time to end it," her body shifting to a wolf, her claws extending from her right hand as she approached. Phantom took a weak fighting stance in response to her threat, but I could tell she had something else in mind, her ear was subtly tilted, shifting here and there listening.

The second she was in range he punched at her, my blades charged, but the strike hit nothing as she grabbed my wrist moved in quick and hip tossed us to the ground. Before we could respond her foot claws a gouges a wound so deep in my tail it no longer worked, her human leg rested on top of me and her clawed hand now rested at the section of my neck where it met my head and easily held us to the ground. Her lips raised slightly, to most it would be an act of aggression, but I knew better, she was smiling, her eyes lids lowering slightly making the look all the more intense as she slowly stroked the side of my face.

Cooing softly her nose wrinkling as she sniffed, "I smell her you know, you've found someone else," if I had control my body would have gone ridged at that, "ssshhh, ssshhh," quietly hushing me as Phantom pushed against her, his movement useless. "It's alright beloved, I'm glad, you deserve someone in the here and now, but remember when you die you belong to me first. Of course if I like her, I might consider sharing you with her, and knowing you, I will, you've undoubtedly pick a warrior, someone of great strength and skill, I'm looking forward to meeting her, I might even find her a place with us. But that's a decision for another time, by the sounds we'll have company in a few moments, and as much fun as you've been I need to cut this short. I'm going to let you go," tapping my beak with her human finger, "that's never happened before. This isn't out of loyalty to him halfa, oh no this is because you're the most amusing hunt I've had in a long time, and if your good now, after crudely over shadowing him, I can only imagine what you'll become with my beloveds tutelage," tapping me on the beak. "I'll be counting the moments till we see one another again, and I hope you bear me no malice for what I have done, I am after all only doing my job." She slowly stroked the side of my face, "you'll understand when you join me," the sadness in her voice overwhelming, "and on that day, I know you'll forgive me, and join me, till then I wish you a good life," a single tear running down the human side of her face.

She slowly pulled away from us and raised her head, a howl rising from her lips, followed a moment later as the air between us was torn open by lines of darkness that slowly grew together into a large tear. A second later a creature close to a werewolf in a muzzle and orange jump suit, almost like a prison uniform, jumped through. The first thing her did was run his head along her neck, and at that the ghost boy lost control of my body as a weak growl escaped my beak forcing her to look at me.

"That means more that you know," her eyes locked on mine even as she stroked the creature, pulling him closer. "It's time to go Wulf," pulling him away from her. He looked over at us and growled something I couldn't understand due to the device holding his mouth shut. "No, they get to stay here for now, we need to leave," patting him on the head, "take me to Walker pet." For a second he hesitated than nodded, claws growing from his fingers as he slashed at the air around him forming a new portal and jumping through. Before entering she looked back at me, "till next we meet beloved," and she was gone, the portal closing behind her.

I didn't have time to morn her leaving or even rest as the sky above us filled with a familiar, albeit late coming voice. "time to put something in a zoo!" Nothing like helping being a day late and a dollar short, and now aiming a gun in my direction. Luckily I didn't really have to worry as a strange feeling ran up and down my body and I started to feel like I was falling. Turns out it wasn't just a feeling, the next thing I knew I was looking at the pavement, through the pavement, the ghost boy had somehow turned us intangible and let us fall through the street and into the sewer.

A feeling similar but different as the one I'd just felt ran through me as Phantom shot out of my body and floated above me and glared. I didn't care, a few more moments and the blood loss was going to render me a really weird dead lab specimen. I focused are demorphed, relived to finally have a body that was whole again and under my exclusive power, even in the darkness I could still see him, his eyes watching my every move.

"Do you want to explain who that was, and what jut happened?" a threat of death in his voice.

(Do you want me to contact the girl with the really big gun up there? I can still escape can you?) It wasn't my intention to come off like a jerk, but I wasn't in the mood, my first love was either crazy or psychotic, if not both, and I really didn't need to deal with him getting high and mighty on me, especially when he was more hurt than I was.

"You think you can threaten me, I just saved our lives… I mean your life, because I'm dead, yep dead like all ghosts." I tried not to roll my eyes, this guy lied about as well as Jazz.

(Look I saved you, not the other way around, she wouldn't kill me. Lets just end it here, your hurt, and I'm to tired to last long in a fight, you go your way I'll go mine, if we meet again, we'll deal with it then, but right now I don't need this. In case you didn't get it from what she was saying, we were close in life, as close as two people can get, SO BACK OFF,) the last part hitting him so hard he actually floated back.

He regained some composure and weakly leveled a finger at me, and opened his mouth but nothing came, I could tell he was trying but he couldn't seem to find the words. In the end he angrily shrugged and floated away and went invisible. Something I needed to do myself before the psycho on the board decide to blast her way to me, I thought back to the creatures in my inventory, trying to think of one that might be at home here, after a few seconds I narrowed it down to five. I though out the mouse on principal, and shrugged off the beaver I'd used against the Yeerks as well, it might work, but it was a little obvious. The same could also be said for two of my newer forms the otter and the anaconda, it was amazing the creatures you could get to when you knew how to bypass zoo security systems. In the end I settled on my bullfrog body, it wasn't glamorous, or that tough compared to some of the other bodies I had but it could get around in the water and land, was fairly tough for a creature it's size, and was fast enough in the water to put some distance between me and the hunter above.

The change was fast, legs meant for grabbing gained kicking power and webs, wings became arms, beak became mouth, all covered in a smooth body. The instincts were easy enough to control, the body was aware of threats but not the all consuming fear some small animals had, it was a predator after all it knew how to kill and how to fight if the situation called for it. The nose wasn't that good, not much better than my hawk one, the hearing dropped a bit, and the vision got muddy, under water it was good, not the best, but still good, and while the surface vision wasn't horrid, it wasn't quite as good as my hawk or human form.

A quick hop and I was in the water, flowing with the current of the water. Just like before the trip wasn't that much fun, there were things in the water I didn't even want to think about, but I made good time. My body was meant for the water and I kicked as hard as I could, swimming with a gentle ease that mocked how it moved on land. I was a stream lined missile in the water flowing with the artificial stream like I owned it. Oh there were a few problems, a few rats crawled along the bank, and a snake of some sort was swimming around, but paid me no attention, of course with my luck I was swimming through illegally dumped toxic and medical waste. After an hour I was totally lost in the subterranean maze of the sewer system, and all I could say for sure was I was no where near her and that was the only thing I cared about that I could effect at the moment.

I crawled out of the muck and onto the bank of the sewer and demorphed, I didn't know where I was and I didn't care, all I could see was a manhole above me, light streaming in from the holes. I looked up and I morphed my human body and pulled myself into a fetal position and cried. I'd come here looking for Rachel and now that I found her, I felt ten times worse than I had before. She wasn't the girl I use to know, that Rachel had been full of life, full of hope even in the worst moments of the war, and now, she was someone else entirely. She'd been robbed of that hope, something about where she was, had killed it, and twisted everything about her into something darker. Rachel had always been violent, always walked the line of a berserker, but now she could no longer even see the line, the wild side of her nature, all her natures had somehow come together and turned her into someone almost like her but not quite.

Made all the worse by the fact she was counting on me, living that life for me, expecting me to become like her, and help her. She had had plans for me, and I wasn't sure I could be part of them, be part of her world, not if she was like that. I don't know what I had been expecting her to be like, didn't know where she would go, but it was nothing like that. I wasn't sure I believed in heaven or hell after everything I'd seen but I hoped she would go somewhere that would give her peace, not a place that would force her to fight for all eternity.

All I could do was cry, the force of what she was had faced, what she was still facing was to much, I didn't even have the words to describe how I felt. I just stayed there in a ball, morphing back and forth between human and hawk, just letting the pressure out, the energy to do anything else just not there. Then from above light streamed down on me as the manhole was removed, the glow taking on an artificial glow, streetlights I somehow realized in the depth of my despair.

"Tobias," Jazz's voice ringing off the metal walls as hit me, making me groan in response the ability to talk long since gone. The next thing I knew she was next to me, her arms wrapping around me, holding me tight a new wave of tears coming out as I realized what might await her in the next world. I just cried into her shoulder sounds and whimpers escaping my mouth as I inadvertently told her everything that had happened, or hoped I did for all I knew I was just making wailing noises, while she slowly stroked my hair, holding me and tried to clam me down.

I wasn't sure how long it had been but I started to process that she was speaking to me in a slow soothing manner. "No one knows what lies after death, not my parents not anyone, we know the Ghost Zone is one place they go, but we have no idea if it's the only place. No one can say there aren't other after lives, other places to spend eternity. Some say ghosts are just spirits that can't find rest, that still have things to accomplish and when they do they'll move on to their final resting place, that might be true, but no one's really sure yet. And yes she seems lost, but she can't be all gone, she still loves you, it's a twisted kind of love, but it's still love, that should tell you something. She can't be all gone, if even a part of the girl you know is still in there, you might be able to get her back, but I'm not sure how."

At that I pulled myself harder into her, her words making sense but I had no idea how to even start going about that, the size of the challenge to big to understand, even for me. Rachel had chosen to become like that to survive, trying to convince her to change back could be impossible.

Almost as if she were reading my mind, "my parents use to say life is about choices, everyone you make, leads to another, and to another, till your down a path far removed from where you started. Where you end up may not be where you want to be, but there's nothing from stopping you from trying to go back. It'll never quite be the same as you left, you'll be different, but you can still go back, still undo the damage done, but you can try to fix yourself and start over."

At that I pulled back from her, and looked her in the eyes, my mind on fire as I processed what she said, things linking up in my mind, thousands of connections burning together till I understood, or at least hoped I did. "He knew," the words barley audible, control quickly retuning to my body, despair being replaced by anger, confusion, and rage. "He knew the words becoming more pronounced, this time loud enough for Jazz to make out.

"Tobias," jazz's eyes growing wide as she slowly pulled away, a smart move, I had a feeling I looked like a mad man at the moment.

"He knew this happened, knew what would come if I stayed here, he's been playing from the start, I've been his puppet from THE START," the last part echoing off the walls as I turned and punching the water sending it everywhere.

"Who, what," her words growing more fearful as she backed away to the ladder, the Fenton Finder Mark. Two in one hand.

"The Ellimist knew she had gone nuts, knew she needed help, that's why he wanted me here, this is another freaking part of his plan. He's been setting me up, everything is connected that's what he always told me, I didn't come here of my own free will, he set this all up, her knew I would come here, he knew I would do this, he knew she would come out, he knew…"

"You have no free will," she interrupted, growing less fearful.

"Of course I do, he can only set up the hoops we have to jump through them that's the first rule," my own words slapping me in the face, as she moved over to me.

"He can only offer options, isn't that what you told me about him, that he never makes anyone do anything," her words soft as she took my hand in hers.

"That doesn't change anything, he used me…"

"That's nothing new from what I understand," taking my hand and squeezing it, "and you say that like it's a bad thing." I was guessing I had a really confused look on my face, "he trusts you, more than anyone else on earth apparently. One of the two most powerful creatures in the universe, and he's lynching plans on you, because he knows how you'll react, knows that you'll do the right thing. And you act like he's asking you to do something horrible, he wants you to save her, to bring her back to the way she use to be, if he's asking that at all. You can't be sure this is his doing, all you have are suspicions not proof, didn't you tell me once, that if you look to closely at a situation trying to find the connection you'd eventually find when, even if they're not real?"

I closed my eyes and thought about what she was saying and it had the ring of truth. I couldn't prove anything I was saying, and for all I knew this wasn't his doing, that I was just seeing connections were there were none, but I doubted it, this was too perfect, if he wasn't behind it, he at least knew it was a possibility. And even so, it wasn't like he was making me doing something I wouldn't try if I had figured it out, I had stayed to try and help Rachel, that hadn't changed, but instead of trying to get her out of some cell or it's ghostly equivalent I was trying to save her from what she had become. The real Rachel did have to be in there somewhere, she couldn't be all gone, she did still love me after all, even if it was in a kind of strange way.

I had a feeling Jazz could sense what I was feeling, her hold on my hand growing tighter, "she's part of you, for a long time she kept you human, I can't imagine what you feel for her now. Regardless of how you got here, you are here, and you already know what you have to do." I looked at her after that last part. "We haven't known each other long Tobias, but I think I understand you, you came here for her but also for yourself, you wanted to give yourself a purpose again, to make a difference. You're a hero at heart Tobias, even if a reluctant one, that's something this world is in short supply of. Your going to help her, you know it and so do I, it doesn't matter how it came about, your going to try and fix it, that's who you are, anything less and you wouldn't be the person I know," the last part punctuated with a finger light caress of my face, "the person I care about."

I wasn't sure how to take that last part, I didn't care either, I just tried to slow my breathing and regain control of my body. It took some time, but she gave it to me, and finally I was able to pull myself together and climb the ladder back to the surface, the red head behind me. Above us the moon was already up, and casting an eerily glow over everything, and making Jazz's hair glow softly in the slight breeze.

"You going to be ok," she asked me softly looking me in the eyes, concern lacing her face, she knew the worst was over, but I could see she was still sacred I'd fly off again like I had the last few times.

"Not really," I managed to rasp out, my throat still sore, "I just need some time alone, time to think about everything." Looking over I could tell she didn't completely believe me and wanted to talk so I did my best to reassure her, "I'm not going anywhere, I just don't want to be with people for a while. Besides the things I'm going to do you can be part of."

"I'll have you know I can do anything I set my mind to," her words quite and gentle but with a hint of hostility.

"Can you drop from the sky at thirty miles and hour and survive?"

"Oh," understanding what I had planned, "that really help?"

"More than you know, it gives me a kind of clarity of thought," by the look in her eyes, I could tell she was worried, "I've done this a million times before, I'll be fine trust me," my body growing feathers as I demorphed.

"I have to, but still be careful," she words quite as I finished and took to the sky.

Looking down at here, (it's late Jazz, go home, get some sleep, don't worry about me, I think the worst is over I just need to get some primal things out of my system. Howl at the moon, curse my life, try and figure out why the universe put a kick me sign on my back, things like that.) I could tell she was still worried I'd do something insane so I flared my wings and came down. For a second she backed up and tried to run as I came down at her body, only making it a few steps before I flared and hit my mark, landing gently on her shoulder, doing my best not to dig my talons into her shoulder and cut into her shirt.

Between clenched teeth she hissed, "warn me next time."

(I'm going to be ok Jazz,) my thoughts whisper as I rubbed my head into hers', (well I'm not but I will be. Thanks for coming to get me, I needed you then, and I'm sorry you had to see me like that, all I seem to do lately is lay my problems on you.)

She lent her head into my own, "that's what friends are for, and defy you to show me someone that wouldn't act like that if they were put in that exact same situation."

(Oh, you mean the situation were an alien fighter's dead girlfriend comes back and starts telling him she still loves him, but she's now nuttier than a fruit cake? Yeah I'd like to see someone else in the that situation to, oh wait, I don't think anyone else on this planet could possibly have this situation,) my body slightly shaking.

"First good to have you back, second," her voice growing strained, "your claws are in my shoulder," wincing slightly.

A little sheepishly, (oh, sorry,) letting go and hopping off her gliding to the ground.

Kneeling down next me, "you sure your going to be ok?"

(If this had happened a few weeks ago, no, but now,) looking her in the eyes, seeing my image reflected in them, (I'll pull through, but I have no idea how to help her.)

"You'll figure out something," patting me on the head, "now go do your suicidal drops, or whatever your planning, and please never tell me if your going to do that again."

(Deal, but you'll never know what your missing,) my wings spreading as I flapped, caught a small head wind in the night air and took to the sky. I did a quick look back and could still see Jazz looking at me, (Jasmine Fenton GO HOME.)

In response she smiled and started walking backwards before turning around, but I could see what she had said before doing so, the street light giving off enough light, "be careful," and I planned on it, before it was just my life on the line, now it was Rachel's after life.

**

* * *

**

**DP style**

"What do you mean you didn't get him?"

"Chill Walker," Rachel's voice calm as she leaned into the chair opposite the ghost warden, the white clad spirit behind his desk. "Your not paying me for this job, no damage came to the ghost zone, Wulf is back in his cage, over all no harm no foul. As it is the only thing that isn't pristine anymore," holding out her right feline hand examining the glowing green claws as the popped out of her hand, "is my reputation, not that it matters, no one else has beaten him, only difference is I know I still can."

"Meaning," the wardens interest piqued as he leaned forward on his desk.

"I let him go," a little snicker in her voice, "the kid was not up to my standards, oh sure he had skill, and was slightly more amusing than most of the others runs I've been on lately, but that's not saying much. But I'm thinking in a few months maybe a year, he'll be a real force to reckon with, and then I'll finally be able to let lose and have some real fun."

"WHAT," his fist's slamming on the desk making everything on it jump. "You let him go so he could get stronger, are you insane? After everything that punk has done you want him to grow more powerful, we can't stop him now, and if he keeps developing on his own he'll.."

(He's not alone anymore,) her though speech cutting the larger man off, "with any luck he has a teacher now," a smile on her muzzle.

"What," the word barley controlled.

"My old boyfriends in town and helping him out," the grin growing larger as he hands rubbed together, "if I'm right they'll be drawn together like a moth to a flame. If Tobias gets his hands on this kid, he'll be a real force soon enough, all the power under the direction of a battle hardened mind of one of the bravest and most skilled hunters on earth."

He looked at her for a few seconds a bit leery of what to do next, weighing his options, finally, "this is the boy you told me of before, the one you want me to employ when he dies?"

"Oh yes," her smile growing feral, "think of it as a training run, if you think the ghost boy is dangerous now, and he suddenly becomes far more skilled, it can only be because of my beloveds tutelage. If he could do that imagine what he can do to your forces here," a slight growl slipping into her voice. "He can make this place a true prison, and you a true force for order, he can ensure no one will ever break your rules out of fear they'll deal with him."

"And you can control him?" the fear evident in his scent filling her nostrils despite the calm demeanor that he presented.

"I can, he's still carrying a torch for me even after all these years, granted there is a new girl in his life, but I can get around her," bringing her claws up and blowing on them. "A love like ours is beyond words, beyond bounders like life and death, he may love her, but he'll come back to me when his time comes, trust me on this. He will join us, then you can enforce your will to your hearts content, just leave us alone in our spare time."

"You better deliver what you promised girl," as face returning to it unwavering concentration.

"I always do, this'll just take a little longer than normal, now if you'll excuse me there's someone I need to see down stairs."

"You really think I let that happen, you said no payment, and that is part of your payment," his words resolute as he watched her rise. In that moment their eyes locked and stared each other down, neither willing to look away, the air growing thick with tension that radiated out the door and down the hall, putting the guards on alert should something happen. In the end Walker broke first, "you did bring me information, and that's worth something, and you did bring everything back, but make it quick," his words loaded with venom as he slide her the key card.

"Don't worry this won't take long, just someone I need to see," despite her best efforts she looked like the cat that got the cream as she reached over the desk and she sashayed out the door and down the hall, her tail swinging behind her, as Walker watched her and glared.

"I don't know why you take in from her," Bullet, growled floating next to his commander, "by all rights she should be locked away with the rest of those monsters."

"She should be yes," rising from his chair and shutting the door, to ensure privacy. He carefully looked the one eyed ghost up and down, he had been with Walker longer than any other subordinate, and quite possibly the only person the warden trusted. "Do you know why I let her out?" walking over to his file cabinet.

He crossed his arms, long wanting the answer but a little afraid of it at the same time, it had been a long time since Walker had kept anything from him and he knew it had to be bad, "because she's a skilled bounty hunter" he answered weakly hoping that was all but doubting it.

"Partially," pulling one of the drawers open, " do you remember what it was like a few years ago, before she came, when all those creatures started coming through, the ones now locked below us?"

A look of extreme concentration crossed his face, almost as if it were painful to think about, "chaos," he finally whispered, "the small ones possessed anyone they could, trying to seize power, the worms tried to devour everything in sight regardless of what it was, the humans screaming and ranting, at least the bladed creatures and the monkeys were peaceful when not possessed." By the time he was done he was sweating, and looking like he was going to collapse.

"Yes, utter chaos," unlike his subordinate he didn't strain when trying to recall what had happened, "taking control of that situation was nearly impossible, but somehow we did it, we managed to lock all the dangerous ones away and convinced most of those bladed simpletons to leave."

"I'm still not sure why we didn't imprison them as well?" the pain still there but not as bad.

"Because they weren't breaking any rules, they wished to live in peace, those other creatures were the ones doing all the damage, they deserve to be down there, the others didn't, with any luck they found the home they sought," his words growing wistful. They hadn't been dangerous despite their forms, and it hadn't been a popular decision among his men who had fought them, but he held firm on it, they weren't dangerous, so they were free to leave, to try and find this scared resting place they spoke of.

"What does that have to do with anything sir?"

"I'm getting there, you remember the beast walkers?"

"How can I forget," the pain returning, nearly making him drop to the floor, "each was worse than ten of those other creatures, and that girl was almost the worst of the bunch."

"Exceeded only by one other, the one I let her go to capture, the one she's so obsessed with seeing," sitting down and putting the folder on his desk, leaving it closed.

"That one," that one his eye growing wide as the memory tore through his mind now, the pain lessening as it became easer to remember what had happened, "still scares me, I don't know how she can stand to be in the same room with her."

"Neither do I," tapping the folder, "you remember what happened a short time after he came don't you? How the humans would speak of aliens on earth, and how great it had been to be alive?"

"Of course," his memories becoming easer to access, the pain recending, "but they were insane. Almost as soon as it began it ended, it was some kind of hoax, we all know that."

"Except it wasn't," opening the folder, and sliding several photos on his desk, "it did happen, all those creatures, they aren't experiments or malformed ghosts like everyone now believes, they are aliens, creatures not born on earth, at least for the most part."

This earned him a look of disbelief and shock from his aid as he sorted through the images, "but how, everyone knows.."

"Everyone know what I want them to know," his fingers coming together on his desk. "You don't remember this Bullet but you helped me concoct the plan, to release several of out most dangerous prisoners, buying their aid to make everyone in the Ghost Zone forgot just how close we came to destruction."

"What," looking at the white man, his fingers running over a photo of Plasmius.

"Look down," his eyes on the image under his associates hand. "at first when they came and we understood them everything was fine, we could handle them, put them away before they did to much damage. Then Plasmius came and somehow made a deal with them, unlike the rest of us, they couldn't overshadow him, he was immune to their power. Under his guidance they came very close to dominating all of the Ghost Zone, only petty in fighting preventing them from completely taking over. And then one day, just like every other human he forgot what happened, there leader gone, we were able to manage one final offensive after that, everyone in the area coming together and imprisoning most of them. Some however did escape, and we were able to track most of them down, then he came, and nearly destroyed everything we were able to rebuild."

"The one she's seeing?"

"The same, she fought him life. Till then I had been a fool, keeping those that hated them, these Yeerks , imprisoned, when he came we couldn't stop him, or their final offensive. Rachel lead that charge, and while we all brought him down, she did most of the work. After that we believed they were all imprisoned, but I knew that wouldn't be the case if everyone remembered what happened, if Plasmius knew what happened."

"So you had our mind tampered with?"

"Yes, and no, to those that lived it, it is merely a vague memory, one surrounded by intense pain, like what you jut felt, something I have removed from you," tapping the folder, "by showing you this. They know it happened, but they have no idea just how close we actually came to complete domination, nor do they wish to even speak of it. I even had records destroyed, I couldn't let Plasmius know just how close he was to fulfilling his goal. The others believe that the return of Pariah Dark was bad, it was nothing compared to what we endured in those dark days, but we didn't have any place to run then, there was only one Ghost Portal and that belonged to Plasmius, we were trapped. When all traces were removed I swore never again, we could never let Plasmius gain that much power again, or let those creatures run free."

"But that doesn't explain the girl, or why the other beast walkers are locked up, or the humans they inhabited."

"Because the humans and beast walkers don't know how to keep their mouths shut, they are were too traumatized by their possession to be allowed to roam free and still stay silent. Even in their confinement they speak of the battles, of the time earth and Ghost Zone nearly fell, I can not let this information get back to Plasmius."

"Yet the girl runs free."

"Rachel is one of the few that clearly remember what happened in those dark days and she knows how to keep her mouth shut. But perhaps most importantly she is powerful, she alone held that creature at bay for days never once yielding. It is that power that I need should Plasmius ever discover what has happened. For now it is better to keep her close and happy, than anger her and run the risk of everything I have worked for falling apart. And it is more than that, I'm not sure we could imprison her again if we tried to, since releasing her, her power has increased drastically, she wouldn't have been able to defeat Pariah Dark, but she could have held him off had I let her."

"And why didn't you then?"

Walker turned in his chair and gave his second a stern look, "who do you think was guarding the lower levels of the prison? Had we failed I required someone to ensure the prisoners did not escape, someone that would impress Pariah Dark enough so that he would listen to them, someone that could convince him to keep them is shackles till the end of time. I required someone I could trust, but also someone insane enough to stay here while everything was falling apart around them and face certain doom. I'm only lucky she stayed put and didn't try and help, our victory might have been easier but the new threat might have been just as bad, if not worse."

"And your telling me all this why?"

"Because if this Tobias, still has this much sway over her, she may be a danger to us, if she is, I'm trusting you to kill him, and make it look like the halfa did it, and then make sure his ghostly form never finds her again."

"You can't be serious."

"Deadly serious, and I need you to understand why your doing this, and how it will effect the Ghost Zone as a whole. Our whole world may rest on your shoulders my friend, our very existence may depend on you.

**

* * *

**

**Rachel POV**

It was good to be back, my cat ear twitching this way and that as walked down the corridor, my nose filling with the familiar smells of imprisoned Yeerks, every one of them locked away in tiny little cages about the size of a box of matches. Everyone of them still blind and deaf, totally helpless with out a body to take over. Death was a funny thing, some people gain incredible power, and yet the Yeerks remained exactly the same as they were in life. The only real difference was that they could fly now, and as it was that wasn't much use since they had no idea where they were going. The floor above me held the Taxxons cages, all of them asleep, I didn't know how they kept them asleep, and I didn't care, if they didn't they'd probably eat through ever wall in under a hour till they were free and hit the Ghost Zone like a swarm of locus and everything was gone. On the floor above that were the humans, some normal some beast walkers given the power to morph by out little group or the Yeerks, including my cousin Tom.

Every trip to see him was the same, 'why don't you let me out Rachel, help me cousin help me, what kind of monster are you blah blah blah. He just didn't get it, he was there for his own good. And compared to the other levels they were in paradise, good food, pleasant living conditions, all the trapping of home. Granted they were still in a cell, but it was a nice one and given some of the forms they had taken due to the animal DNA circulating in their bodies, well they probably deserved to be in the freak show the floor had become.

But I wasn't here for them, I was here for him. Inside my head the others were quite except for grizzly that quietly told me, in it's own instinctual way, to maul the monster, to tear it's head off for daring to challenge me, in short the same thing it always said. The only other one that buzzed was the wolf, openly happy that our mate was back, that our pack was slowly reforming. I slid the card over the reader, my ear picking up the slight hiss as the door slid away and his stink filled the air. "Hello Visser," a smile forming on my maw, the sight always pleasing me. Unlike the other slugs, Visser couldn't be held in a little box, something about his time in an Andalite had messed with him, or maybe it was just a fluke, I didn't know, I didn't really care. He was now decked out in a modified version of an Andalite body, he was about the same size and form but defiantly built for death. His ordinarily small hooves now ended in long curved killing claws, the blade on his tail equally vicious and over sized, as where the one's coming out of his fingers. His legs looked more like they belonged on a Clydesdale and his body a steroid abuser. His head was still the typical Andalite except for the mouth full of needle like teeth and serpentine tongue that would shoot out when he spoke, or would if not for the massive mouth plate. But even now it was the color that really got me, an Andalite was blue, he on the other hand was mix of electric yellow, and starless midnight black, all mixed together in strange patterns and random slashes of the colors. But the most striking thing about him were his chains, three collars on his neck, manacles that ran from wrist to elbow and from hove to knee. More chains and collars criss-crossed his body, holding him in place, each and every restraint doing something different. Some tied him into sensors to read him, others were security devises for tracking and stopping him, one rather nasty one was a bomb, nut I could never tell which. Oh it all seemed like over kill to most, but I knew better, he was a pain in the tail alive, and ten times worse dead. Somehow fate had decided to make the monster a shape shifter in addition to the ability to overshadow other ghosts. The little worm could become anything he could imagine, unlike in life were his host needed DNA, and during our one and only fight, I'd seen dozens of forms, many of which still haunted me.

From what I'd pieced together from our little talks, after the war he'd been captured in the same fight I'd died in, and had gone on trial and was found guilty. And in the infinite wisdom of the courts the decided to give him to the Andalites to deal with, good idea bad execution. Some where just out of orbit somewhere between Earth and Mars, the big blues got ambushed by a few races that were really tick off at old Visser, not that I can blame them, something happened and everyone on the ship ended up going boom. And just our luck old Visser decides he's coming back our way, not that I can blame him, given that swarm of death that was probably out there somewhere, the same one he'd sent after me all those years ago. And if it was made up of everyone of those things that ever died, well I'm not sure anything could get past that, even him.

Taking him down had been a pain but I did enjoy it, and I loved this just as much. Everybody else thought I stayed on Walkers payroll for the money, it had nothing to do with that, I was in it for him, the chance to look at this monster and just make him insane by letting him know I could get out and he was now the one trapped, the one that couldn't do a thing.

"Well if it isn't my jailer," his voice sending a chill up my spine, it had one of those highly educated movie serial killer sounds to it, and it still freaked my out a little.

"Like anyone else would come and see your sorry four eyed butt," grabbing my usual chair and sitting down. "Guess what you miserable excuse for a donkey."

"You going to add more of these delightful little chains?"

"No, but I'll talk to the boss about that, you have some spare room on your back we could strap a bomb belt on you no problem. No, I met an old friend," the smile somehow growing wider on my muzzle.

"Do tell me it was one of your little sisters, I can think of so many people here that would enjoy their company."

He was trying to bait me, just like always, he knew he couldn't get a rise out of my like that, yet he always tried, always hoping this would be the time I tried to tear him apart and give him a chance to escape. "Better," ignoring him, "I say Elfangor's son today," his four eyes growing wide at that and he actually lunged against the chains earning a shock from several of the restraints the charge actually making him pass out for a second. My grin was even larger when he came too, "I bet that hurt you psychopathic sheep."

"You lie," a savageness in his voice I hadn't heard in years. Not that he didn't have a reason, Elfangor had been a major thorn in his side in life, and in death a mystery. Walker had stories of him, the first of the beast walkers, the one that warned him the Ghost Zone then disappeared never to be seen again. That had been a massive slap in his face, when he was captured and saw all the dead Yeerks and Taxxons he had expected to see Elfangor some where too. I had the distinct pleasure of telling him he was gone and free, and the joy of watching him fight his bonds for a week straight as he tried to get out, shocked himself, passed out woke up and repeated the process over and over again, before finally accepting his fate. Well for the most part, he did become fixated on Tobias after a while, sins of the father and all that, he had plans to do to Tobias he couldn't do to Elfangor, something I was never going to let happen.

"Everyday of my afterlife, but not now take a whiff," blowing on my hand sending his scent to the chained monster. "And even better he's free, no prison, no cage, no nothing, but I guess you wouldn't know what that's like would you sparky," that got me another roar out of him as he charged and sent another blast though his body, this one large enough to light up the dimly lit room. I rubbed my hands together as I watched him Tobias wasn't even here yet and he was already helping me, I could keep myself amused like this for a long time.

"One day witch, one day I will be free, and you will be the first to feel my power!"

At that I just laughed and got up and put the chair back, "power you got, brains is another matter," sliding the card over the reader. "See ya later sparky, work on that charming wit of yours, it may pay off one day, when you get out," a laugh tearing out of me at my own joke. All I got in return was a roar of pure rage and light show as he lunged at me once again setting off the chains, it was almost a shame as the door slide shut separating us, he was really starting to get amusing.

**

* * *

**

**Jazz POV**

No mater how I lay, I couldn't fall asleep, I just couldn't turn my mind off, everything that was happening in my life just rushing through my head keeping me awake. Finally I just gave up rolled on my back and stared at the ceiling. Somehow Danny had the powers of a ghost and was now using his powers against other ghosts, and for the most part winning. The only person I really considered a friend was really a bird who had been involved a interplanetary war and had killed more people than I could possible guess. They were both heroes in their own way and now they were living in the same town, and coming into conflict with each other.

And here I was stuck in the middle, not sure what to do, Shrugging a little I rolled out of bed, grabbed my robe and walked out of my room heading towards the kitchen and tried to work things out. I carefully slipped down the hallway, doing my best not to wake anyone up.

I'd promised myself I wouldn't confront Danny about what he was doing, that I'd let him tell me when he was ready. And I'd promise Tobias I'd keep his secret from everyone. Keeping these secrets from my parents and the rest of the town was easy, but keeping them from each other wasn't. Tobias would ask about my brother or his alter ego and I had to lie about him, Danny would go invisible and try and follow me so I had to lose him before he could find information out about Tobias. The whole time I was left covering for each of them, trying to make sure each kept his secret intact and it was getting ridiculous.

Especially now, with Rachel added to the mix. Tobias loved her, she was dead, and he still loved her, and now she was trying to capture my brother, and even I could see where this would lead. At some point Tobias and Danny where going to come to blows, for reasons I doubted either really fully understood, and it was going to be bad. Danny had better all around skills from what I had seen, but Tobias was smarter and more experienced, either one could win, but in the end I'd lose either my best friend or my little bother.

At that thought I put my head on the cool surface of the refrigerator, and tried to wrap my mind around the situation. Shaking my head I pulled open the door, slightly blinded by the light that came from it and grabbed a soda and sat down at the table, only the stream of light from the window illuminating me as I thought.

Telling them both would be so easy, we could defuse everything before it happened, make sure they each understood everything about the situation and hopefully come to some kind of compromise. Tobias would understand if I did it, he knew about secrets and loyalty, that the bonds of family can supersede everything else. He'd forgive me for telling Danny, he might actually be happy I did. He put up a tough face and made a big deal about like being left alone, but I could tell he liked being with other people, liked being treated like a normal person. But Danny on the other hand, I couldn't be sure, he might take it well, but it was just as possible it could make him snap, knowing I'd been lying to him for so long. I'd watched Danny become a mature responsible adult, or had once I understood what the real situation he was in. But that didn't change the fact he might be in a delicate place emotionally and psychologically, if I told him he might accept it, or his might snap, especially when I got to the whole, aliens messing with our mind part.

I couldn't help but laugh at that part, not the overall insanity part of it, but the fact that I thought of it with complete seriousness. It sounded like the plot of a bad science fiction movie and yet somehow I was living it.

"I just don't know what to do," I whispered the sound cutting though the stillness of the house. I looked up at where Danny's room should be, knowing he was asleep and looking like he had been hit by a truck. That girl had done a number on him, but thankfully he somehow wasn't that hurt, or least as far as I could tell, and if what had happened before held true he'd be almost back to normal by morning. But what about the next time he had to fight her, he was going in blind to these fights, he had no idea who she was or how she'd react. If I brought them together at least they might be able to prepare for her next time, come up with a plan to stop her without hurting her.

"That or birdie could kick Danny from one end of Amity Park to the next for raising a finger to Rachel," I sighed leaning back into the chair. I had no idea how Tobias would act next time he was face to face with her he might side with her, he might side against her, the truth was it was a gamble. He loved her, but he had a deep seeded need to protect life, and those two were indirect conflict with what she had done. Which was really weird, when he talked about her, the old her that is, she had been just as determined to protect life as he had been, he made her out to be a bit reckless, but she still tried to protect. And yet that fight today had her responsible for the death of at least three people according to the news, several more in critical condition, and the rest suffering from non-lethal injuries ranging from missing limbs, to bruises.

She had to be stopped, and I'm not sure Tobias would let us do that, his bond with her, was beyond anything I understood. I'd read about how units in the military, when under extreme stress from combat, would form bonds that went beyond those shared with friends and family, many of them described it as something you couldn't understand unless you experienced it. I hadn't, and I couldn't, and I had no idea how deep his bond with Rachel went, and how far he'd go to keep it. Yes he'd fought for the living today, but it was hard to say if he'd do it again. For all I knew he was up in the sky right deciding the next time he saw her he'd kill Danny for her, just for the opportunity to get closer to her, with his mind it was hard to know what he was thinking at any given moment.

A single tear rolled down my face at that thought, I'd never been a hopeless romantic, but there was something about the situation that got to me. He was willing to go to such lengths to find her and be with her, it was almost out of a fairy tale, and it kind of depressed me. As much of a realist as I am, for a brief moment, I actually held out the thought there might be something between us. It was school girl wish, a little girl crush, but it didn't stop it from showing up for a few moments when I'd first met him, before I knew about the rest of his life. It wasn't like I had started writing our names together in little hearts, but there had still been a moment or two when I had thought it might be nice to settle down with him, to have kids. But now those thoughts were gone, his heart was still hers, it always would be and it had no room for me in it as I wiped the offending tear away.

Bringing those two together would either make things better or worse and I wasn't sure which, and it would make my life easer in the short run, but who knew if that would be true for everyone on else.

* * *

It is done, almost 40 pages of solid story but it is done!  
Ok notes, hopefully I got Rachel to sound right, I wanted her to sound like herself, but slightly crazy at the same time. Lets face it she has like 2 dozen animals in her head, you have that many together and your going to get a little weird really quick. A lot of the predators she's acquired have taken a root in her mind and made her out look kinda weird.  
With any luck this is the last time we'll see Tobias have a major breakdown in the story, I can't promise that, but I don't see it happening anytime in the future. And not sure if that's how someone would really react in that situation, bit then  
Why did I include that fact that Tobias now has an otter a bullfrog and an anaconda in his DNA invertors? Well I was looking though what he had, and wanted something a little better suited, and those three stuck out in my mind while I was flipping though semi-aquatic creatures, and I had to include them, and at some point I plan of using them. Fear the coming of Anaconda Tobias!  
Why is it the Ghost Zone almost reflects the human world in it's memory of the war? Well as I said before in the story, everything is connected, you may not understand it but everything is connected. And yes and younger Vlad did use that use the chaos of the invading ghost Yeerks to try and take over the Ghost Zone, how will that effect the future now that the war is slowly reappearing, you'll see.  
Why am I calling him Visser instead of adding the 3 or later 1, well, I just think Visser sounds better  
Who will be the true threat in this story Vlad or Visser, again you'll see if I ever get there.  
With luck I did a good job on the fight and chase sequences, those were getting really tough to balance, not to mention trying to keep the 'me, I, us' thing right at the end when Tobias and Danny worked as one. Trying to balance half a dozen creatures in a fight is really hard, especially when all those animals are one person. I tried to balance the fights with the over all plot, and hopefully I did that.  
Oh and I threw in some Transformer references in to the story, at least 3 I think, and if you remember the old toy line you'll understand why I did that.  
With any luck the next chapter will come much sooner, and hopefully be much shorter, but I make no promises to anyone, what I have planned next is big.

Please R&R


	7. 1 King 1 Queen 3 Knights

Magik fantasam- It's up ok, trying to write this thing was a monster, I couldn't seem to get more than 5 pages a day out

Carved Wolf of Emerald- all I can say is thanks, that is praise on a whole new scale for me and I have no clue how to respond to it. So Thank

Hinatafanboy- you ask it is done, here's the next chapter

Edit- 10/30- with luck I fixed most of the problems, but I make no promises, but at least I the Edit has stopped fighting me

* * *

**DP Style**

"So how are you doing Danny?"

"Better than I was when I got home," stretching him back slightly, trying to work out a few kinks in his joins as he walked to school, "but things still hurt. That girl did a real number on me, never fought anyone like that before.

"Ah come on it couldn't be that bad," as Tucker slapped him on he back, making the half ghosts whole body go ridged and shake slightly in pain.

A moment after his body stopped screaming in pain he turned to him, "DON'T DO THAT," he barked.

Taking a few steps back and looking a little sheepish, "sorry, just when you say something hurt it doesn't mean much."

"Trust me," slowly rotation his shoulders, "I'm not in the best shape of my life. You saw what happened…."

He nodded, "downloaded the whole fight last night."

"….that ghost must have thrown me through eight buildings not to mention I had a bear and a elephant backhand me. Hard to believe I use to think Skulker was brutal, that lady didn't understand restraint, I'm surprised everything's still attached after that fight."

"One of these days we are going to have to figure out how you heal this fast," Sam's voice was soft, as she looked at him with concern, wishing he had skipped today and stayed in bed. From what she had seen on the video, the fight had been worse than brutal, there were time when she thought he might have been dead. As it was she didn't know how he stayed Ghost as long as he did.

"Oh yeah," Tucker added, "we could make a mint if we could figure that out, sell it off to the highest bidde…." his words trailing off as the pair shot him dirty looks. "I meant to say, um….how was overshadowing the bird?" a goofy grin across his face as he tried to recover.

"Very weird," still working the kinks out of his body, "nothing like that has ever happened before. At first things were ok, or as ok as things could be considering I didn't really know how to move. Humans I can do, that thing might have had a few vague similarities but it moved nothing like a human. After that things got really weird, it was like the whole body started fighting me."

"It tried to through you out like some of the other bodies?"

"Not quite Sam, usually the persons mind goes dead when I'm in them, I can feel it, but it doesn't do anything. It was like that in the beginning, then all of a sudden it…they came to life, started trying to take over."

"They?" the goth's eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, I think there must have been three different minds in there maybe more, one I think actually belonged to the body, another might have been a bird and the last, I don't know," shaking his head, "I want to say it was human but I'm not sure. The first two just stared fighting for the body, and I couldn't make them stop, the whole way it was a fight just to stand. Then the other mind reached out and stopped them and I don't know it was weird after that, it was like he somehow got around my overshadow and placed the minds inside the body."

"Ok I have no idea what you jut said,"

"Ditto," Tucker's hand going up.

"Neither do I," shrugging, "it was just one second I couldn't move, then suddenly the body was perfectly fine, I could move it but I didn't know how. When I went into he sky, I knew things about it I never knew before, I understood what breezes meant, where wind was coming from, it was kinda scary, like I didn't know my own body. Then there was the other mind, in the back ground, but somehow controlling the body as well, but it was more subtle, like it was telling me which mind to rely on."

"Wow the overshadower became the overshadowed."

"It's not funny Tuck, that bird freaked me out," a slight chill running threw his body, "I'm not doing that again, no way no how."

"Until the next time."

"There won't be a next time Sam, I am not going through…"

"…what you put everyone else through?"

"HEY, I don't put everyone through that," his voice growing defensive.

"No they just wake up with amnesia, and generally in weird places, like broom closets and inside lockers." Shooting him a smile, "if anything it's about time you got a taste of your own medicine."

"Funny I don't remember you complaining the time I overshadowed your mom and had her torch that pink dress she bought you."

"That because that was a matter of survival," shuddering at the thought of the dress, even by her mothers standards that one had been horrific, eight shades of pink, half of them so blinding she needed sunglasses to look at them.

"I don't really see the difference," Tuckers voice having a far away sound to it as he tapped on his PDA, not really listening to the pair.

"Trust me, there's a difference between survival and joyriding in someone's body," the goth hissed.

"Just so long as it has something to do with the color pink," Danny added earning him a dirty look from the dark clad female.

* * *

**DP Style**

"So then I tell him 'what do I look like a peacock?'," a roar of laughter coming from the other two as they threw their heads back.

"That's a good one," a green wing slapping him on the back.

Behind the three ghost vultures a low growl could be heard as the Fright Knight shook his head and reached for his sword while trying to fight off the urge to attack the trio, something he'd been doing a lot lately. He walked down the hall and thought about his plight, when he'd agreed to Plasmius' terms he'd expected glorious battle, and titanic struggles, not sitting around listening to three old birds tell horrific jokes that were only funny to the three of them.

"I should have stayed in my pumpkin, at least it was quite in there," his voice carrying down the hall.

"That can be arranged," if not for his long years of training the sudden interruption might have unnerved him.

Turning and facing his new leader, "that won't be necessary," his voice hard and professional as he slightly bowed to the halfa before him. "I was merely thinking out loud, I grow easily agitated when not preparing for battle."

"Then I may have a solution to your problem, come," the thin man's arms behind his back as he took the lead, the black and purple knight following close behind. The pair traveled in silence till reaching one of the many rooms, in the castle Vlad had recently purchased, the walls showing the first signs of the Green Bay memorabilia that would soon becoming the homes theme. On one wall was giant TV and against it's neighbor a large book case.

Sitting in one of the large ornate chairs against the wall opposite the TV he looked at his ally, "tell me what you think of this," hitting a button, the screen coming to life, filling with the image of a red tailed hawk.

"A falconers bids, why does this interest me?" his eyes shifting from the screen to the halfa.

Tapping another button, "because of this," the image pulling back and filling with him growing blades and attacking Rachel as she held Danny in her grasp. "We have a knew player in the game, I need to know how he'll effect my plans for young Daniel and my dear Maddie."

"You want me to test him for you?" pulling the soul shredder from it's sheath.

"In time perhaps, but for now I have other plans for him, and you," the screen shifting again, this time focusing on Rachel. "This one is a mystery to me, she's powerful deadly, I may want her working for me."

"So I'm to bring her to you?" the aggravation in his voice making itself known.

"No as with any good game of chess it's important to know exactly who you are up against, and I believe our mystery bird can do that on all accounts."

Scratching his head, "then you do want me to recover him?"

"No," looking up at the armor clad ghost, "by now those three have left to get him, I need you in case he doesn't offer up any information willingly."

At that he put his sword away and rubbed his metal covered hands together, "I think I can handle that."

"Good, because one way or another I plan on finding out about these two."

* * *

**Tobias POV**

Another hour and Jazz would be free of that infernal school and I could stop flying in circles trying to figure out why the world hated me. I hadn't gotten much sleep last night, everything with Rachel and the possibility of The Ellimist using me was still burning in my brain and doing massive laps about my consciousness. In spite of myself I couldn't get it out of my head, and I just hoped some time alone with Jazz might help me calm down a little and relax me. If nothing else I needed to thank her for coming to find me last night, I'd been a mess, and I was tired of her only seeing that side of me, it was about time she saw the other side of this old bird.

After everything she had done for me, I needed to pay her back, and provided we could ditch her little brother, I had the rest of the day set. Get her to drive out of the city and park her car somewhere, and I give her a day she wouldn't forget. A horse ride here and there, this time with out fear of ghost wolf attack, some up close and personal time with a white tiger, maybe the rabbit for a while, in short all the bodies she'd been bugging me to let her see and mess with, all the ones I'd held back on for any number of reasons. Yeah, if done right today would be a good day, well compared to yesterday getting hit in the face with a snow shovel would make for a good day.

I soared and I dipped in the sky, just waiting for time to run out and for her to be free of that structure, and for my life to take on a semblance of peace. I ended up sailing away from it after a while as I had before, planning on coming back just before the bell went off and hopefully get in contact with her via thought speech and lead her away from there.

I was barely out thought speech range when the hawk side of me picked up something , like I was being watched by a predator, another raptor. A few quick aerial flips and turns didn't show any sign of a bird threat, but in this town that didn't mean much. After a second I stopped focusing on my eyes and started focusing on my ears, ghosts might be hard to see, but I had yet to find one that was hard to hear, especially with my ears. At first is was faint, but I heard it well enough, the sound of flapping, arguing, and strangely the snap and pop of fire. The more I listened the easier it was to hone in on.

"So how are we suppose to know which one it is?"

"You say the photo, you should know."

"Bah, all those things look the same, always have, always will, just keeping hitting them till on of them says stop."

"Oh sure and let everyone know we're here at the same time why don't you."

"I know what I'm doing, just keep you beak shut."

Ok I had no idea what I was dealing with but given the voices I'd say three ghosts of old men, of course at this point, old men and harmless did not mean the same thing. I smart man would've headed the other way, but most people that look at me wouldn't accuse me of being smart or a man, so I decided to follow the voices and see what I could see, or hear what I could hear as the case currently was.

I trailed them for a few minutes, picking up bit and pieces of what they were saying, and pretty much piecing together what they wanted, me. That or there was another bird in the city that talked and transformed into other creatures. Lucky for me they seemed a little dim, all they knew is they were looking for a hawk, but that was all they seemed to know and that was something I could exploit if I had to. And give these jokers were going to ruin my day with Jazz, dealing with them was exactly what I had in mind.

(Yo nimrods, you looking for me?) doing a thought spread since I wasn't really sure where they were. A few seconds later three glowing green vultures materialized before me, each one with burning feathers, a fez and a bit larger than they should be, and I really started regretting talking to them. They didn't look that tough, but then again neither had the wolf, and he nearly ate me, so I was ready in case they tried something only a ghost would pull.

"That him?"

"Of course it's him," the one in glasses squawked, given what I'd heard I assumed he was the leader of this weird little flock.

"Fine then lets do this, I want go home and watch the wheel," the third chirped.

(The wheel? How old are you?) folding my wings against my back and diving down as the three came at me and passed by harmlessly.

"Over a thousand and lets leave it at that," one barked above me as the three dove after me. Without looking back I could hear what was going on, they were moving away from each other, tried to surround me, whatever these guys were, they were smart, it was a good plan, or it would have been if it was someone else.

A quick flap and I poured on the speed picking up a head wind, and using the thermals to keep me ahead of the flock that was slowly surrounding me. One was on top of me, the other two below, one on each side, even before they moved I knew what was going to happen. They moved like a team of fighter jets at an air show, each moving to me, intent on crushing me between them, not a typical raptor move, but they weren't typical raptors. All they ended up hitting was each other as I flared and turned, my beak now facing the ground and dove between the two below me as they past be me. I grabbed a quick peak up, not exactly surprised to see them fallout of the sky a mass of burning feathers and bad attitudes.

(Ah pathetic, ) mentally sighing and pulling out of the dive as they passed me on their way down, (I was really hoping a few dead birds would at least offer a challenge.) I got my wish as they pulled apart below me and came after me, Mr. really bad attitude in the lead. If I could have smiled I could have and flapped into a head wind, and shot into the sky, intent on leading these guys on a little chase till Jazz got out.

It became pretty clear real quick, these guy's either use to be real birds or had a long time to get use to their bodies because they navigated the sky's like experts. Of course it also became clear they weren't use to coming after things as small or fast as I was, their moves seemed to be meant for over powering larger targets. They tried various mutations of the three way jam, each coming close, but each ending with me being free and them trying to pull away from each other or risk another mass tangle free fall. The chase must have gone on for a good fifteen minutes, but it was getting boring real quick, these guys had skills but where a little short on imagination. The only thing they really had going for them is that they were persistent buggers.

I finally decided to give them something to really deal with and dove down and shot past them, shocking them and making them scatter enough for me to gain a real lead on them, they wanted me, they'd have to earn me and that meant going through the Fenton's. The flight had brought me close to their home, and if I was right they'd still be in, and I didn't think they'd mind blasting a trio of ghosts in their air space, of course that meant I had to avoid getting shot myself, but that was doable. Behind me I could here them squawking, they knew exactly where I was headed and they wanted no part of it, not that I can blame them, if I was a ghost that was one of the few places in the city I'd avoid like the plague too.

Off in the distance I could hear the tell tale signs of them breaking off, which was fine by me. Midway there I broke off my flight as well, with my luck the Fenton's had recalibrated their sensors to pick me up and I didn't want to risk it. But just to be on the safe side I hung around the area, keeping them in eye shot incase I needed to make a break for it. The whole time the three stayed on my back, they stayed just far enough away to be away from the Fenton Work, but close enough to come after me in case I strayed to far. Oh yeah, they might have been old, but they weren't stupid, I'd have to watch myself around them.

I stayed in the sky for a while, trying to figure out where to go, and to get those guys off my back, simple truth was I was a little tapped. One of one I could take them in the sky even if they were dead, but not three on one. They moved like a well oiled machine, each one covering for the other, each one ready to take his partners place if need be, if I took out one the other two would just take me out in return.

I was about break off and take my chances on the ground, hoping they didn't know my human forms when I heard something. The sound of bat wings, but to large to be from a bat, and what almost sounded like a horse, and it was coming closer very quickly. I looked in the direction but didn't see squat which wasn't really surprising these were ghosts after all they didn't need to be seen. I couldn't stay where I was so I shot down trying to put some distance between me and my unseen pursuer, very much aware of it following me the entire time.

I wasn't sure how far I got before the feeling of dread swept over me, the feeling of huge wings beats above me making it nearly impossible to fly correctly as winds produced tossed me around in the sky, followed by a searing pain shooting through my back as something hit me.

I must have passed out for a second, and the second I opened my eyes I wish I hadn't. Where ever I was I knew I couldn't be Amity Park, it was a vast waste land soon filled with images phantoms of the past, images of my life I never wanted relive. My fathers murder by Visser 3, Rachel death, the murder of every creature by my hand, a thousand snuffed out lives, all one way or another because of me, because of my actions or lack there of.

* * *

**DP Style**

"We had him!"

"We didn't need you!"

The whole way back that was all the Fright Knight had heard and he had finally had enough, "I said SILENCE birds," his roar echoing down the halls of the Vlad Masters new estate as he swung his sword slashing all three with a single swipe and making them disappear into his realm of pain.

"What did I tell you about that," his new employer asked appearing in one o the door ways, his arms behind his back. "Those three are valuable to me now bring them back," tapping his foot on the ground a scowl on his face. Despite the Knight's action his was pleased they'd made such good time, even being a half ghost as long as he was the considerably short travel time for a ghost in flight was still something that amazed him to no end.

With something between a snort and a growl he slashed at the sky cutting hole in it, the three green birds falling out in a heap, their bodies shacking badly despite only being in there for such a short time, he couldn't help but wonder what real prisoner was feeling after being locked away in the few hours it had taken him to return. "Why exactly do you keep them around, I've never seen them actually do any work."

"I don't keep them around for their power, that's why I have you," giving him a dark smile, "I keep them for what they know, and what they can get me. Now tell me you lived up to your promise and retrieved him for me, I hate to think you wasted my time with those promises of victory after I told you I had already sent the others."

"I have," patting his sword, "and by the time I let him out he should be quite willing to talk."

"That or he's traumatized beyond words," a hint of sarcasm in the white haired mans words.

Sensing the doubt in hafa's mannerism, "should I let him out here then," doing his best to not make it sound like a challenge to his authority.

"No," waving his hand, "I have a special room made out for him," as he turned and walked down the hall, carrying himself with a smugness that the elder knight hated with a passion. It took a few moments to walk down the stairs and though the labyrinth underneath the castle to one of the many sub room, most likely one of the main reasons for it's purchase.

The room selected was obviously meant to be a dungeon, and obviously designed with a different prisoner in mind. However in the center of the room was a small cage, just the size for the bird, of ghost origin. Knowing his employer it was most likely equipped with a force filed of some sort to keep him trapped with in in case he tried to grow into that creature that had been in the footage. Along one wall were various torture implements ranging from humanities past to more modern tools, and various odds and ends from the Ghost Zone. However he planed on getting information out of this creature it would be amusing to watch.

"One moment then release him into the cage," black rings appearing around the halfa and changing him into his ghost form, "now we can get down to business," the look on his face making even the battle hardened Knight nervous.

"Done," his voice not showing any of his concerns as he cut through the sky, a moment later the bird fell put of a realm of his own nightmares in a realm of the darkest recesses of halfa's mind. The second he hit the ground the cage came to life, the door slamming shut and glowing a gentle orange color.

It took a few moments for the new occupant of the cage to move, for a time the pair feared they had killed him, that his own nightmares had been to much for him. Their fears were negated as his wing twitched and he suddenly jumped to his feet spread his wings and screamed, "TTTTTSSSSEEEEEWWWWRRRR." His wings hit the sides of the cage and seemed to though him back making him scream even louder, at first neither knew what to do, for a moment believing they had taken the wrong creature.

"FOOL," the halfa's hand glowing red as he slapped his servant dropping him to the ground, "YOU GRABBED THE WRONG BIRD!"

"I didn't," the Fright Knights words cool and calm despite the attack as he slowly rose to his feet. "He was the one your birds attacked, I merely acted according to their beliefs."

"You dare blame them," his eyes glowing red, his anger diverted when he realized the black clad warrior wasn't looking at him, he was looking past him to the bird. It was then that he realized the bird was silent and the world around him seemed to be calm. With reluctance he ended his attack on the knight and turned to face the source of his confusion. The bird just stood there, watching them with a gaze that made even the brilliant halfa nervous. It was focused, unnerved, in short the look of a killer, and Vlad liked it. Slowly, making no secret that he was watching the caged creature the blue skinned man moved to the other side of the cage, the Fright Knight staying were he was, to see what his reaction would be.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

I didn't know where I was and I didn't really care, anywhere other than where I had been was bound to be better. That belief was cut short after I finally managed to get a strangle hold on my hawk side, the instincts taking over slightly in the other realm, and was able to see where I was. The bars in front of me didn't really faze me, it wasn't the first time I'd been held prisoner and it probably wouldn't be the last and if I needed to I could just morph something small and walk out. No, it was what was outside the cage that bothered me, a knight that glowed thanks to the purple flames rising off his body and a man in white suit with a blue face and way to much gel in his hair. Given the options I had to figure I was dealing with ghosts, that or I was in the middle of a really weird hair band reunion.

I let the hawk snap back into place just to be on the safe side as the well dressed ghost circled me going the opposite side of the cage. Whatever I was dealing with I didn't want to give away to much of what I was in the hopes I could convince them I was just a normal bird and they had somehow made a mistake, somewhat regretting my decision as to how to deal with the ghost birds. As he circled the hawk watched him, trying to understand him, trying to figure out what kind of creature he was and if he was a threat, in short the same thing the human side wanted to know. I shifted from one side to the other, the hawks natural instinct to avoid fire making me focus more on the blue skinned man over his burning metal counterpart.

"What are you," his voice now cool, a complete shift from what it had been with the other man. "Answerer me," his arms crossed as he moved down to look me in the eyes. And I didn't say a thing, the hawk just cocked my head slightly and squawked in his face making him jump back slightly in surprise. He growled slightly as he straitened his clothing and regained his composure, "think your funny don't you," his eyes glowing red, "see if you find this amusing," his hand glowing with red ectoplasm. I didn't let the slight phase me, letting the hawk react naturally, ruffling it's feathers, spreading it's wings and calling out, doing it's best to bluff the threat.

His glowing hand curled into a fist, then extinguished, and looked at me with what I hoped was contempt, "idiot," he snarled looking over me to his partner. "You brought me the wrong bird," twin red beams firing form his eyes and given the sound I assumed he hit the other ghost, but I wasn't sure, my attention never left the man before me. After the twin crimson beams shot over head I jumped slightly and flapped my wings, hitting the cage, a new jolt of pain running through my body making me land on my back. From my position I watched the white clothed ghost float around the cage and through the door, the other man following him a moment later as he brushed off the attack, the ectoplasm seeming to do little to him.

I let the hawk stay in place as my primary reaction system for a while before being reasonably sure there were no invisible ghosts in the room or security cameras. Finally satisfied I might have a measure of privacy I pulled the hawk into the back ground and really looked around. One wall, had enough equipment to kill me eight times over, over on another was a rack, albeit one with some heavy modifications to probably effect ghosts as well as humans. Near as I could tell there was only one way in and one way out and that was through the main door, something I could reach but something I wanted to hold off on. If I as lucky the gambit had worked and he was going to let me go, if I wasn't, well I'd cross that burning bridge when I came to it.

From what I could tell I'd been in the room for a few hours before the ghost in white came back in, his fingers together in front of him, his focus in me. "According to the others you are indeed the one I'm seeking, I do commend you, you're a skilled actor, you had me believing you were a simple bird for a few moments."

The old, 'I'm smarter than you, start talking' routine, an old favorite, and one not going to work in the slightest as I let the hawk instincts drop back into place shielding me from a human reaction.

"I can wait as long as you can creature," his voice the small cool tone it had been the first time he spoke to me, but his eyes holding a deep malice that sent chills down my spine. I'd seen eyes like that before, they were almost identical to Visser Three, but different, they were more frightening in the fact that these were human eyes. So we waited he would occasionally throw out a threat or a barb, anything that might get a rise out of me, something that wasn't going to work, I'd been captured by Yeerks before, compared to them this guy was an amateur. Around and around we went for I wasn't sure how long, and I could tell my lack of cooperation was starting to get to him, a tiny sheen of sweat forming on his brow, his patience quickly fading as I stone walled him.

I wasn't all that surprised when he finally left, if there was one thing I had become good at over the years of hunting rodents it was waiting. He must have been gone for a half hour or so when one of the clean walls receded showing a screen, that soon lit up with a live feed.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH," the screen filling with a video feed of Rachel chained to a wall, something that looked like a cattle prod hitting her in the neck, burn marks already littering her body, including some really ugly scorch patterns covering her fur. Every time she was hit by the weapon she would jerk against the chains holding her down and force a fresh scream of pain form her lips.

My reaction was instinctual and uncontrollable, a roar escaped my beak and another from my thoughts, (RACHEL,) my body growing. Fur sprouted as feathers receded the rage of the polar bear quickly adding to my own as my new bulk came into contact with the cage sending jolts of pain through my body. The pain didn't stop me, it just added fuel to the fire as I kept going larger, the sound of metal straining filling the air as I tour the cage apart by my very act of growing. My roar shifted from that of a hawk to that of a bear. I was so caught up in the pain and rage I didn't hear as someone entered and the next thing I knew I was back where I started, surrounded by those I had killed. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time, if I couldn't get to Rachel I'd have to make them tell me how to get to her, I didn't even let the morph complete as I started cutting a blood path through the specters of the past.

* * *

**DP Style**

"Well that answered a few questions but raised so many more," Plasmius' hands behind his back as he entered the room, and looked at the Fright Knight.

"Indeed," the spirit if Halloween nodded sheathing his sword a slight hint of surprise in his voice, "you knew he would react in such a manner?"

"No, that was more violent that I thought it would be, but it did prove that this was the right bird."

"As I said."

"Yes, yes, you were right," bringing his hand to his mouth and clearing it. Running his other hand over the broken cage, "I will have to deal with my supplier, he promised no force no force living or dead could break this cage, it seems he over spoke," pulling the door off it's hinges.

"So now what do we do?"

"I'll have to have a new way of containing him made, and prepare some other way of manipulating him," folding his arms over his chest as he went human. "Having that video made was expensive especially considering I needed to use ghosts to do it since no human could make it fast enough. Honestly I never knew it would cost so much to have them generate a movie based off existing footage, it never seemed to be that hard in the movies, just paste the right head on, I don't even see why they couldn't just assume her form, it couldn't be that hard."

The growl emanating from the Fright Knight brought Vlad out of his small rant, "but what do we do about him?"

"We find out what he knows, then we see how can effect young Daniel."

"So you do have a plan?"

"I do indeed," blasting the cage and sending it across the room, "he broke that he might be of more use than you think especially since he isn't a ghost, and there fore can't be effected by any of the Fenton's usual equipment."

"What exactly are you planning?"

"You'll see you'll see," running his hands along the table, a plan for the bird forming. By the next day a new cage had been constructed, one that was able to hold Tobias regardless of what form he took. Despite his second trip to his worst nightmares Tobias was far from broken, if anything his time there had made him more resistant to Plasmius' demands. For two days Plasmius and the Fright Knight did everything in their power to break Tobias, every form of torture they could conceive but nothing worked, no matter what they tried it couldn't surpass the horrors he'd already endured in his life.

But he did learn from them, he found out they were after Phantom, and the Fenton's, or more specifically the Vlad was interested in Danny and Maddie while the other one didn't care what happened to anyone in the family. That they wanted to know about Rachel and why she was after them, they wanted to know about his relationship with her. They wanted to know about his powers, and how much he knew about what was going on.

In the end his time with them proved to be more beneficial for him than for them. It had helped confirm a few theories he'd developed about Phantom's exact relationship to the Fenton's, and how Jazz fit into the relationship. But perhaps more importantly, at least him at that moment, that they didn't have Rachel, that what he had seen had been a forgery. It had also taught him one disturbing fact, they knew almost nothing about the war or the Yeerks, confirming much of what Rachel had said, and making him wonder if The Ellimist or The Crayak didn't have something to do with that as well.

In the end no matter what the pair did to him he wouldn't break and they knew it, while Vlad had little experience with warriors like this the Fright Knight reconfigured it by the second day. He'd fought more than a few people like that in his afterlife, those ghosts that grew stronger in adverse situations, who's spirits had been forged in the fires of war. He knew he could be broken, but not like this, attacking the body wouldn't work, and the only way to hurt his mind was with a precise strike, and that required knowledge that could only come from understanding his past. In the end however that didn't deter Vlad from his plan, just because the bird couldn't be broken it didn't mean he couldn't be useful.

"So your still going through with this?" an unmistakable hint of resentment in his voice, he'd grown to respect Tobias to a degree, and while he didn't know what Vlad had planned he knew it couldn't be a fitting use of such a being.

"Yes," ignoring the older ghost, he might've needed his strength but he didn't need his approval, "the skills he has shown make him the perfect weapon."

"Except you can't control him," the arrogance in his voice unmistakable, "you can't even make him reveal his last name to you, getting him to do anything he doesn't wish is impossible without the knowledge to break him first." The argument was old by now, the Fright Knight had been saying it for a long time, as he watched the man in the black suit climb up the ladder next to the book case. The only way to break him was to find someone in the Ghost Zone that knew him, and use the information they provided to find the crack in his mental armor.

"He may not help me voluntarily but that doesn't mean he can't be controlled," his fingers stopping a box on the top shelf. "Ah yes, I've been looking for and opportunity to test this, and this is the perfect opportunity."

"And that is?" instinctually not like where this was going.

"This," pulling a gold amulet about the size of a quarter on a black cord from the box.

"That can't be what I think it is," the flames around his head dieing down in fear of the artifact.

"Good, you know about the Charm of Soll Thild," letting the gold piece hit the light and reflect it on the knight.

"I should, I'm the only one to ever defeat it's hold," his eyes locked on the accursed piece of metal. Long ago the piece of metal had forced him into battle with Pariah Dark, a battle that had nearly been the end of him.

"Then you know anyone who holds it becomes a slave to the one gives it to them, that there word becomes law, and all orders must be obeyed." The growl from the knight was his only response, "It doesn't matter how strong Tobias is, with this on him he'll do what I wish."

The Knight couldn't help but snicker at that part, "everything but answer your questions, the medallion renders the mind of the subject blank so long as it is held."

"I'm quite aware of that," glaring at the dark clad warrior.

"And anyone that holds it falls under their power, which begs the question how is it you aren't?"

"The charm alone will control anyone, and under most circumstances that enchantment falls under the cords attached to it, but this is not ordinary twine," A smile forming on his mouth as he changed, "I had it commissioned for this task, it is immune to all other enchantments while having a few of it's own, once placed on a target it will shift in size to ensure it doesn't come off and that it will always be touching the host, and to ensure if anyone buy myself attempts to removed it, it will release a charge of ectoplasm great enough to drop even a sprit as strong as you, care to see," holding the amulet his direction.

Without a second thought he stepped back, "impressive, provided it works," his aversion to the plan obvious in his voice.

"It will," ignoring the Knight, "and best of all, there's no way Daniel can trace it back to me," a smug grin forming on his face as he went ghost. The look didn't recede as he floated through the castle, the Knight a few feet back, wanting to know the specifics of the plan even if he didn't like it.

(So what's it going to be this time,) Tobias' voice filling their heads before they entered the room, having already heard them before they entered the room. Taunts and verbal jabs had been the only thing Tobias had seen fit to share with his captures, aside from the occasional hawk scream and bodily functions, that filled the room with a stench Vlad feared could never be removed.

"You'll see or rather you won't" a dark smile filling the mouth of the half ghost as he dangled the amulet in front of the cage his tolerance for Tobias and his glib remarks gone.

(Gaudy jewelry, not really my thing,) fluffing himself up, ever since being captured he'd been attempting to mask the hawks fear of confinement, and his own nervousness with sarcasm.

"I think you'll change your mind with this," his other hand glowing red. Looking at the Fright Knight, "open the cage." A moment later the cage was open and Tobias rested in the Knights hands, long since learning trying to escape would result in a one way trip to the Fright Knights realm of terror. He'd come to appreciate the realm, especially the part where he got to morph and tear apart whatever fears surrounded him. However despite the entertainment it provided he choose to stay in the ghosts arms and see what new way of trying to pry information out of him the pair had devised.

(So let me guess, it'll burn my feathers off if I touch it? Oh, no better it'll turn me into a rutabaga or better yet turn me into a frog, no wait I can already do that," the feathers on his head rising as he snapped at the air in Vlad's direction.

"I have enjoyed your wit," placing the amulet around his neck, the cord contracting as soon as Vlad released it, "no wait I haven't," revealing his fangs as he smiled.

For a moment Tobias just looked at him, his head slightly cocked his eyes sharp and ware then they dulled and lost focus. His body soon went limp in the metal hands of the Fright Knight, his feathers resting against his body the tension gone from his body. His eyes however remained trained on Vlad, the ghost becoming his solitary reason for being, even as the Knight placed him on the table.

"Tobias," Plasmius' fingers coming together as he stood in front of the bird, "stand on one leg," the bird responding instantly as he lifted his right leg. "Excellent, spread your wings," the command again followed as the red tail extending his wings to their full span. "Something harder I think," Vlad's fingers bouncing against each other slightly, "become the creature you against the ghost as," a moment after the words left his mouth Tobias started changing, soon becoming a polar bear much to Vlads surprise, the Charm of Soll Thild still around his neck.

"You've had than one experience with ghosts I see, I was hoping you'd assume the form you took when fighting the female ghost from Amity Park, not this. Become that bladed creature," waving his fingers through the air, learning more from Tobias as a slave than he had questioning. As soon as the words left his mouth Tobias resumed his bird from before changing into his Hork-Bajir form, the charm still hanging from his neck. Rubbing his chin, "interesting, your either somehow fighting me or you must return to your hawk form before moving onto another body, and I doubt you have the strength to fight the hold of the amulet. You might not be what I was hoping for after all, back to your bird form."

"What exactly are you planning Plasmius'," in his hast to test Tobias Plasmius' had forgotten the metal clad ghost was there.

"This," floating to a wall and pushing a button, the wall receding and the screen it revealed coming to life as it filled with an image of Jack and Jazz. "I want you to kill them for me Tobias," looking at the bird, turning his attention to the screen. "I don't care how you do it, just make them dead," tapping the side of the screen that held Jack, "and make his death painful and slow. Kill anyone who tries the stop you, except," the screen changing and filling with an image of Danny in both human and ghost forms, "he is not to be harmed. If he gets in your way, you can hurt him, but you are not to kill him under any circumstance. That however," the screen now filling with dozens of shots of Maddie in every type of clothing imaginable and from various age ranges, "does not apply to her. You are not to harm her at all, I don't care what she does to you, I don't care how she interferes, you can in no way harm her. Everyone else is fair game, do whatever you want to them, but terminate the two I have specified."

At that Tobias spread his wings and tried to fly out the room to do his task, only to be stopped by Vlad, "halt," his voice making him instantly stop and fall to the ground. Holding the bridge of his nose, "good help is so hard to make, transport has been arranged for you, when you leave the plane then you can attack, not before, till then you will not move."

Coming up beside the halfa and looking down at Tobias, "your sure this is a good idea," despite the helmet his nervousness was obvious.

"This creature resisted my attempt to gain information from him, he was able to hold that girl at bay…."

"With the boys assistance," the Knight corrected

"…with his assistance," he added grudgingly. "In any case he is immune to the ghost shield, where sprits have failed he might be able to succeed, he can rid me of Jack, and with he and Maddie's daughter it'll be up to the old family friend to comfort her and then…"

"I KNOW," moving away from him slightly, ever since coming to work for him all the halfa had spoken of was killing Jack and marrying the girl that got away. To him it seemed like a waste of time, women came and went in life, and death, but power was eternal, something he could more easily attain if he stopped pinning for the red headed ghost huntress.

Vlad glared at the spirit of Halloween but let it go, "just take him up stairs, I have a delivery crew waiting for him."

"Me?" a little surprised he'd request that.

"It's a ghost delivery service," rolling his red orbs, "do you really think I'd trust this to a human agency," shaking his head. "As for you," looking down at the still grounded Tobias, "don't fail me, that amulet was expensive and your just the test subject, a way of making sure it can handle it's true target."

With reluctance the Fright Knight picked up the unmoving bird and took him outside to the waiting legless green delivery ghost, "you know what to do?"

"Yeah, yeah, he'll be there by morning, satisfaction guaranteed, of course," his hand open and giving a 'come here' motion, "there's satisfaction and then there's satisfaction," a knowing grin on his face.

"Yes there is," placing his hand on his sword, his fire rising on his head, "now leave my sight."

* * *

**Jazz POV **

I looked out the window, at the moment it was all I could do, there as no way I could focus on my teacher, I knew I should've been paying attention but I just couldn't. Tobias had been gone since Tuesday, at first it hadn't bothered me, I just though he wanted to be by himself, it wasn't like he didn't have things to work out. But that was then and this was now, I knew there was a good chance he had left since I hadn't been able to find him anywhere with the Mark Two, but I couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong. I didn't have any proof, but it just felt wrong, if nothing else I had a feeling he would have left me a note, or called, something to tell me he was ok, that he hadn't just dropped off the face of the earth.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts I nearly jumped out of my chair when something grabbed my hand "Stop it," Susan hissed under her breath as she pulled her hand away halting me from tapping my pen on the desk. It was then that I realized more than a few people had been watching me, apparently my old nervous habit had been causing a bit of a scene as I filled the air with the sound of tapping as each end of the pen continuously hit the desk.

I put the pen down and whispered, "sorry," painfully aware that more than a few eyes were now on me. Silently sighing I turned my attention back to the window and tried to forget that there eyes were on me, luckily my teacher had known me long enough to know not to bother me when I was distracted. I couldn't help but hope one of the animals running around out there was really Tobias in disguise and knowing the odds of that happening were a million to one. He had left and I was alone again, and I just had to accept that.

Leaning back into my chair I forced my attention back to the black board and tried to absorb the lesson being taught, even if my heart just wasn't in it. Even under the best of conditions this math class made me insane, and having my mind a thousand miles away just didn't help.

"Face facts girl," the words barely a whisper under my breath, "you were always meant to be alone, even screwed up people can't stand to be arou…..," my thoughts cut off by a scream from the hall. Even from my vantage point I could see kids of varying ages running and screaming, or as much as possible since the little window on the door was now blocked by bodies trying to see what was going on.

I started to get up and join them, on the chance Danny was fighting another ghost. As that hit me I couldn't help but wonder why everyone still rushed to the doors every time this happened, they almost always knew what it was, at some point they should just stay in their seats and let it pass. Of course I was doing the same thing, but I had a reason, it was my little brother putting his life on the line, if that wasn't a good reason I don't know what is.

I only got about half way then past the other when the school filled with a roar of a very different nature, one I recognized, the call of a very big cat. Everyone in the room went ridged as the roar paralyzed everyone that heard it, the sound tapping into something primal in all of us, keeping us still. I only knew of three things that it could be, a ghost which would have been preferable, the Groovy Gangs cat which also would have been fine by me, or Tobias which would've been good except for the fact he was stalking the halls, which could only lead to trouble.

My answer to that question came about five seconds later when the door was knocked off it's hinges flattening three people, a very angry white tiger on top of it and them. Given the lack of a ghost aura that was either Tobias, or someone's pet had gotten loose, and I was really hoping it was birdie in there.

(Target found, terminate,) his muzzle rising up and revealing everyone of his fangs, a growl filling the air and his tail swishing slightly.

Instinct took over as I backed away and squeaked, "oh boy," and bumped into desk as Tobias walked towards me. "Ok you don't want to do this," my voice shaky and quite but under control but to quite for any human to hear, "you know me, you saved my life, you don't want to hurt me." If my words got to him they didn't stop him his movements toward me continuing, even in my fear I couldn't help but notice the grace with which he moved, in another time, he would be beautiful to watch.

The growl in his throat increased slightly, the fur along his body swaying and I just knew what he was going to do, hours of watching the nature channel finally paying off. He jumped and I ducked, and somehow he missed me and jumped onto the desk, slid off and turned to face me. I controlled my breathing as best I could and really wished I had paid more attention when mom had tried to teach me to fight. Moving out of desperation I pushed the desk towards him and really wished Danny would show up and save me. The wood and metal hit him but didn't do much to his furred body, but I hoped it would buy me the few seconds I needed. Without thinking I dove for my backpack and slid into it as the desk was flipped out of the way by Tobias who slowly stalked to me. That leisurely pace probably saved my life as I plunged my hand into the back pack and found what I needed and pulled out one of my parents weapons and pointed it at him and hoped it had enough power to drop a tiger, and silently thanks Tobias for making me start carrying a weapon again, even if I doubt this is why he wanted me to.

To anyone looking, not that there were any, everyone had already run through the door by this point, it must have been a surreal scene. A white tiger in the middle of a class room with a girl pointing a small gun at it, I almost expected someone to show up and make a lady or the tiger joke. My pulling a weapons didn't do much to sway Tobias from his course of action as he kept moving towards me, the growl coming off him making me want to run and wet myself. I didn't want to shoot him I really didn't, but he wasn't giving me many choices, but I had to given him one more.

"Don't make me do it birdie," my words low, but I knew he could here me as I repositioned the gun, my palms sweating beyond words. All the response I got was a growl and a show of his fangs, each one bigger than I would have thought possible. "One more time, stop," our eyes meeting, my hand shaking slightly, the full impact of what was going on hitting me. He didn't stop and I knew what I had to do, I pulled the trigger on the small anti ghost weapon and hit him in the neck, leaving a clean furless patch on his body from the tip of his mouth all the way down his neck ending just past his breast. I was a little surprised when the shot revealed not only flesh but a necklace that had previously been hidden in the fold of his fur. No one was more surprised than I was that I had actually hit him, I'd never been much of a marks woman, but then again he couldn't have been more that ten feet from me, and he was a really hard target to miss, of course about two inches higher would've been much better.

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect after I shot him, part of me hoped he'd fall over, another side hoped Tobias would snap out of this and go back to normal. Neither of those happened, what I ended up with was a really ticked off tiger with a bald spot on his body, and more than likely a sore neck, which had officially become one of the scariest things I'd ever seen in my life. He let out a roar at point blank range, that probably hurt him due to the wound on his neck, the sound actually knocked me down when it hit. For a second after I hit the ground I forgot to breath, all my attention on the fangs and claws of this giant cat that had once been my best friend, and soon to be the instrument of my destruction.

Letting out a growl that was somehow darker than before he reared back his paw and swung at me, claws capable of killing anything they came into contact with flying towards me. The next thing I knew I felt like my body was floating, and I could only think of one thing, I was dead, and my parents were going to end up shooting me the next time we saw each other.

"I can honestly say this is new," Danny's voice coming from behind me as I became aware of a pair of hands on my body and realization he had finally gotten off his butt and come to the rescue. A second later my feet were on the floor, and he floated in front of me, "you are ok right…um…not that I care or anything, I'm just doing my job."

"I think so," running my hands over my body and trying to stop trembling and resisting the urge to hug him and tell him just how much I loved having a little brother.

He nervously ran his fingers through his hair, "ok stay here, I'm going to try and stop that thing," his body rising off the ground and going transparent as he flew through the ceiling, his last words still coming thought, "when did I become animal control?"

The smart thing to do would be to let Danny handle this, but at the moment I didn't feel like smart. Of course I had a small problem, I had no idea where I was. I've seen more parts of the school than I'd care to admit, for reasons that were far from normal but the basement was something I'd never actually found the need to check out. I jogged through the room, the unmistakable scent of meat hanging in the air, as I looked for a exit sign, a door, anything that would indicate a way out. It felt like an eternity, but in reality it was only a minute or two, but I finally found the stairs and took them two at a time, the feeling of excitement and dread running through my body.

Even before I hit the door I knew it was going to be bad just from noises, Tobias roaring and growling, the sound of Danny's ectoplasm going off, the thump of metal being impacted, the screams of students trying to get out of the way. "One of these days we have to get an evacuation plan going for these kinds of situations," I hiss to myself as I cracked the door that separated me from the hall. I wasn't stupid, the way my luck had been running if I'd burst in I'd run straight into Tobias' claws, and that was the last thing I needed.

Peaking through the crack the other side that sounds magnified drastically and I could the end result of those two going at it. Various lockers now had gashes, indentions and scorch marks marring them, blood from someone was on the ground, and the floors showed the scars of giant claws.

It was then that I saw the flash of white and black fur, and my blood went cold, not because he was there but because his eyes locked on mine. I'd forgotten some of the things Tobias had told me earlier a major one being he didn't have to see me to know where I was, most of his forms could hear of smell me and I'd done a good job of giving him both. Instinctually I tried to back up, and slightly lost my balance as part of my mind forgot I was on stair case. I regained my footing, my hand shooting out to grab the wall, just in time to see a worse fate than breaking my neck from falling down the stairs, I was going to mauled to death by a tiger while falling down stairs.

As much as I wanted to run my legs had stopped working and all I could see was him jumping towards me, the whole world slowing down as the realization that I was about to die fully hit me. Before my eyes he bared down on me, his body half obscured by the still semi closed door. Watching him hang in the air my eyes started playing tricks on me, for a second I thought he was a different color, then colorless. It took a moment but I finally understood what was going on as Tobias passed right through me, my brother holding onto his leg, the pair falling all the way the floor of the basement.

Before I could really register anything Danny's voice cut through the tension and the sound of my own heart beat that had drowned out every other sound. "GET OUT OF HERE!"

I didn't have to be told twice, I don't know what had happened but my legs were suddenly working all to well. I ran for my life, the parallel between this run and the one I'd done with Tobias when the wolves had attacked us painfully obvious to me. As I ran through the halls, I noticed that they mirrored what little I had seen from my spot in the stairwell, claw marks, indentions, blood, whatever was wrong with Tobias he wasn't afraid to take it out on everything else in the building. I just grabbed glances at the walls, not stopping for second till I was out the door greeted by a crowd of students and teachers who grabbed me and pulled me in, my tale of going after Tobias having spread like wildfire through the assembled masses.

Before I knew it Mr. Lancer was next to me, "are you alright Ms. Fenton," despite his gruff exterior and air of professionalism, it was obvious he was concerned for me. But I expected no less from him, the man was hard, but he cared about everyone of us.

"Not exactly a normal day for me but I faced worse," slightly hugging myself.

"I don't want you to make a habit of this Ms. Fenton, your brothers already gets in enough trouble, I don't want to have to keep an eye on you as well."

I could feel my face starting to grow red at the comment, "this isn't exactly something some thing I had planed, it just kind of happens," a slight edge to my words.

"I know, all the same, I have to consider the safety of all the students under care, and if this becomes a reoccurring theme in your life I may have to take actions to ensure the safety of the others."

Before I could reply he walked away and vanished into the crowd. "You son of a…," my voice trailing off. I couldn't believe I'd nearly been killed and he'd basically told me he'd expel me for something beyond my control. A looked the direction I though he had gone to and whispered, "everything I ever said about you being a good teacher just went out the window."

I kept my eyes on the school after that and tried to ignore anyone that came near me wanting to know what had happened. Well that was entirely true I did pick up a few pieces of information, apparently on Tobias' trip down the hall Dash had been out roaming for some reason. The exact details were still sketchy but Dash had done something and Tobias ended up crushing him against a locker, opened up a small gash in his head, and possibly broken the his arm. Right now he was either at the hospital or on his way to discover the extent of his injuries, that and to try and revive him.

I must have watched the school for at least half an hour, scared half to death for but of the residents inside the structure. Then out of the blue Danny was next to me, his whole body tired, but alive and in one piece. "So why are we still here," he asked impatiently but with a slight groan in his voice as he did his best to seem bored and agitated.

It took all my will power not to hug him, question him about the fight and punch him for scaring me, not necessarily in that order. I tried to put a glare on my face and growled, "what took you so long," leveling a finger at him, "I was worried half death, I thought you were still in there, I've been looking all over for you."

"I was…um…with Sam and Tuck, yeah on the other side of the school," shifting his weight from side to side, obviously making everything up as he went along. "I didn't think you'd be worried it's not like this is the first time this had happened,"

"We've had ghost attacks before, not tiger attacks, and just…," the words gone as I grabbed him and pulled him close, glad he was ok, not caring if anyone saw. I didn't really needed to worry about that anyway, he was my brother after all, there was no reason anyone would give it a second glace.

"Ok, ok sis, back off," as he did his best to push me away, or as much as he could given how tired he was. He gave me a weird look, like he wasn't sure what to do, "so," his body shaking a little, "is true what they're saying? That you shot that thing?"

"I am becoming my mothers daughter," a slight laugh in my voice.

"As long as you don't become like dad," then slightly covering his mouth, "or marry someone like him."

I couldn't help but raise and eyebrow at that, "meaning?"

He got really shifty at that, "noting nothing, don't even know why I said it, just kind of slipped out."

"You wish they were here too don't you?" putting an arm around his shoulder.

"Lets just say I can think of a better time for them to go off to Aunt Alicia's, of all the times for her to get back together with her ex-husband."

"I told you there were still sparks between them, they never should have invited him to her anniversary party, I knew it would end badly, I just knew it." I knew the conversation was silly, but I needed something to take my mind off what had happened, and where it might lead. Sighing, "you need a ride home or are you going to stay with Sam and Tucker for a while?"

"Yeah I'm going to need a ride, Sam got a call from her mom, sounded like she wanted her home as soon as possible, I'm not sure what was up with Tucker but he had to leave to, so looks like it's just us for the day." I couldn't help but smile as he moved closer into my arm, he'd been lying though his teeth the entire time. Sam's parents rarely cared what was going on in their daughters life unless it affected how other people saw them, and Tucker generally avoided doing anything alone, some kind of latent fear of abandonment I'd never really gotten to the root of. Danny just wanted to stay by me, protect me anyway he could, and somehow he felt that could be done better without having to worry about protecting them as well.

"Ok Danny, you know where my car is, and I'm guessing the lots empty enough so that we can get out at this point," starting to head towards my car. Part way to the lot I looked back at the school and wondered what had happened to Tobias, where he was, and if this was over between us. With supreme reluctance I turned my attention to me brother and caught up with him and did my best not to make him think I was worried. I hated that part of being the older sibling, alone I could be scared, but the second Danny was in sight I had to be strong for his sake.

A few moments later we were both in my car and heading home. For a bit neither of us spoke, then Danny finally broke the tension I wasn't aware that had been building, "so how many missed days of school does this make?"

Keeping my eyes on the road, "not sure, but it is getting ridicules. I'm afraid of what kind of plan the school board will come up with to cover all the days we've missed."

"I can just see summer vacation getting sucked away one day at a time, before you know it the second the years ends the next will begin."

"Don't even joke about that," a mock growled at him slowing down at a stop light.

Hanging his arm out the window, "your just made your losing time to spend with you boyfriend."

"He's not my boy friend LITTLE BROTHER," adding a heavy emphasis on the last two words.

The on coming wind whipped his hair as light turned green, "whatever you say," using that annoying I know more than you tone he sometimes used.

"Keep talking and I'll E-mail that baby photo of yours to Sam," shooting him a sly look as I pulled out one of the old faithful threat.

His head snapped away from the window and he gave me a death glare, "the one on the blanket?"

"The one with you in the tub," my smile growing darker, "and the oddly colored water?"

He let out something that was midway between and sigh and a growl and turned back to the open window, "low blow sis, low blow."

I couldn't help but learn into the chair at his remark, "is there any other kind?" I was glad when he didn't answer and just let me drive, the open road letting me think.

Whatever had happened back there it was weird, well weird for me not everybody else. Tobias had talked with me enough to know that wasn't what he was suppose to sound like, it had his voice but feeling was different. When Tobias talked it filled my mind with a warmth, except when he was yelling of giving me an order, but even then it had an underlying strength that I couldn't really put into words. But he had spoken to day it was different, hollow, it was him but it wasn't, the thoughts were just there but they had no weight, if anything he felt more like a robot.

He wasn't himself out there, and there had to be a reason for that, but that could be anything. I'd seen ghosts with powers like that before, I'd personally been under the control of ghosts with that skill, but somehow I doubted Ember or Johnny 13 would be interested in Tobias. Well Johnny might be, if for not other reason than revenge, and he hadn't really controlled my mind just sweat talked my with a ride on his bike and some cheap jewelry.

At that thought I almost slammed on the brakes, how had I forgotten that, the pendant around his neck, that was in no way normal for him. From there things just started linking up in brain, there had to be a connection there even if I didn't understand it. I put the pedal to the metal and broke about every speed limit known to get home as soon as possible, I needed to check a few things and hopefully find out something about what that thing was.

The second I pulled into the drive way Danny dove out of the car, leaving a hand print on the dash from where he had been holding to give himself extra stability. "What is wrong with you," he barked from the opposite side of the car.

I grinned a little and slammed the door, "dad taught me to drive you know that," running to the house and trying to find the right key on the ring. "You haven't taken drivers Ed with him yet, when you do you will understand."

"No I won't mom's already promised I can have a normal teacher, I don't think she can deal with someone else in the family piling up tickets."

"I don't have that many," forcing the door open and letting my backpack hit the ground in the middle of the floor as I made a bee line for the book shelf, hoping the answerers to my questions were contained somewhere in those endless pages.

* * *

**DP Style**

Danny just shook his head as he entered the door and watched his sister flipping through their parents books. He loved her but he had no idea what had gotten into her. One minute she was calm the next she was tearing up the road as fast as she could and he didn't understand it in the least, but she let it go. She'd been through a major ordeal and he didn't see a reason to give her a hard time at the moment.

For a second he considered staying in the room with her and trying to help but shrugged it off, whatever was on her mind it'd be faster if she did it alone, and he just wanted to rest a little. Tobias has done a number on him, when he transformed into a ghost he was considerably tougher than normal and it prevented the cat from cutting into him, but it didn't negate the power of the blows or the fact that he still felt them. He knew by morning most of the pain would be gone, but that didn't stop the pain that he was currently feeling, or the desire to sleep for a week. But that wasn't something he could do, he needed to stay awake incase something else went after his sister, although what good he'd be at the moment he wasn't sure.

Tobias had nearly pushed him to his limits, while it hadn't been as bad as against Rachel the bird-tiger had been relentless in his attacks. It didn't help that he didn't seem to show any interest in Danny, he'd only fought him when the halfa got in the way, more intent on going after Jazz. In the end he had to go all out and fired the largest blast of ectoplasm he ever had that threw his opponent into a shelf that toppled on top of him. Danny had stayed there for a few minutes floating above and below the scene just to make sure he didn't try to escape, and when he was finally settled that he wasn't going to move he left not wanting to look at a dead body if he could help it, a little remorseful that he had to kill the guy.

With a heavy mind he reluctantly went up stairs into his room just to lay down for a little while and try and think. Finally in his room he let gravity take it hold on him as it pulled the backpack off his back and to the ground with a thump while his own body collapsed into bed. He rolled around on the mattress for a few minutes but just wasn't just able to get comfortable, sore spots all over his body and a heavy conscience just wouldn't be ignored. Finally with some reluctance he rolled off the bed a groan on his lips and grabbed a chair and a comic a took and spot next to his window where he could position his legs on the desk and lean back and hopefully get comfortable.

He'd managed to get through a few pages when something outside caught his interest, or more specifically someone. Just outside his house was a big green and brown creature he'd seen before, first in books and theaters then more recently in real life.

Groaning and grabbing the bridge of his nose, "doesn't this guy ever give up," his external anger masking his relief that he hadn't killed anyone. Twin rings of light passing around him as he retook his ghost form and phased through his wall. "I'm really not in the mood for this dino," looking down at the creature that had once haunted his dreams for a week when he was younger. Even under orders from Vlad Tobias still lifted his lips and barked at the half ghost, his call alerting everyone one in the area as to the danger ahead.

"Ok have it your way," his hand glowing green as he released a blast of green ectoplasm, and little confused as to how this guy could even be moving considering everything he'd done to him. The blast fired right in the predators direction but did nothing as he simply hopped and stared ant him and barked another primal warning. "Yeah lets see how tough you are when you can't get to me," releasing a salvo of green blasts from the sky and doing his best the drive the Tobias away from his sister. With practiced ease the Deinonychus danced around the blasts, each one of them missing him by a good distance.

Inside the house the disturbance hadn't gone unnoticed, the book Jazz had been going though now rested on the table, and she now stood at a window watching the battle. "Be careful you two," she whispered, wishing she had found something while flipping though various books and that the two could somehow come out of this without serious injury.

Outside Danny had things under control to a degree, he'd managed to get the ancient predator to move away from his home, but he couldn't keep him there. It didn't matter where he shot, Tobias was continually trying to turn around, his speed and maneuverability making it nearly impossible for Danny to keep up the herding.

"Now I know what people do when they can't suck their problems into thermoses," he growled in the sky growing more frustrated by the second. "This guy doesn't stop, he doesn't slow down, he doesn't take a hint, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU, GO AWAY!" leveling another large blast of ectoplasm at him.

A growl escaped Tobias' throat, as he dodged the blast, the orders to stop him taking effect. In a move no real Deinonychus had ever attempted he shot forward past the green blast and leapt to the nearest building, his claws biting in as him propelled himself up, a second kick with his legs to the wall sending away from it and to Danny. From his position Danny just watched, the sheer insanity of the sight before him freezing his mind as to available options of avoiding the attack. Turning in mid air he pulled his legs into position, his killing claws raised as he forced his legs into Danny's stomach, his hand claws biting into his shoulders and forced him downward.

Pulling his head back Tobias roared as they collided with the pavement, driving the air out of Danny, and shattering one of Tobias' legs. With a supreme act of will Tobias managed to walk off, the bone now sticking out of his scaled leg, blood running down it and began to demorph, intent on fulfilling his orders. With the ghost down his one track mind went with the one form that could kill anyone in the house without restraint, the Polar Bear. In less than a minute the demorph and morph were done and he started lumbering to the door, guided by scent and basic human knowledge.

Standing up when he came to the door he dug his claws into the barrier and simply pulled it off and tossed it aside as if it were wet tissues paper. He managed three steps inside the house before being knocked back by a blast of blue energy that sent him to the ground.

"I'm going to make this clear," the gun appearing in the doorway before Jazz, "I don't like hunting ghosts, I don't like hurting people, and I don't like using weapons. All I know is I just did at least two of those so be smart and leave before I embed you in a wall." Despite her words Jazz was scared, she was beginning to get an idea of just how much damage he could endure and she wasn't sure she had it in her to go that far.

(Target found, terminate,) his words filling her head as he shook his own and reared up on his hind legs

"Have it your way birdie," she whispered, taking aim with the large gun and shooting him in the shoulder, the impact forcing him off balance and onto his back with a thump that made the ground under her feet shake.

It only took a second for Tobias to get back up, a second bald spot now adoring his body. He managed a step before Danny was on him, "I am so over this," he hissed the bears ear as he tried to put him in a sleeper hold, the desperation maneuver proving to be more hazardous to him as Tobias dropped backwards and rolled crushing the boy under his weight. Despite the pressure covering his body he managed to hold on when Tobias got back to his feet. Half coughing half hacking, "oh that is it smokey, time to put you down," his hands glowing as he fired a blast into the back of the bear's head. At first nothing happened, then Tobias fell to the ground giving Danny the opportunity to get off.

"Ok I can think of twenty things I rather do than that," the half ghost groaned holding his side as he shot and look at the bear. "Nice shooting by the way," looking over his shoulder to the red head with the large gun.

"Thanks," her voice weary dropping the large weapon and knowing what her brother had done wouldn't keep him down for long. Sighing deeply she reached in the house and pulled out a Fenton Machete, and pushed a button of the grip causing it to power up.

"Crap," floating away from her, "I didn't think you were like the rest of your family."

"I'm not," she whispered silently and walked towards Tobias. Most ghost weapons might not kill a living creature, but the Fenton Machete was a special case, even without power it would still cut through flesh. Add that to the charge running through it and it was easier than cutting warm butter, with the bonus of cauterizing the wound as soon as it was used. Looking down at him and watching his fur shift slowly as he breathed, "I'm sorry." With untold reluctance she hefted the weapon and brought it down on his right fore leg, slicing through it and forcing a roar from his throat. Acting on equal parts instinct and orders Tobias lashed out with his other arm, the blade cutting though it as she positioned it to intercept his paw. Before he even register the fact that is left arm had been sliced down the middle she lashed out with the blade starting a cut that went from his left shoulder and cut all the way to the right side of his body. She made sure to get a good look at the artifact, but choose not to remove it, having read about a few nasty booby traps that some ghosts had equipped their treasure items with. Silently she hoped she was leaving enough vital organs so he could demorph, and that it would slow him down enough to need to rest before resuming the hunt.

Above her Danny just looked on in horror, not believing his older sister had just mutilated the creature, a little surprised there was no blood at all. "Oh my…. what the…. son of a…… oh I'm going to have nightmares after this." Every horror movie he had ever seen flashing through his mind as the urge to lose his lunch rushed through his body and made him drive heave in the sky.

"YOU," looking up as him and pointing the bloody machete at him, "HELP ME." At the moment it wasn't in him to refuse her and he dropped down, terrified she had lost her mind.

"yes," his voice now tiny.

"Get the man hole uncovered," her voice quickly losing it's strength as she grabbed the bears head and started dragging it to the sewer entrance.

"Yes ma'am," he whimpered flying over and pulling the metal lid up.

Even as she held it she could feel it start to move, it's eyes shifting, it's teeth grinding the spinal cord slowly starting to grow out of his body. She opened her mouth to speak as she held him over the hole but no words would come out, swallowing she just let him go and watched him get stuck, his body to large for the small opening. She wanted to scream but her ability was gone, she just pulled out the machete and cut though his other arm, the smaller body now slipping thought the hole and letting him fall into the sewer below. As she watched she silently prayed she could somehow stop him before he came back and she was forced to do something more permanent.

Without any words she turned from her brother and walked to the house, silently hoping none of the neighbors had seen her do that. She didn't even look at Danny not wanting to face him, already knowing what had to be going through his mind. "So much for being the Fenton everyone in the neighborhood thought was normal," she whimpered walking though the house and grabbing the book she'd been flipping though trying to find some way of getting Tobias back. She went through a few books before Danny, now human again, walked back into the room, but kept his distance from his sister, an the machete that now sat on the table.

"You ok sis…. I say what happened out there, I would have come out to help you but," then realizing she wasn't listening to him. "Um Jazz," slowly, cautiously, walking over to her and waving her hand in front of her face, "you ok?"

She didn't take her eyes off the book but she cocked an eyebrow, "I just beheaded someone, ok is not even close to what I am," her voice frighteningly clam, the shock of what she had just done beginning to set in.

"Can I do anything?" not willing to sit down on the off chance she lose it and use the machete on him.

"No, just go away, and let me work," closing the book and grabbing another form behind her.

"Ok," walking backwards his eyes shifting from her to the modified blade, just to be sure she did try and stab him in the back.

"It's got to be in here," she breathed under her breath after her brother left. Her parents had long bragged that they had the most extensive library of ghost literature in the country, if not the world, with books dating back hundreds of years. Granted most of it, especially the rare, old, or valuable one, was stored away in the weapons vault, but many of the most comprehensive ones where kept in the front room above the Fenton manual collection.

Half way through the shelf she began to realize that finding this information might not be possible, her parents had countless books and scrolls in the house, and there was no guarantee what she had seen was listed in them let alone a ghost artifact.

Off in the kitchen Danny was doing his best to calm down, as far as he knew his sister was going insane before his eyes. He'd always know his sister was wound way to tight but nothing like that, and if she could snap, who knew what would happen to him one day. Then a scarier thought crossed his mind, what if it was genetic, his dad was already a little unbalanced, what if Jazz was just manifesting what would soon happen to him. "Get it together Danny," he whispered running his fingers threw his hair, "now is not the time to be losing it, if Jazz is going nuts you really have to hold it together for her sake as well as yours." His words didn't do much to bolster his confidence, if she did lose it, she had access to enough equipment to kill him as easily as any normal person.

Time slowly passed for the two, each totally aware of tension in the air, both knowing that there was a good chance it wasn't over. Danny did his best to stay clam and on alert while Jazz just continued to flip through pages, hoping that somewhere in the text was the answer she sought. In the back of their minds stood the knowledge that they needed to call their parents and tell them about the damage to their home, but for the moment it was a minor concern.

Both were torn from their respective tasks by a noise neither wanted to hear, the crunch of metal under foot, and silently hoping it was a just a neighbor checking on them. There was no such luck as Tobias' Hork-Bajir head came into sight about the same time for both of them.

Jazz sighed looking at him, a mix of fear and relief washing over her, "I didn't think that would stop you," a weariness in her voice as she reached for the machete.

(Target found, terminate,) his voice filling her head as he charged at her his arm back ready run his claws through her body.

"What do I have to do to stop you," Danny barked flying into the room in his ghost form and shooting Tobias in the back of the knees making him fall and destroy the table that separated him from Jazz. Without thinking as he fall Jazz jumped back and onto the cough avoiding being hit by the large bladed alien body. "Ok you have to go," Danny sighed flying over to his sister and grabbing her without slowing down and zipping though the house.

"Let me go," she barked hitting him in the back doing her best to get down without hurting him, "you don't understand."

"I understand you can't be here, I can't deal with him and you basket case," seeing his destination, the weapons vault. "Now do me a favor and stay put," dropping her in the room and grabbing the handle on the way out shutting it behind him before she could come after him. When it shut they both heard the quite hiss as the door sealed and the internal ghost shield kicked in. Danny was glad no one in the house had yet bothered to put a handle on the inside so there was no way she could get out till he opened it.

From the outside all that could be heard was, "DANNY," and a faint pounding on the metal door as Jazz frantically tried to get out.

From outside the halfa lowered his head, "sorry sis, but it's for your own good," running his fingers next to the door, not willing to touch it and get shocked by the shield and hoping it would keep that thing out if he failed, that and hoping he'd filled up the oxygen tanks, other wise he'd be in real trouble later.

Danny heard Tobias long before he saw him, the large Hork-Bajir feet doing little to hide his presence. "Ok green big and ugly lets try this my way," his feet lifting off the ground and flying at the transformed bird, going intangible as he went to keep him form hitting him, fully intent on overshadowing the creature. A good plan that met with one tiny problem, he went high aiming for his neck and despite his intangibility the cord still released it's charge when he touched it, catapulting him in the other direction and straight into a nearby wall. With a soft groan he fell and lost his ghost form when he hit the ground.

For a second Tobias stared at him, the orders not to kill him were still intact, but it didn't stop him from considering preventing the ghost boy from getting up for a while. In the end the drive to kill Jazz won out and he followed her scent that still lingered in the air to the door. A small snarl escaped his beak as he considered the door before simply grabbing it and trying to sink his claws into the metal. Whatever the door was made of it stopped his claws from tearing groves into the metal which left him no option but trying to tear it off with the bits and pieces protruding from the door. For five minutes he jerked, pulled and struck at the door with his fists, feet, claws, and blades, bending bits of it, and causing the scream of metal to fill the air but not budging the door itself. Through out his ordeal his growl grew louder, his anger at the obstacle growing causing him to slash out at the wall next to the door, only to find it was constructed of the small material.

"Not going to work beak breath," Danny's voice small and tried filled the air making Tobias' neck turn to face him with out moving the rest of his body. Danny was leaning against the wall he had been thrown into, twin rings running over his body changing his color and clothing. "No way you can get through that, which means it's just you and me till one of us can't move anymore." Snarling Tobias turned back to the door and continued to strike at it with his arm blades, his objective clear, fully intent on killing Jazz and nothing else as long as Phantom stayed where he was.

"Ok then, we'll do this my way," the half ghost hacked flying at him, his flight wobbly, his fear of a second shock present but concern for his sister driving him forward. A little unsure of himself he tackled him and shot skyward and going intangible before they hit the ceiling, The pair shot up through the second floor and into they op center. With a roar born of anger and concern Danny flung Tobias in the other direction as Hork-Bajir struck out with his tail making him lose his balance as it danced around his body, each of them regaining their solid forms as they hit the ground. For Tobias the landing was relatively easy as he turned his release into a roll and coming to a stop on the floor, Danny on the other hand collided with several boxes that proceeded to fall on him and bury him for a few moments.

Tobias looked around for a few moments trying to figure out where he was, he'd been there before but that didn't change the fact that he was a little unsure of himself having passed through several levels of the home. In frustration he snapped at the air and turned to the door ready to walk down the stairs and resume his attack on the door. He didn't get very far as Danny pushed the boxes off him and released a blast of ectoplasm at alien body.

His breathing was ragged as he tried to stand, "your not hurting my sister freak," falling to one knee was his right leg gave out.

Tobias' beak rose, his fangs showing as he walked over the Danny ready to put him down for as long as need be in order to accomplish his mission.

* * *

**Jazz POV**

"DANNY," my voice growing horse as I pounded on the door, knowing there was no way he was going to let me out. On the other side I had heard or thought I heard the sounds of a fight, but I wasn't sure. Who was I kidding, Tobias and Danny had to be going at it right now, both trying to kill the other.

"Why did you have to do that," I whispered dropping to my knees when I accepted what Danny had done. "Why did you do that for me little brother?" Because he is your brother, a voice in the back of my head responded, he loves you and this is his way of showing it, "that doesn't make me feel any better," I whispered to myself.

For a few moments my breathing came in ragged breaths, then I took control of myself again, this fight wasn't over yet, I could still make a difference, still find a way to stop this before I had to bury someone I loved.

"Where the hell did that come form," I whispered looking at my refection in the floor. "Not the time to think about that girl, SO NOT the time," I growled standing up walking over to the book case and doing my best not to think about what I had just thought. I started flipping through pages as fast at I could, trying to absorb the images as best I could looking for anything that resembled that thing around his neck.

I must have flipped though eight books in under ten minutes, quite possibly a personal best and didn't find anything. I had no allusions that I was moving in a panic and there was a good chance I had flipped by it in my haste, but I didn't care, every second I wasted was another opportunity for those two to kill themselves. As much as I wanted to toss the books to the ground when they yielded nothing I couldn't, most of them were antiques, the only ones of their kind, and I didn't dare run the risk of damaging them on the chance they might be of use later. Slamming the failed book back into it's spot on the bottom level I reached for another on the top and jerked it out of place. That resulted in an avalanche of books and artifacts falling on me, including a solitary note that landed on my head.

'_Maddie  
__Put to many books on the shelf  
__Have Danny fix it.  
__Jack  
__PS can I have a cookie?'_

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH," my head thrown back as I crushed the note, "CAN NO ONE IN THIS HOUSE TAKE RESPONSIBILTY FOR THEIR OWN ACTIONS!" In my rage I pushed off a few books ready to start pounding on the door again. I only got a few step before I kicked a book in my way and watched it fly through the air, it's pages ruffling as it flew and bounce off the wall and come to a stop at my feet. "You stupid little piece of crap," snatching it off the ground ready to through it into the wall as hard as I could hoping it would explode into a thousand pieces.

That desire kind of stopped when I looked at it and started laughing, the spine was bare, the cover however was not, _'Ancient Artifacts and Weapons of Demonic Origin,' _or as the little sticky note read 'AKA _Ghost tools.'_ As I'd come to know from my dad's ranting, anytime something was said to be demonic it really meant to say ghost.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me," rolling my eyes and looking up at the ceiling,a giddy feeling sweeping over me, "it can't be this easy." It was, twenty pages in, there it was the Charm of Soll Thild along with several other things ranging from necklaces and clothing to swords and sarcophagus, and a one eyed being that I recognized from his attempted domination of the town a last month, I think he was called Fire… Pyre… Pariah, Pariah Dark that was it. As scanned through the pages at a slower pace than I had before, taking each word in carefully just in case it told me something useful.

The pages were basically a story, the artifacts and the ghost dating back hundreds if not thousands of years, to a time when a he had attempted to dominate the realm of ghosts. During the struggle a group of ghost sorcerers tried to stop him by constructing various implements that they hoped could weaken him, or empower other to do their bidding. This one had been the last failed attempt, a gold piece that could control anything that held it, make them do anything that the person that gave it to them ordered. They'd used it on a creature in black armor that I also recognized from that attack, one that seemed to be serving him. Apparently, at some point the one in armor had been a powerful warrior who refused to take sides in the battle, something the sorcerers couldn't allow. They used the Charm of Soll Thild on him and gave him a powerful sword in the hopes that he could bring Pariah Dark down. If the story was to be believed the fight went on for days, neither one gaining an upper hand till the knight somehow broke the hold the piece had on him by a sheer act of will. The battle had impressed the more powerful ghost enough to let the other one go and offer him a place at his side as the general of his armies, and from there I didn't care as it went into the tale of another ghostly artifact.

I knew what I was dealing with, and as far as I could tell the effects of the charm were simple with no booby traps. "Nice to know now, I should've just grabbed it while I had the chance," I hissed under my breath as I looked up from the book. I scratched my head a little and looked at the pile of books on the floor, "ok girl now that you know that what do you do," turning my attention back to the door.

I walked over to it and ran my hand over it, a forced calm coming over me as I made myself look logically at the situation, and just like the last time Danny still hadn't gotten around to putting the handle on the inside of the vault. I'd been locked in this room before and I knew from experience that strength wouldn't get me out, and at the time mom wouldn't let me use the guns on the door. "Ok guns," the words coming out as a whisper as I looked around at the weapons lining the wall. My parents had come up with weapons of every shape, size, and function, I just needed to find one capable of blowing the wall away and getting me out if here. I by passed most of the smaller guns and the melee weapons, I needed something with some serious bite to it, but at the same time something wouldn't destroy everything in the room if this didn't work right.

I finally settled on a modified Fenton Bazooka, hoping I was right about what they had told me about it. If I remembered right mom told me the one with purple-black trim was the prototype of the line and could be set for different effects. I flipped up the little cover showing various small dials and switches, and tried to remember how to do this. "Turn the focus counter clockwise," speaking to myself, "turn the yield clockwise, turn the power to max, flip off the ghost setting, and pray I don't set the room on fire." I took a ragged breath as I held the weapon at the door and tried to steady myself. Looking through the scope, I realized there was a really good chance I was going to burn my eyes out if I looked at the beam, provided it didn't explode in my face.

Taking another calming breath, "here goes nothing," pulling the trigger, a burning red line firing out of the weapon and hitting the door. At first nothing happened, then it started smoking and a small trail of liquid started running down the door. "Bingo," cutting the beam off, "ok that works now I just have to shot the right part of the door to unlock it." It took a second but I found what I though was the locking mechanism and aimed the bazooka and fired, the beam once more cutting through the metal. After a few seconds I cut it off and kicked at the door as hard as I could, and watched as it not only didn't open, but probably broke something in my foot. Sucking in some air between clenched to keep from screaming I fired another round at the door then cut it off again, this time pushing at it with my hand, glad when it opened up without any trouble.

"Ok now that I'm out, what do I do," putting the weapon down and looking back, I wasn't stupid enough to run after those two without a plan. I could take a machete to him again but that really wasn't something I wanted to do again as long as I lived. As far as I knew every other weapon in the vault was hard wired for ghost combat, so the only options I had were hacking his or shooting him with the bazooka, neither of which seemed like a good idea in the long run. Not to mention the fact that if I screwed up he could cut through me before I could turn around twice.

At that thought I almost put my head through a wall, "STUPID," as I looked over at the portable Fenton Ghost Peeler. And it did live up to it's name, it did indeed peel ghosts like onions and it was more portable than it's predecessor that was the approximate size of a minivan, actually I think it use to be a minivan as scary as that thought is. "Hello old friend," smiling at the weird little device as I picked it up. I didn't really know how it worked, I just knew it did, with luck the armor could protect me from whatever form he took, the weapons could at least drive him back if not hurt him if I was right about the modifications dad supposedly made to it, not to mention the strength increase it gave me. It might not have been the smartest choice, but it was the one I was going with. "Lets do it," pushing the button and feeling the small device grow warm in my hand then start shaking. The next thing I knew tendrils started growing all over my body, the cords shifting and forming into solid pieces, encasing my body in a hard shell of metal. Almost as soon as it started it was over, the armor acting like a second skin around my body letting me move freely, yet protecting almost every inch of my body.

"Ok," my hand moving to my head and activating the on board ghost finder, the device narrowing in on Danny's unique frequency. From all the moving he was doing I was guessing he was either flying or Tobias was tossing him around like a rag doll. "Here I come boys, ready or not," running through the house and up the stairs ready to do something, I wasn't exactly sure what.

I was barley on the second floor when I started hearing the sounds of battle, actually all I heard was Tobias roaring and something being slammed into metal. I didn't have time to slow down so I ran my hand of the sensor in the mask, the visor lighting up with readouts for the suit. In retrospect I should've done this as soon as I put it on but it didn't occur to till there was a chance they were going to drop on my head. According to the displays everything was running at full capacity, but I doubted that was going to be the case by the time everything was said and done.

Taking one final calming breath I took the final steps to the op center and kicked in the door, the action going much smoother than it had the last time I tried. The sight before me did not inspire confidence, a good portion of the room was damaged, Danny was laying sideways against a wall and, Tobias just looked ticked off.

"I'm going to make this simple," raising my arm and pointing it at him ready to activate the onboard cannon, "get on the ground, change back, and thaen don't move."

I wasn't surprise by his reply (Target found, termi…,) I didn't let him finish the though as the gun popped out of my arm and fired at him knocking him back.

"Get some new material birdie, that was old the first time I heard it," I ran my hand over my mask again shifting the settings to a higher output, my stuff might have been ghost specific but if it was up high enough it could drop anything it hit.

I wasn't all the surprised when he got back up and snapped at me from across the room then charged in ready to take me apart. I didn't intend to give him a chance to see if the armor could stand up to his alien biology, with a thought dads addition to the armor popped out, a weapon in the same vein as the Fenton Machete. Twin blades shots shot out of the compartment on my right wrist, each one glowing with an eerie green light signifying they were charged.

"Lets see how you like claws in the face," I growled dodging left missing his thrust with his left hand, well mostly missing his blades left look scratches on my visor. As he turned I tried to upper cut him with my blades, hoping I could tear the amulet off his neck with a single blow and end this. By all rights it would've worked if he didn't have a snake for a neck, his head and my target simply pulled out of range while he counted with his tail lashing out at my body, luckily I had been right about it being strong enough to resist the force his body could exert. I wanted to strike again but he had other ideas, his foot impacting with my chest and sending me sliding to the ground, even through the armor I could feel the impact of his foot with the metal, and what I though was his claws cutting into armor. That was answered a second later when I looked down and was greeted by a shower of sparks shooting out of my torso, "have to talk to dad about making this suit stronger," I whimpered diverting the relays away from that section of the armor so it could keep functioning.

About the time the armor said everything was clear Tobias tried to stomp on me till I fell through the floor. He managed about three hit before I rolled out of the way, my gun unfolding from my left arm and firing hitting him in the shoulder and making him stagger. It wasn't much of a break but it was enough for me to get up and ready my claws for when he came after me. I didn't have to wait long for him to dart forward and lash his tail blade at my face while trying to rake his bladed right arm down across my body aiming for my head, neck, and body. The tail managed to hit, but only the back of my helmet as I shot forward and leveled an upped cut to his body my claws carving a twin lines in his body from his lower left side up to his neck. The second I hit the charm it felt like a thousand volts had hit my body and the world around me went crazy as the armor started shorting out and I went flying fling away from him.

I'm not sure how long I was out but I doubted it was more than a few seconds, thankfully my parents had designed the Fenton Peeler with enough backup systems to make putting it down very difficult. By the time my eyes were open the suit was back to seventy percent power, maybe it wasn't a lot but it was more than I thought it would be after that shock.

"Apparently that books need to be updated," I groaned as Tobias bore down on me and leveled a round kick on my side picking me off the ground and sending me into table. "I need a new strategy," pushing myself up and looking at him and remembering what the book had said about being able to overcome the control of the charm by having a stronger mind. From what I could tell from his stories Tobias' probably had the strongest mind of anyone I've ever met, if nothing else having to control the minds of all those animals had to mean he had experience fighting for command of his body. I knew it as a long shot but it was the only thing I had that might get him to help me if I couldn't get the amulet off him.

"Don't do this birdie," the words coming out between clenched teeth as I pulled myself up. "You know me, I'm your friend, you don't want to hurt me and I don't want to hurt you." I had no idea if what I was saying was getting though but it didn't stop him leaping at me, claws ready to cut into me. The claws never made it as I rolled out of the way, a little surprised the armor let me move like that. "Come on birdie this isn't you, your not a killer, you're a good person, fight this I know you can. You've fought against everything I can imagine and won, this isn't any different, that thing around your neck isn't stronger than you, just rip it off your neck!"

My little speech didn't seem to effect him as he tore at my face with the claws on his arm, the attacked missed, but not before I put my claws through his hand and pulling back essentially rendering his hand useless, not that that stopped the rest of his arm from being a lethal weapon.

"Ok new angle," jumping away from him and turning a table over and firing my arm cannon at him. "What about Rachel?" I barked over the side hoping he could hear my voice over the blaster fire and his own roaring. "You said you'd help her, that you'd somehow get her back, that you'd make a life with her, how are you going to do that as a puppet? She needs you, for her sake you have to fight this, have to free yourself from that necklaces' control. You can bend a polar bear to your will, some stupid piece of jewelry can't beat you now TAKE IT OFF!"

I barely got the last part out before he dodged my blasts, dug his claws from his remaining good arm into the table and flipped it over before kneeing me in the face. The blade on his knee cut right through my visor but luckily didn't pas far enough in to hit me. The kick sent me skyward, only to be stopped by a wall and falling to the ground. Groaning I looked next to me, "well funny seeing you here," looking at Danny who had regained some measure of awareness, but I didn't think he had heard anything I'd said moments easlier.

"Yeah it's real funny," he groaned holding his side, "didn't I lock you away?"

"What can I say I don't like small spa…" my words trailing off as Tobias kicked me in the chest again sending me into a consul.

"Would you stop that," Danny coughed shooting Tobias in the back, from what I could see it didn't do much to him other than tick him off. But it did give me an idea, Danny couldn't beat him alone, and neither could I, but we might have a shot if we combined what little power we both still had left.

"THE NECKLACE," screaming at the top pf my lungs to my brother, "RIP IT OFF HIM AND HE'LL STOP!"

He just kind of hung in the air and looked at me, "you really think you can give me orders," he weakly laughed, probably finding some amusement in the situation.

"JUST DO IT LITTLE BROTHER," the words coming out before I could stop myself. He just stared at me his mouth slightly hanging open and his eyes growing wide. He finally nodded numbly and flew towards Tobias at a speed I didn't think he was capable of achieving with his injuries. Despite the speed Tobias already knew what was coming and swung his arm at my brother, his fist hitting himbefore he could become completely intangible.

"I am sorry about this birdie," the words barley audible as I jumped on his back and sunk m claws into his chest. A roar escaped his mouth as his good hand and tail clawed at my back trying to tear me off.

"Man back off," Danny barked flying up and grabbing Tobias around the neck and reaching for the charm. With Tobias moving around as much as he was neither one of us could get a good shot at it, every time he tried to throw one of us off it swung just out of reach. "I so don't need this right now," my little brother moaned under me, his hand thrusting down finally connecting with the charm, a surge of ectoplasm shooting thought his body but his grip somehow staying in place. The jolt made his body go stiff and pull away from the alien body, the charm going with him and pulling the cord away from his body. It wasn't enough to take it off, but it was enough for me to hopefully finish this problem. Getting a better grip with my left arm, I pulled the right out and stabbed at the cord with the claws, one of them managing to slip between the cord and his neck. Well the blade slipped into his neck and then out to the cord to be specific. I pulled out as hard as I could, the charge now splitting in two directions, once more made the suit go haywire and spark while I screamed from within the metal confines. I must have held on for half a minute while lights and sirens blared within the helmet, the pain shooting though my body was insane and I knew I couldn't…….

I'm not exactly sure when I came back to, all I knew was that I was alive and still in the op center, that and the armor wouldn't respond, I was stuck laying there, helpless to the word. It was then that I became aware of a presence next to me that slowly moving forward, the next thing I knew a feathered head was staring down at me, and I had no idea what was going to happen.

(Let me guess, I did something really bad while I was out didn't I?) his feathered head hovering over me, give his position I was guessing he was standing on my chest.

"You, no," a wave of relief washing over me and my body relaxing, "your body on the other hand is now going to be wanted by everyone in town."

(Great I have to worry about being dipped in shellac and mounted on a wall again.) He somehow smiled with his eyes and cocked his head slightly to the side, (so having a problem getting up?)

"Very funny, I just risked my life to get you back to normal and all you can do is stand there and use me as a perch."

(But you make a good perch,) standing a little straighter and hopping off, (so tell me how to get it off and we'll see what kind of damage I did, and given the look of this room I'm really afraid of that.)

I couldn't see him but I was pretty sure he was becoming human so I stared talking to him, "on my neck there's a clasp, unhook it and pull the helmet off." A few seconds later his real face was hover over me while he messed with my neck and after a small struggle pulled the damaged mask off. From there it only took a few minutes to talk him through taking the rest off. A quick examination by the blond revealed I was fine, a few bruises but nothing fatal despite the pain I'd endured, that same was also true for my brother who had turned back to normal and was out cold.

"So what exactly did I do?" waving his arms up and down.

"You don't remember?"

"Not a thing, one second I'm sitting in a cage with these two ghosts surrounding me and the next thing I know I'm here surrounded by all this."

I raised my eyebrow at this, but was glad he didn't remember any of it, "this is the source of our problems," giving him a little come here motion with my fingers and sitting down next to the talisman, his form joining me a few moments later. Before I thought he was fine, but given the look on his face I could tell he not only felt remorseful and angry but was close to collapsing, the battle and morphing taking a lot out of him.

"Right that thing I remember, it was the last thing the freak with the bad skin put it on me before I woke up here."

"According to a book I read this is the Charm of Soll Thild, a seriously bad piece of work that takes control of holders body and makes them do whatever the giver says."

"Great so it's a Yeerk in jewelry form," his vision shifting from it to me, "so can I burn it?"

I laughed a little at that, it was just such a guy thing to say, "no, we can't even touch that thing with out it taking control of us."

"So what are we going to do with it?"

"We?" looking up at him.

"Hey no body uses this bird as a…"

"…meat puppet?" finishing his thought with my dad's favorite possession expression.

"Close enough," he sighed, his body almost falling over before he was able to catch himself and stand back up. "I must have been doing a lot of morphing."

"Among other things," the words coming out under my breath. I looked over at Danny, "I know this is asking a lot but you think you can carry him for me, I want to get him in bed," scratching my head a little, "provided he still has one."

He looked over at him and groaned slightly, "I think so, but don't ask much more for a few hours."

"Don't worry, I don't think anyone in the house is going to do much of anything till tomorrow."

Between the two of us we managed to carry Danny to his room and drop him in bed, luckily everything on the second floor was untouched. After looking over him we went to my room so he could demorph and we could talk in some privacy. He told me his side of the story, including some rather graphic descriptions of tortures he'd endured, and I told him what had happened here and between us we managed to hammer out a few details both lacked.

(So this blue guy has been after you before?)

"A few times but I don't know much about him, I just know he's trouble."

(I'd say that's an understatement Jazz,) his feathers rustling.

"No argument from me," I sighed and laid back on bed, "but I don't know much about him other than he's very dangerous."

(So,) his gazed turning to the window, (what are going to tell your brother, or parents for that matter?)

I knew this coming, in a way I was relieved, I wasn't sure if Danny had really heard me back there but if he had the next few minutes would be critical to all my relationships for the foreseeable future. "As far as my parents are concerned I'm thinking the truth," a little smile on my lips, "after a fashion, I'm thinking we simply tell them it was a ghost attack and hope it flies." Sighing, "Danny on the other hand might be hard, I said some things during the fight, I think he might know, or at least suspect some things, till he wakes up I can't be sure. I'm thinking that maybe…"

(Relax Jazz,) his eyes trained on me, it was hard to tell with that hawk's head but I had a feeling he was reading me. (It's totally your call, I trust you, I saw the others go through hell to keep their secrets from their family, if you think he needs to know just tell him. I have a feeling he's good at keeping secrets from other people.)

A stiffened up at that, "what?"

Somehow he seemed to look smug despite his face never changing, (I take it I'm right then?)

I started sweating a little, "about," in a way I was relived that he might know what was going on, but then again he had thought Danny and I were going out so I couldn't be sure what was going through his little raptor mind.

(Your brother and his relationship to the ghost boy, I give you credit up till now I wasn't really sure but after this I'm pretty sure I know what's going on. They're the same person aren't they?)

I weakly nodded my head, "I'm sorry, I just couldn't tell you, it's just…"

(It's ok Jazz,) spreading his wings and flapping over to my bed, (I get it, he's family and you protect family as long as they deserve it, believe me I understand more than you know.)

I reached my hand out to pet him but stopped needing to hear the words, "Your not mad?"

(No,) moving forward and putting his head into my hand, (I knew hiding something for a long time, I was just waiting for you tell me.)

"Really?" getting a little rougher with my fingers, "So I've been covering him this whole time and you knew?"

(No, things didn't come together till I was locking in the cage. Blue skin asked a lot of questions about Phantom and how we had come to work together, he ended up asking a few things about your family and it just helped a few things finally fall into place.) His head tilled slightly to the side, (that and the smell, I managed to read the ghost boy up on the roof that first time, and I ran a scent check on your brother before you woke up that scent and his are almost identical, a tiny difference but way to much to be coincidence.)

"Not to mention the face and the name," a little smile on my face as we started picking apart my brothers secret identity.

(Wouldn't know about that,) ruffling his feathers, (I learned a long time ago never judge by looks.)

I laughed a little harder at that but managed to regain my composure. "Great, well that's one out of the way," I sighed falling back into the bed, "now comes the hard one."

(Meaning?) walking forward as best he could on the blanket without tearing it with his talons.

"Danny doesn't know I know that he's really Phantom."

He just stared at me for a second with his head to the side, (wow, and I wondered why you didn't tell me, this must've been a nightmare for ya.)

"You have no idea, I'm lying to you, I'm lying to him, I'm lying to everyone else." Propping myself up on my elbows, "do you have any idea how hard it is to keep that many story strait? I'm surprised I've managed to keep everyone from figuring out who everyone else is as long as I have," to emphasize the point I dropped from my elbows and made the bed jump slightly. For a while we just lay there in silence I don't know what he was thinking about but I was glad to have at least part of this off my chest, and at the same time anxious to get everything over with my brother.

(Um Jazz,) his voice cutting into my mind.

"Yeah," not moving my arm that now over my eyes.

(Um…the door is just sitting in the street right?)

"Unless someone moved it, why?"

(So anyone that wants to can get in your house?)

"Yeah," unfortunately I was seeing where he was going with this, "what do you want to do about it?"

(I'm thinking we should just put it up to throw off anyone who comes by, we can probably get if fixed in the morning.)

"So you're a handyman as well as an alien fighter?" moving my arm.

(Nope, can't do a thing, but we need to fix part of it, and most of this is my mess,) a bitterness creeping into his voice that I been waiting for since getting him back.

"Wow, a hero that does clean up," a half laughed rolling off the bed and picking him up and headed towards the door.

(Ok one I'm no hero and two put me down I have legs.)

"You're a hero to me," putting him down, "and don't beat yourself up over this, it wasn't your fault you couldn't stop it, no one could."

(I still did all this, ruined your life,) his head turned away from me.

"You think this ruined my life," I laughed sitting next to him, "my house is always getting destroyed." My fingers slipping under his beak and making him look at me, "this is my families fault not yours, you're the victim here not me, from where I'm standing I'm the one bringing trouble into your life not the other way around."

He didn't say anything for a few moments, he just stared at me with those big gold eyes before finally coming up with the words, (one don't pull that psychology mumbo jumbo on me and two thanks,) rubbing his head into my hand, (but I'm still ticked off at that guy.)

"We both are," I whispered to him and picked him up and headed down stairs.

It took a while but we managed to get the door back on it's hinges and make it at least seem like we weren't inviting the world in. After that we were both to tired to mess with anything, I managed to crawl up stairs and into bed while Tobias opted to stay on the first floor since he was a light sleeper and could keep an ear out in case someone decided they wanted to grab some of our equipment. I don't know about the others in the house but I slept like a baby, every muscle in my body was exhausted and all I cared about was getting a few hours of sleep.

According to the glowing numbers of the clock it was a little past eight when I woke up and for a few moments I thought what had happened yesterday had been nothing more than a dream. Reality enter the picture all to so though, forcing me out of bed and to get dressed to check on the others in the house. I threw on my normal clothing and headed into the hall and almost fell over Tobias who was walking though the house in dog form.

Hopping away from me, (whoa easy girl, don't step on me.)

"Morning to you do," sitting on the floor next to him, my hands both rubbing the sleep from my eyes and scratching him behind the ears. I made sure to keep my voice low so I didn't wake my brother, "something wrong," in spite of just getting up I could already fell myself starting to get tired.

He gently shook his head, (don't think so, just making rounds, making sure everyone up here's ok, normal stuff.)

"And," a little worried about Danny.

(Everything's fine, checked on your brother a few times now, he snores like a chain saw but otherwise he seems to be fine,) looking down the hallway, (no one showed up during the night, and you have food waiting for you in the kitchen. I think it's edible, but I could be wrong, I don't do much cooking anymore so it's hard to tell what people will eat anymore.)

I rubbed him under the neck for that, "you didn't need to make anything."

He moved into my hand, (hey I break, I repay even if I don't remember doing it.)

"Still thanks, why don't do down stairs and go human and I'll bring my brother down so we can get the fireworks over with."

He gave me a dog smile and turned away, (your call boss lady,) disappearing down the steps.

I watched his tail bounce as I stood up catching a tiny peak before the stairs blocked my vision again. Turning I walked into Danny's room, and carefully crept through room, doing my best not to wake him and make sure Tobias was right about him being fine. Most of his body was covered by a sheet but I could make out the rhythmic breathing under it and couldn't help but notice how peaceful he looked.

"Time to change that," the words under my breath as I dropped down and got right next to him, his face almost hanging off the bed. "OFF YOUR BUTT AND ON THE JOB!" the sound of my voice sending him into the air and doing little flips before hitting it, his eyes popping open and looking everywhere for the attacker of his slumber.

He finally focused on me, "that was not cool sis," he groaned grabbing the sheet and pulling it over his head and turning away from me.

"Maybe not be we have a lot to do today and it doesn't involve laying in bed," turning away from him and tossing him some clean pants, "breakfast is on the table, we'll be waiting." I got to the doorway when something occurred to me, so I turned back to him and leveled a finger, "and don't try leaving this is something we need to do now."

I didn't wait for his reply, I just waked away and down the stairs and was greeted by beautiful aromas coming form the kitchen. The sight of the spread easily lived up to the smell, three types of eggs, bacon, pancakes, waffles and a few things I could identify.

"Wow," looking at the boy that lived in the tree, "for a guy that's eats things raw you do a good job of looking like you can cook."

"Key words there 'looking like' I make no promises this won't give you food poisoning," pull a chair out for me.

"Thank you," sitting down, "and I'm sure it's fine."

"Hope so, I haven't cooked since you know, but I did use to cook for my uncle, not that he ever appreciated it," a look of disgust on his face.

"He was an idiot," grabbing a piece of bacon and enjoying the flavor.

"What is he doing here," Danny whined from the book way behind me.

"Um…making breakfast," shrugging his shoulders.

"Very funny, what's he doing here Jazz, or do I need to call mom and dad and see what they have to say?"

"Sit down Danny," my eyes not meeting his, but my tone saying enough and he grudgingly sat down at the opposite end of the table. "We have to talk, you know it so do I."

He crossed his arms, "no kidding I just said that," shooting my a death glare.

"That's not what I meant and you know it," my fingers coming together on the table.

"You um….mean the cleaning we have to do?" his eyes shifting here and there and starting to squirm in the chair.

I sighed, my patience for the situation disappearing very quickly, "I…we know Danny, what you are, what you do. I know your really Danny Phantom."

He really started squirming in his chair after that, "I have no idea what your talking about, and I don't have to listen to these accusations." Without any other words I got up to leave.

He didn't make it far as I jumped from my chair and grabbed his arm, "I know Danny, I have for a long time, you think it was an accident I helped you stop Doctor Spectra? I knew the day before that happened, I saw you change in the alley. I'm proud of you little brother, but we can't keep playing this game with each other."

"What game," pulling his arm away from my grasp, "I don't know what your talking about, I am not…"

(Skip it,) Tobias' words filling my head, and given the size of Danny's eyes I was guessing he heard it to. Both our attention turned to the source of the words, his form now a normal red tail sitting on the kitchen counter. (She's your sister, she loves you, she's been protecting you and keeping your secret now do us all a favor and skip the macho BS routine because we know the truth about you, and now you know the first of my many secrets.)

"That's a talking bird," he whispered pointing at my friend.

"No that's a talking bird that doesn't understand tact," I growled.

(You say tact I say expedience,) bouncing his head slightly, (I want to know who missed with my brain.)

"I'm still asleep aren't I," Danny whispered to me.

Shaking my head, "I'm afraid not."

"So you've really known all this time?"

Putting my arm on his shoulder, "yeah I have Danny."

"And you didn't say anything why?"

"I was waiting for you to tell me, but things have forced me to jump the gun a little."

"Him," pointing at Tobias.

"Yeah, him," nodding to my friend

(I have a names you know,) his feathers ruffling.

"Ignore the bird we need to talk," pulling him into the living room.

(Fine see if I make you breakfast again red,) a laugh in his thoughts as we walked out. Danny and I spent about half and hour talking about everything we had gone through, and a half an hour on top of that when Tobias came in and added his story to the mix.

"Ok ok, stop," my brother putting his hands together in the time out sign, "let me see if I got this. You," pointing at Tobias, "you are in your twenties, trapped in the body of a hawk, and have fought off an alien invasion of earth."

Tobias didn't even look up from preening himself, (true.)

"That woman that almost killed me a few days ago is your ex-girlfriend."

(Also true)

"And you were under the control of an evil charm bracelet that made you try and kill her," pointing at me.

(Evil necklace technically but yes,) nodding his head.

"Ok final question you realize you're a pedophile right," pointing his finger at the bird.

"DANNY," tossing a piece of bacon I'd liberate from the kitchen at my brothers head, "he is not a pedophile."

(No technically I am, well technically I'm a lot of things,) snapping his beak, (it's true given when I was born our friendship is technically inappropriate. However I don't remember most of five of those years so technically I'm mentally only about a year older than your sister. However physically I'm about few months maybe a year younger than her. Of course legally I'm dead so none of this really matters, besides what can the courts do to me lock me up, I don't think humans have built a cage that hold me for more than a few hours provided I let them keep me at all?) something in his eyes coming alive with a wildness and cunning I'd only seen when he spoke of battles and hunting.

"I think he has you there," I couldn't help but poke him in the ribs.

"I know there's a way to argue that I just don't know what it is yet," crossing his arms and leaning into the couch.

"I'm sure it'll come to you Danny, but right now we a have a bigger problem."

"Other than Vlad killing you and marry mom?'

"Ok I don't care if that's true or not, you can't say that again…EVER," growling at him, "I really don't want to know about anyone wanting to marry mom, it's just creepy."

"You have no idea, and it's best we keep it that way," looking at my a slight chill running over his body, "so what is the bigger problem?"

"Look around, this is the bigger immediate problem, we have no idea when mom and dad are coming back and we need to get part of this back together before they get here."

(We're looking at two levels of damage plus the destruction of some serious hardware, so any idea where start would be appreciated.)

"We're going to fix this place, why not all a repairman like mom always does?"

"You don't remember the last time do you? There is not a repair man in the city that will come here now without a guaranty of cash, and I'm pretty sure we don't have enough between the three of us to do this."

My little brother just shrugged, "we could borrow it form Sam."

"We are not borrowing money from your girlfriend," I practically spat on the floor.

"She is not my girlfriend," he barked blushing slightly.

(Then it looks like it's up to us to start putting this place back together,) his head craning up to look at us from the table, (so tell me where to start and I'll see what I can do, but I have to tell ya I'm better destruction that construction.)

* * *

**Tobias POV**

I hate my life, well I hate my new life, I never had to deal with mind control before, ok I did, but that was in alien form. I never use to have to worry trinkets turning me into a meat puppet before. Not to mention the fact that I use to be able to destroy anything I wanted and just fly away, now I'm stuck doing clean up, granted unlike most of the other times I knew who lived here, but it didn't change the fact that I was stuck doing menial tasks for these two.

Thanks to the open door and my ears I could here Danny down stairs making his way up with his friends in tow to help put this place back together.

"Really your telling it gets better than down stairs?" Given the air of sarcasm I had a feeling it was Sam.

"Trust me this is much better," Danny's voice louder than in needed to be.

"It better not, I'm not sure I can fix better, I'm not sure I can fix what I'm seeing now."

"Come on Tuck your good with machines," given the sound I was guessing the half ghost was patting his friend on the back.

"No I'm good with PDA's and software, and even there it's no where near the kind of technology your parents use here."

"Trust me, there is no one in the house I want working on the computers more than you, I don't care if you can fix them or not, no one else has any clue what to do."

"Excuse me," Jazz barked from upstairs, "who was it that thought we should, I don't know actually pull the manuals out. Now would you three move your butts we can't hold this forever," then softly to me, "there are days I wish I were an only child."

(No arguments from me,) my thought hitting her alone, although technically she wasn't holding anything, she was watching me do all the work.

"Great your sisters here, that's going to make this easy," Sam hissed too quietly for any human to hear up here, but not for me.

"Not quite," given the sounds and the smell I was guessing he was about to enter the op center, "she has her own secret working for us today." I couldn't see them given my back was to them but I could hear their gasps as they say me. "Guys this is Tobias, I told you was something weird about her boyfriend, it's just a lot more than I thought."

(Not her boyfriend)

"Not my boyfriend," our words coming out at the same time.

"Wow, do we really sound like that," I was guessing he was asking Sam, if she responded I didn't hear it.

"That's a polar bear," Tucker whimpered, the smells coming off him making me think we'd have to mop on top of everything else.

(No I'm a really ticked off polar bear that can and will throw this thing at you if someone does secures it to the ceiling,) A mental and vocal growl running through their minds and ears.

"Well, and her I thought things in this house were weird before," Sam laughed lightly.

"Ignore them birdie," Jazz whispered running her fingers along my chest fur, "just keep holding it up."

(You really shouldn't be under this thing Jazz,) I hissed to her alone.

"I trust you," keeping her hand on me and looking past me to her brother, "I don't care how strong you think he is, he's tired and hurting just like the rest of us, so get the clamps into place so he can rest."

"Yeah yeah, I liked you better when you didn't know what I was," the next I knew Danny was flying over my head and locking the plate into place while the other two started shooting off questions. Luckily Jazz fielded for them for us while we finished the job. When he was done I slowly lowered my arms on the off chance it didn't want to stay up there. My fears were groundless and I was able to drop onto all fours and move out from under the piece of equipment.

(So that's what number six of one hundred twenty three things we have to do today?)

"Five and a half, we still have to hook everything up then push it into place, then it becomes six," a hint of a laugh in the half ghosts voice.

My fur bristled a little in mock anger, (how would you like a bear claw to an intimate body part?)

"Sorry not my type," smiling at me and floating next to the others who were getting the condensed version from Jazz, "so you two going to help or stand there all day?"

"You do realize this all sounds insane don't you," a smirk on the goth's face.

Jazz just folded her arms, "my brothers part ghost and my best friend lives in a tree, we passed insane three states ago. The question is simple will you help us fix this place or not?"

"He's," the dark skinned boy pointing a finger at me, "not going to eat us is he?"

(Probably not but you never know,) my fur receding and becoming feathers so I could take some weight off the floor, (I've had more than a few things in my stomach I never thought I would.) When my wings fully formed I flapped up to Jazz and landed on her shoulder.

"That's his creepy was say you'll be fine," her fingers ruffling the feathers under my neck.

"As long as he keeps his claws away from me I have no problem, but I want a real explanation for what's going on, especially the whole talking bird thing," one of his fingers waving in front of my face. I had to repress the hawks desire to remove, but I almost didn't want to.

"Part of me wants to say no, but this is to good to pass up," the goth slowly walking around Jazz and I looking me over. "I don't suppose you have a black panther in there some where, you'd be perfect for a Halloween prop."

(No, but I can add one to inventory if you'll catch it,) watching her.

"Ok enough of that," Danny pulling her away from me, "Sam and I will start moving this stuff down stairs, Tuck you got that," pointing up at the plate we'd finished putting up, "you two," pointing at Jazz and I, "be somewhere not together and get going."

(Wow he really doesn't trust us together does he?)

"Well you did just knock him around yesterday he does have a reason to be afraid of you," her voice intestinally louder than it needed to be to goad her brother.

"I'm not afraid of him," he barked taking the bait.

"Sure your not," looking at him, "and make sure you leave the charm alone we're still trying to figure out how to move it and we don't need a zombie running around."

"I really liked you more before you knew what was going on," he his voice somewhere between amused and hostile as Jazz put me on the ground and walked down stairs.

"It's going to be really weird with those to now," Tucker whispered flipping through the pages of the manual for the new piece of equipment and looking up plate. "Ok I don't think I can do this guys," his voice growing louder, "there's not enough room for me to do this, I can guide Danny though the wiring but no way I can run my hand through that little crack and do this with any accuracy."

"No can do Tuck, I can't phase through that thing and work at the same time."

I looked up at it, trying to remember how much space was there and nodded my head a little, while I worked things out in my head (If you,) looking up at the other boy, (can give decent directions I think I can do this with the right body.)

"I don't think a cat or a bear are really going to help here," looking down at me.

(I don't just become bigger,) focusing my mind and morphing into my mouse body. When I was done I looked up at him and wiggled my nose, (just put me in there and tell me what to do.)

"Sweet," picking me up, "I have a test coming up in a few days, I don't suppose you could, help me with it?"

(Help stealing the answers or help giving you the answers?) while he stepped up the ladder and pushed me through the crack into the maze of wires and electronic components.

"You've done this before haven't you?"

(Crawling though circuitry, yes, coming up with ways of cheating, also yes, and no I'm not going to help you, I'll spy on people for you, I will do pretty much anything you ask, provided you give me a really good reason to do it, but I don't cheat for people. So start talking what goes where and how do I not get my little furry body burned from the inside out.)

"Wow," Sam's voice a little muffled given everything that now separated us, "A guy with powers and ethics, I never thought I'd see the day."

"Hey," Danny's voice anger but with a hint of laughter.

"I'm never going to find anyone with powers willing to help me am I?"

(Not from this little rodent, now lets go I only have two hours till I have to change back.)

"Two hours, what you have some place to be?" shining a light into the crack.

I ended up going though my life and the rules by which I'm forced to live it for them while Tucker fed me directions on how to wire the machine. I was glad I didn't need to weld anything, I just had to plug wires into different colored parts, the task not taking much more than an hour. It would've been shorter but I had to keep yelling at Tucker to focus when he started drifting off growing to wrapped up in my history to tell focus on the manual. Finally he offered me a hand to crawl onto so he could escape the cramped space, something my rodent mind wasn't thrilled by having found the mass of wires and darkness comforting.

"So all you eat is meat," for some reason that was a real sticking point for the boy.

(Lets just say most of the other food groups are ignored, but I have been known to venture out into the other sources of food. Why do you care so much?)

"He's a self labeled carnivore," the goth spat, "your probably live the life he wishes he could."

"Meat twenty four seven without needing anything else, yeah I wish I was him," putting me on the floor so I could demorph. "Ok yes the feathers would kinda suck, not to mention the tree thing, but that is the perfect diet right there."

(You think my feathers suck and eating meat is a good thing? I would trade my diet in a heart beat to keep flying, the best thing about this body is the flying. Do you know how much of a pain in the butt it is to constantly kill mice, and rats, and snakes, and a dozen other critters that all fight back in order to keep living? This is by no means the best diet a man could ask for, especially when you have to start eating road kill because your having a bad week.)

"You eat road kill?" Sam's arms loaded with debris.

(When I have to, the hawk does not stop at the outside, the mind is also raptor. I choose to live like a hawk, it's weird and dangerous but I like it, it's part of who I am, it has been for years. I couldn't go back to being a normal human if I wanted to, which I don't.)

"You seem pretty calm about this?" dumping the load in a trash can.

(Same can be said to you,) my eyes trained on her, (I've had a long time to come to terms with who and what I am, you three on the other hand are accepting this way to fast.)

"We live in a town where ghost attacks are the norm, as weird as you and your story are, we've come across weirder."

"Um…," the computer expert clearing his throat and shaking his head, "no we haven't, this might be the single weirdest thing we've ever dealt with. He just said aliens rewired our minds, I don't think it's possible to go higher on the insane-o-meter than that."

"Still it's not like we haven't dealt with weird stuff before."

(I don't envy you when you realize the scope of what's going on,) my thoughts putting a stop to their conversation. (I'm not going to deny that you all have been through some weird times, but you don't really comprehend what's going on yet, you have no real idea how you've been violated, how deep it goes. You might think your ok with this, but at some point it's going to hit you, and ok is the last thing you'll be. Trust me I speck from experiences, I've been manipulated by the best for years, I know the feeling of finding out everything you think you know is a lie.)

"Well don't you know when to kill the mood," the half ghost's voice somber.

"But he's right," Jazzes voice coming form the door, "I already went through it after he told me, one night, maybe not tonight, but at some point everything he said is going to hit you and your going to start questioning everything you've ever done because you won't understand if everything you've done is real, or even the truth. It won't be fun, but ride it out, call us if you have to, just don't do anything stupid. The past is the past and we can't change it, we just have to move forward and hope everything we've done, and everything we remember is the truth."

"Your telling me you believe him?" Danny scoffed. "Come on sis he has no proof about any of this, for all we know he's just lying through his teeth about all this stuff. Ok yes I believe the stuff about Vlad capturing him and turning him loose on us, but the rest? Please, that sounds like something out an insane book."

"I don't expect you to believe it yet Danny," looking at her brother and sighing, "don't expect any of you. I've known Tobias longer than you, listened to him more. I know what he's saying sounds implausible, but I believe him, the way he talks, it's obvious he was there, that he did do all of this, and just because we don't remember any of it doesn't mean it didn't happen."

"That is such a load of…"

"Ghosts," cutting her brother off, "how many people believe in them? How many people think they, that our family, is nothing more than a joke? We know they exist even if no one else in the world doesn't, so how does that make us any different from him?"

"Because we can prove it," he growled, "I can turn into a ghost…."

"And he can become creatures from other worlds Danny. People in this town laughed at our parents till ghosts started attacking, do you really want to laugh at him and then one day have to deal with the fact that he might just being telling the truth?"

"But he has no proof."

For a second I considered breaking in on them and telling them about the Chee, about the race that had made all this possible, but decided not to, I'd made a promise to keep their secret, and I wasn't going to break it just to end some stupid little argument. (Forget it Jazz,) stopping them from continuing, (it doesn't matter if he believes me or not, I know what happened, it's for the best if no one earth does.)

"Tobias," she whispered to me.

(Forget it Jazz, whether they believe me or not I really don't care, but you need to know this,) looking at Danny, (Rachel died protecting this world, because of her sacrifice you are free I don't care if you believe that but it's the truth and the next time you fighter you will respect her.)

"And what let her take me," rolling his eyes.

(No but you must fight her with everything you have and you must not stop till one of you is done.)

"Yeah that makes sense," practically spitting the words.

(It does to those of us that have shed our blood in battle and have the blood the wild running through our veins.) After that I could tell he wanted to yell back at me, but he…they didn't dare, not with Jazz standing next to me, they might not have respected me, but they did respect her and that was enough. After that we spent several hours in relative silence, only speaking with those in our unique groups, or as much of a group as two people can be. Jazz and I scurried around the house moving what we could, I took on various forms through out the day to move things she couldn't, the polar bear for raw strength when putting a furniture or equipment back in the right place. I went human for more delicate work, moving things here and there, putting books back, basic minimal things. The mouse and the lizard crept in every now and then for more subtle jobs where space was a limitation. It took a while between us but we managed to get the house mostly back to normal, there were parts here and there we couldn't fix without professionals, but Jazz was right we could cover most of that up by just telling her folks it was a ghost attack.

It was midday by the time we were done, and all I wanted to do was fly back to my tree and sleep for several hours, but I wasn't sure my wings would take me there. In the end I just ended up sitting on the roof of the op center, letting the wind blow against my feathers and having my spirits lifted as I pretended my body didn't hurt and I was in the sky. Down below me I could see the damage I'd caused, including the stain my body made on the ground, and a shiver ran though my body. If what Jazz had told me, what she'd done to me was true, I was amazed I was still breathing, by all rights having that much of my body cut off should've killed me, if not directly then by me going into shock and preventing me from demorphing. The only thing I could figure was the thing around my neck had kept me going and allowed me to somehow stay conscious. We were all still kind of concerned by the fact the body had been gone by morning, if someone had gone and picked in up I hadn't heard it, which wasn't a good. It was made all the worse by the fact I couldn't pick anything up on any of my noses, granted I'd only used my dog and mouse ones, but still it bothered me that I couldn't pick up anything. In the end I had to push it from my mind, whatever came we'd deal with it then, and we had enough problems to deal with at the moment.

I took a deep breath when I was interrupted by the hatch opening, (something up Jazz?)

"No and I'm not Jazz," Sam's voice coming from behind me. A quick look back told me she was alone and I hopped over to her so she wouldn't have to get near the edge and risk sliding off. "Is it ok if we talk?"

(Ok,) looking around, (sure you don't want to do this inside?)

She sat down on the metal surface, "I'm ok, not the first time I've been up here." She looked around a little before turning back to me, "I'm sorry for those two down there, well at least Danny."

(If this is because he didn't believe me I don't care,) ruffling my feathers. (I know the story sounds insane and there's no reason for him to believe me I'm fine with that, if I was him I wouldn't believe it either.)

"That's not it," sighing, "well it is, but it's not."

(Jazz?) already knowing where this was going.

"Yeah, he doesn't like people around his sister, it doesn't matter what you tell him, he'll find some reason not to like you till you prove," shaking her, from her face I was guessing she was trying to find the right way of saying it, finally she just shrugged, "something. Whatever guys make other guys do to prove they can date their sisters."

(Again, we're not dating, she s friend that's it,) looking up at her and stomping my foot to emphasize it.

"I saw how you two were acting today, that was more than friendship. You two may not say the words but it's obvious you care about each other more than you want to let on. You can lie to the others, you can lie to me, but don't lie to yourself, we both know whatever you two share it's a little more than friendship. I don't know what it is and it's none of my business but it is there. In any case, your just going to have to give Danny time to get use to someone hanging around his sister."

I considered what she said for a minute, at least the Danny part of it, the Jazz and I thing was ridicules, a girl like that having feelings for a freak like me, no way does lightning like that strike twice. That girl could have anyone, no way she'd waste time on a living feather duster like me. Ok yes, I was attracted to her, both mentally, physically and spiritually and I wasn't afraid to admit that to myself even if I couldn't say it to her. But that was all there was between us, an attraction on my side, the girl was way to good for someone like me and we both knew it.

(Let me guess,) looking up at her, (this is the same speech Jazz gave you about Danny?)

"WHAT," her eyes being ripped fro the horizon, "Danny and I are a completely different situation, we are friends there is absolutely no other relationship there."

(Yeah right,) rolling my eyes, (I could smell it all over the two of you, every time you two get together you start putting off pheromones.)

"I…we…that is not my fault, I can't help what I unconsciously do."

(True, very true, and a biological attraction doesn't always mean anything,) playing a long with her.

"Exactly," her word coming out a little to fast, a sheen of sweat on her brow.

For a little while we just sat in silence, stewing in our own juices, both a little unsure what to do. Finally I broke the calm, (so how do I win him over?)

"Hard to say," her words slow seeming a little distracted, "he might come over on his own, Jazz might convince him, you might have to do something. I've known him a long time and even I don't understand how his mind works most of the time."

(So why are you telling me this?)

"Because I've known Jazz almost as long as I've known Danny, and she's always been up tight. Even when she was younger she seemed older then everybody else, then you showed up, and she became someone else. She's still Jazz but different, calmer, more relaxed, younger, I don't know what you did to her, but I want you to keep it up." She sighed a little, "she's kind of like a big sister to me, she helped me work through a few things I couldn't tell my parents. She deserves to be happy if you can do that for her, then I don't care who you are or what you've done, I just want you to make her life a little better."

If I could have smiled I would've, (your nothing like the goths I use to go to school with?)

"Yeah, I'm not exactly the typical goth," a little smirk on her face. "And just for the record I believe you."

(Believe which part, you just got finished calling me a liar?)

"The alien part."

(Really?)

"Look up, well look up when it's night, there are a lot a stars up there and most of them have to have worlds around them Some of those worlds have to have life and it only makes sense some would be more technologically advanced than us. Up till now I always doubted any of them had come here, I never really bought into crop circles and abductions, but I knew races had to be up there."

(That doesn't explain why you believe me,) my head slightly cocked to the side.

"Even if I ignore the bodies I've seen you take today, not to mention the whole transformation thing, that's way beyond anything human science can accomplish. There is one thing that makes me believe you, Jazz trusts you and she doesn't do that lightly most of the time. If she thinks your telling the truth there has to be something to it, and even if I don't understand it, I choose to trust her."

(It may be a straight answer but I'll take it,) looking out over the horizon. We talked a little longer on the roof about this and that, generally lighter subjects, food, music, exactly what I could become and what I would and wouldn't do with my powers as apposed to all the things Danny had done. In a lot of ways the stuff he pulled reminded me of the things Marco had done with his powers, and I became really glad we couldn't put those two together because I feared for the world if they worked in harmony.

In the end we were interrupted as the hatch opened and Jazz popped her head up, "please tell me your not arguing up here," she whimpered.

"No just having a normal conversation, or as normal as talking with a telepathic bird gets."

(Problem?)

"Just need to know what the two of you think about this before we do it," and she ducked back down the hatch.

(Am I the only one who is suddenly afraid?) hopping over to the hatch behind Sam.

"It's the plan of someone with Fenton blood, fear is always a good thing," laughing as stepped down the ladder but held the hatch open so I could glide down. A few seconds later the five of us were gathered around the ghost relic that up till now hadn't been touched out of fear of what might happened.

"Ok," Danny said bending down and looking at the charm, "here's the plan, we have to move it, but we can't touch it, we don't trust the high tech route so we're going low tech. We're going to grab with a pair of pliers and put it in the weapons vault inside one of the old tool boxes. If everyone thinks this is a good idea we do it, if not we try and figure something else out." We all ended up agreeing and Danny ended up grabbing it with a pair of pliers, and second later he was catapulted across the room as the cord discharged a pulse of ectoplasm.

The others ran over to him and pulled him up, "well that went well," Tucker mocked helping to steady his friend.

Coughing and groaning, "well it seemed like good idea at the time."

(Good idea, bad body,) my thoughts hitting them while I stared at the object of my enslavement.

"You have a better idea," he growled pushing the others off and walking over to me.

(Not really but it's worth a shot,) my body shifting feather replaces fur, my tail grew out wings turning into legs, talons receding into new feet. A few seconds after I started I was an otter, one of my favorite bodies, it might not have been fastest or the strongest body I had, but I loved the mind. The mind was raw energy and curiosity, but unlike some of the other minds it had a calm centered outlook as well. It wanted to explore and run, sure it was a little afraid of the new surroundings and the people, but it didn't see any reason to run yet, not as long as they didn't come after me, and even then they might just want to play. I mostly took control of the mind, but let the playful side stay on the surface, hoping it would calm me of the stupid thing I was about to do.

"Oh yeah, that's gunna be real useful," Danny groaned rolling his eyes.

I didn't care I was going to play a game and started jumping around slightly and darting around the room away from them. "You do have control of the mind right Tobias?" Jazz's eyes following me, under the circumstances it was a good question.

(Oh yeah,) turning around and running at them, the freshly cleaned floor making my slide a little like I wanted. (Move,) I barked in their minds watching them jump aside letting me slide up to it and whack it with my tail. For a second everything seemed to jump forward then I saw the broken necklace fly through the open door and out of sight hitting somewhere down stairs. The otter's joy ran through my mind making me bob my head, (now that is low tech,) looking back at the others.

Jazz shot me a smile, and patted me on the head, "show off."

"Simple but effective, I like it," Sam moving to the door to look for it.

Tucker patted Danny on the back, "well I thought it was a good plan man."

That was pretty much how we got the thing into the weapons vault, Danny and I taking turns kicking the charm, or the otter equivalent there of, and avoiding the cord till we got it in room. We stuck to the job mostly out of caution, if the others tried and missed, well I didn't want to think about what could happen to them. Finally I was able to tail whack it up into the tool box while Danny shut it and locked it away from the world.

"That was one of the strangest things I've ever seen in this house," Jazz said picking me up and rubbing my furry ears like I was cat, not that I had a problem, the otter liked the attention and so did I.

"I don't think that was the best way to handle it but it worked," Sam's arms crossed

"Hey it's done that's all that matter am I right," Tucker said next to Sam.

Danny just looked at me nestled in her arms and glared, "I guess so," sighing and shaking his head, "that was a pretty good plan bird."

(Plan? You think that was a plan, all my plans end in blood shed. That was going with instinct and trusting dumb luck,) looking at him from my position in Jazz's grasp.

"That was dumb luck," floating over to me.

(Dumb luck and coincidence is a running theme in my life,) looking up at Jazz and speaking only to her, (as much as I like this can you let me down?)

"Well at least you didn't sink your claws into like a cat," bending down and placing me on the floor and letting me demorph.

"So," Tuckers eye shifting between us, "if everything is done, what are we going to do now?"

"Pizza?"

"Large veggie."

"Large meat."

Jazz cut the pair off before the argument could get going, "we can order both you two."

"As long as his stays away from me fine," Sam hissed.

"Bah," Tucker moving past her and to the living room, "one of these days your going to under stand the power of meat."

(I wonder if he'd like to wake up with a twenty seven foot snake in his bed?) my thoughts going to everyone but Tucker getting a snicker out of all of them.

"What," he asked hearing their sounds.

"Nothing," Sam darting past him and running for the phone, "I'll order."

"Not a chance we're are not getting rabbit food," bolting after her.

(Arguing about pizza, it's been awhile,) shaking my head.

"For both of us," the red head walking past me and looking at her brother, "so does this get as bad as it sounds from across the hall?"

"Who do you think put together the dueling protests at school a while back?"

(Dueling protests? This I have to hear,) hopping up to them.

I spent the night listening to the four argue back and for about this and that, food, our next step, music, movies, school work, basically everything the others had argued about in the past after planning for a Yeerk mission. I'd forgotten what it as like to be with normal people, who weren't all that normal, that's be taking about seeing a movie then go off on how it was attacked by this guy or had this happen to it. It was so much like old times it was scary.

* * *

**DP Style**

"AAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHH," the wall exploding as it was hit with an ectoplasm blast.

The Fright Knight stood in the back of the room with his arms crossed not speaking, but enjoying the show. The halfa had been at it almost an half an hour, having finally come to terms with the fact that Tobias had failed and he wasn't getting the Charm of Soll Thild back. "At least we recovered what was left of his body," what remained of the polar bear currently on it's way thanks to the ghost delivery service, "and we have gathered some information about his relationship with the ghost boy."

The look Vlad gave him sent a small shiver of fear through him, but left as soon as it appeared. Something between a growl and a sigh slipped past the blue mans lips as twin line of black formed around him and returned him to his slender human form. "True," straightening the thin red bow around his neck, "and knowledge is always valuable, but this has forced me to put other plans on hold till we can reclaim my property."

"And those plans are?"

"You'll know when you need to know," his hands behind his back as he began to pace. This was becoming a reoccurring them with the halfa, always keeping the Knight in the dark about his plans, it was something the ender ghost was quickly growing impatient with. "I miscalculated," turning his attention to his flaming companion, "I assumed the bird was controllable, that's it power couldn't be over come, this has reveled two flaws in that plan, and in doing so, several others. Putting the other plan back on the drawing board for a time might be for the best. However this Tobias has changed all the rules and I need to know more about him."

"We tried interrogating him and it yielded nothing, I don't believe it is possible to scare information out of him."

"Agreed, but there must be those that know him, if not in this world than in the next," turning away from the Fright Knight and heading to the door, "I will search here, take one of the birds and go to the Ghost Zone, find me someone that know him, but do so quietly I don't want anyone to discover what I'm doing until it is done."

Speaking quietly to himself, "wow didn't I think of that," he snarled, before speaking to his employer, "and when I find someone shall I bring them to you?" it was a simple question, but something he needed to know since it could alert those in the Ghost Zone depend on who he or she was.

"Return here, if I believe they are worth it, then you can bring them in using any means necessary. In the mean time I'll arrange an autopsy on what's left of the body , it may reveal something useful about this creature and his powers."

"As you wish," bowing to the man and walking out of the room and to the ghost portal.

"What are you creature," Vlad's words soft his hands behind him. "Your not a ghost, but you have powers that rival ours, your capable of death yet you can cheat it. You are an enigma, a wild card in my game and I can't allow you to exist as you are, you will either serve me and surrender your secrets or you will die and then surrender them. Either way you will aid me, and you will help me turn Danny and bring Maddie to my side where she belongs."

* * *

**Tobias POV**

"Ok just explain to me one more time why you can't become any of these girls?"

I'd lost count of how many times Tucker had asked me that over the last two days, the guy just couldn't stop asking me to become a girl he liked and go out on a date with him, or as he called it a fake out make out somewhere everyone from his school would see us. So far I'd managed to brush him off with vague answers and subtle hints about it being slightly gay. But despite that he wouldn't let up, so I finally had no choice but to tell him the truth of why I didn't acquire humans unless I had too.

(Hereth Illint,) the phrase seared into my mind, something that meant nothing to Tucker or the others, Jazz didn't even know this part yet. (It means allergic reaction,) that got a bit of a rise out of them, or at least my mental tone did. (You know how some people are allergic to strawberries or bee stings, it can also happen to me with DNA. If I acquire someone I'm allergic to I lose control of my powers, all rules go out the window and I can't control what happen till it runs it's course, that ending when I expel the DNA.)

"That doesn't sound so bad," Danny shrugged, "what happens you throw up?"

I laughed at that, or as much as I hawk can laugh, (something like that, only what comes out is a fully form replicate of that DNA.)

"You mean…"

(Bingo Sam, if I'm allergic I don't get better till there's a second one of whatever I acquired running around,) my feathers ruffling at the memory of what Rachel had gone through. (For the most part, loosing control isn't that bad, and letting something out isn't that much of a problem under normal circumstances, provided it doesn't try and eat me, or anyone around me, of course. But with people it's another matter entirely, I'll essentially give birth to a new person, fully formed, but with no memories of anything, guided solely by human instinct.) I looked away from them, (the odds of being allergic are rare and I have acquired humans, sentient life forms, in the past, but it's not a risk I'm willing to do anymore unless it's a matter of life and death.)

"Well I think my reputation is a matter of life and death," he mock grumbled folding his arms over his chest and laying into the couch.

"Yeah not worth having a second Valerie or Star," Danny started

"Or anyone else that catches your eye at the moment," Sam hissed slapping Tucker upside the head. "Honestly only you would consider using him as a date."

(No, Marco brought it up when we first got the powers too, Cassie and Rachel knocked him around for suggesting it to.)

"So I'm in good company?" the goth shooting me a smile.

(The best, although they were better dressers,) I barley got air born as she threw a pillow from the couch at me. (Right, bird keep thy beak shut, have to keep that in mind again,) landing on the arm rest next to Jazz.

"Defiantly something to keep in mind birdie," gently scratching my head, "that or learn to move faster."

(The day I worry about earth bound humans hurting me,) leaning into her hand, (is the day I give up my wings for a set of legs.)

"That can be arranged," Sam laughed moving a strand of hair from her face and going back to her book.

Danny leaned over to grab a peak at the thick hard bound book, "what s so interesting in there," only to have the tome shut in his face.

"None of your business," shooting him a sly look that bordered on seductive before pulling back as Tucker raised and eyebrow.

I already knew what was coming, Tucker was going to give them a hard time but I was already somewhere else mentally. Out in the distance I could hear the sound of artificial thunder, something that could only be made by one thing, the Fenton Family Assault Vehicle, and more specifically Jazz and Danny's parents. After we'd finally gotten things as back to normal as possible she'd called them to let them know what had happened, or at least to a point, and not surprisingly they'd dropped what they were doing and driving back here as fast as that monster they called a car would take them.

(Your folks are back so it looks like it's time for this bird to disappear,) hopping down and flying out of the room.

"Whoa whoa get back here," Jazz bolting after me, she didn't have to go far as I landed and look back at her.

(How many times do I have to say this, your parents don't like, normally this wouldn't be a problem, but they both have guns, that really changes how I perceive them.)

"Let me worry about my parents," looking over her shoulder, "we already have Danny kind of working with us, we won't tell them anything, but I at least want you capable of walking in the door without being worried about."

I looked at her, watching my reflection in her eyes and slowly nodded, knowing there was no more point in arguing with her then there had been with Rachel. Those two were cut from the same cloth, both hard as steel and able to get to do whatever they wanted. (Your call, but if they shot me I'm flying the coop.)

"He has got to be the only person on the planet that can say that and mean it," Tuckers elbows spreading over the top of the couch.

"My sister is going to convince my parents to let a bird use the front door," the half ghost shaking his head, "and here I thought I was going to be the really weird one in this generation."

"You are the weird one Danny," his sister shouting at him while I morphed my human form, a sheen of sweat already forming on my body. "Clam down," she whispered pulling me into the room and out of sight of the front door, "trust me, I'll deal with them."

"Yeah because you've been so good at that in the past," her brother rolling his eyes.

"Shut it Danny, I can do this, I'm older, I'm wiser, I know I have the three of you to back me up when I tell them Tobias is ok."

"Hey, don't drag us into this," Tucker slightly moving into the couch, "this is a family thing, I like you guys but I'm not family, and I've seen what your parents guns can do, I do not want to be in the cross fire if they get trigger happy."

"He's not exactly instilling confidence in me here Jazz," I whispered to her.

"Ignore them," putting her fingers on my lips, "I can do this."

She moved away from me after that and positioned herself by the door waiting for their return. A few moments later I heard the car pull up same as everybody else and it became a waiting game. A few moments later they burst through the door, I was a little glad it didn't come off it's hinges.

"Are you ok sweetheart," from what I could see the large man pulled her into a bear hug, "we got here as soon as we could." Pulling away from her and looking around somehow missing me, "where is that ghost scum, I'll turn him into paste."

"He's gone Jack," the elder redhead putting her hazmat covered hand on his shoulder, he has been for two days, right dear?"

I thought she answered a little to quick as the word shot out faster than it should've, "absolutely," giving them a smile, "Danny and I took care of it."

"That's my girl," the big man scooping her up, "your going to be a great ghost hunter one day."

"Except I don't want to be dad," slipping out of his grip and landing on the ground, "you know that."

"Bah Fenton blood run through your veins, it's destiny, now where's my boy," walking past her and in the opposite direction from us.

"You are ok right," the elder redhead pulling her hood away from her face and placing her hands on her daughter, "nothing hurt," her tone genital and full of concern.

"I'm fine mom, we both are, a few scrapes and scratches, but otherwise we're fine."

Hugging her daughter, "I was so worried about you two, why didn't you put the shield on?"

"We did," her words low, "it didn't work, something happened to it, I don't know what," not technically a lie since I'd damaged it a bit in the fight so as far as they'd be able to tell it might've been a glitch.

"I'll have to look at it," letting go of her daughter and looking around, "all things considered you did a great job putting thinks back together, it's not quite back to normal but the rest shouldn't be that hard to fix."

"We had help," her hands on her mothers and pulling her into the room.

"Sam, Tucker," her eyes on her sounds friend Jazz blocking her vision of me. "You didn't have to do this."

"Not a problem Mrs. Fenton," all trace of Sam's usually sarcasm gone.

"Not like we couldn't have been doing other things," Tucker grumbled a little only to get elbowed by his friend, "I mean no problem."

"They weren't the only ones that helped," moving herself out of the way, and pretty much giving me a heart attack when the elder redhead looked at me.

"You," her words as cold as ice, it took all my power not to jump over the chair and hide behind it.

"Um…hi, don't kill me," the words just slipping out while my eyes remained glued to her arm ready to run if the gun unfolded.

"What is he doing here Jasmine Fenton?" not looking g at her daughter.

"He," moving between us, "helped us fix the house. Look I'm old enough to make my own decisions, and yes I know I made some bad choices in my life, but I shouldn't be penalized because of them forever. Whatever you think Tobias and I are, it's not true," holding her hand back and taking mine, "he's my friend, nothing more, but even if he wasn't no one in the family has the right to tell me who I can and can't see. Look I know your trying to help, trying to protect me, but you have to let me make my own mistakes, and you can at least let those lapses in judgment rest before condemning all my other choices. If your going to hate him fine, I can't stop you, all I ask is you at least get to know him before you chase him out, for all you know you might end up liking him."

For a few moments neither spoke, the tension growing thick in the air and threatening to turn deadly as they stared each other down. Finally her mother broke it, "alright," sighing and giving her daughter a sad smile, "I'll give him a shot," looking past her to me, "but if you hurt her…..," the threat left hanging.

"I won't," my voice coming out as squeak. I cleared in and tried to get it back, "I don't know what went on in the past with Jazz I don't really care. I know this is between you and her, but I know she's smart enough to recognize her own screw ups, and I know for some reason she thinks I'm worth being around. I know you and your family attract some weird things and I'll never be able to fully understand them, but I'm willing to face them if it means I can spend time with her and if something comes after her, I'll do what I can to make sure she comes back to you."

A smug little smirk formed on her face at that, "good answer, tell me did the two of you rehearse it earlier?"

"I was being sincerer," despite my position a slight growl was in my words.

Before she could say anything I nearly jumped out of my chair as her dad came into the room still looking for Danny and saw my. "YOU," the gun unfolding from his arm and causing me to flip the chair and put it between us. "I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!"

"DAD"

"JACK," the female Fenton's yelled at the same time getting between us. "Put it down dear," the woman in the blue hazmat suit pulling his arm down as she walked over to him.

"But he….they," looking from Jazz to me to his wife.

She looked back at her daughter, "we're going to trust Jazz to do the right thing, but," turning and looking at me, "you need to work on the attitude, tough guys don't impress me. However you didn't back down, I don't know what to make of you yet, but I do think you were being honest about protecting our daughter, make sure you don't need to."

"YEAH….I think….huh?" looking at his wife.

"Just come with me, and help me make of list of everything we need to fix."

When they were out of sight Jazz turned to me, "I think that went better than expected."

"That went well, I thought your mom was going to break my neck!" I barked at her.

"But she didn't which is why it went better than I thought," offering me a hand up. "Moms the really force here, where she goes dad will follow, and I think you impressed her, that might be enough to get her to give you a real chance, and from there it's just a matter of putting dad on a short leash."

"Gee thanks for that image," rolling my eyes, "so when do you think would be a good time for me to beat it, or should I press my luck?"

"The smart moneys on leaving," Danny hissed walking by me.

"Danny," she growled, despite the slight acceptance her brother had shown me, it was still obvious that he didn't want me hanging around his sister for any real length of time.

"Just saying it might be a good idea for him to leave for a while, let them get use to the idea instead of forcing him on them."

"Danny," the words carrying a threat.

"No," putting my hand on her shoulder, "he has a point, besides I need to get home," getting closer to here so no one else could hear, "a falcons decided he likes my home and I need to reinforce who owns that little chunk of land."

"I never thought I'd have someone tell me that," she whispered with a slight laugh in her voice. She lightly ran her fingers over my face, "just be careful ok."

"This isn't even a blip on the radar Jasmine," pulling away from her, I had a good idea what we must have looked like and I really didn't want to give her parents anything else to object to. "See you tomorrow…," giving her a weak wave.

"….even if I don't see you," she finished.

* * *

Authors note

I think that's everything for this chapter I really do, but chances are I'm forgetting something. Yes I know the end kinda sucks but I just can't come up with a better way of ending the chapter. Rejoice everyone that wanted Vlad, you got him, what happens next, well you'll have to wait and hope the muse stays with me. I'm not exactly sure what to do next, well I am, but I'm not sure I don't want to store that little segment till later because I'm pretty sure I can't work it into the what happens next unless I do it first, but then….never mind I'll figure it out. Yes the five main are now together, and Vlad is beginning to learn things, oh yeah this can't possibly end badly for the planet.

Please R&R


	8. I told you he was trouble

Ytak- sorry about the mistake, but what can I say I'm human, no matter how many times I look I always miss stuff, but I do try to find everything before I post. But on behalf of myself I do apologies for that mistake, because that was a good one.

Saramis Kismet- as I said part of 54 is involved, just not the jump to the future part in the book. With luck your still reading this and understand why I put this in the DP section.

Light Dragon SunsSong- I hope your enjoying this and that this chapter lives up to the other chapters.

* * *

**Jazz POV**

I have nothing against school, I really don't, I use to love going and to a point I still do, but things have just gotten more complicated in my life and there are times I really wish I didn't have to sit through some of these classes. When you know there's more to life than the class room it gets harder to focus on it, for my family it's ghosts, for my best friend it's aliens and out running larger birds.

"Now I know why Danny has so many absences," I hissed under my breath to myself. Ever since learning what he was I'd come to understand to a point why my brothers grades had dropped, but that was part of his life I really didn't understood. The truth was it wasn't just the attacks and the training, it was the sheer boredom of normal life that made him so distracted, something I was faced with myself. If I had the power I'd be up there with them flying around free not caring about the rest of the world, but I didn't have that choice, someone had to be the responsible one of this group and that task seemed to rest of my shoulders for the moment.

Sighing I forced my attention on the teacher rattling off some equation I didn't understand. Growling slightly I looked down at my book and over at the next desk only to find I was five pages behind the rest of the class. "Ok focus," the words more mouthed than spoken flipping through the pages and trying to find the equation and figure out how it related to the subject at hand. Ten minutes later I was still playing catch up, but at least had an idea what was going on and knowing I'd be spending a few hours after school going over the book to try and cover everything my wandering mind had missed.

With that realization in place I zoned out again and just waited for the bell to go off. I knew if I wasn't careful my grades would start going south like my brothers and I wasn't going to let that happen, but at the moment my mind just wasn't into it. The lecture just ended up becoming white noise to me, my mind wandering back to a time when my life was simple and not filled thoughts of ghost attacks, ex-girlfriends from beyond the grave, and evil multi millionaires in love with my mother, the last thought sending a chill down my spine.

"How long does this class last," the words coming out louder than I planned and I stiffened ready to hear the nasally voice of my teacher come down on me for the comment. However nothing came and for a second I thought she hadn't heard me, then it dawned on me that I wasn't hearing anything, not the teacher, not anybody else in the room, I couldn't even hear the subtle tick of the clock anymore. Looking around the lack of sound was accompanied with a lack of movement, from everything. The teacher didn't move, the digital display of the watch on my neighbor's wrist didn't move, even a fly was hanging in air not moving, it was like the whole world had been put on pause but me. A chill ran through me but I held it in check, I had to approach this logically and I couldn't do that if I followed my first instinct and hid under the desk and started slapping myself to make sure I wasn't losing it.

"Hello," I kept my voice at a normal decibel level and hoped someone would say something, but they didn't. Sighing "ok," leaning back in the chair, "this is weird," I force myself to slowly get up just in case the world started moving again, something that by the time I got to the door didn't seem like a big concern. "Ok girl you've seen your brothers files, are there any ghosts that can freeze time," pushing the door open cautiously just in case something was behind it.

"I've been asking that myself," my brothers voice coming from down the hall and seeming very loud in the still hallway, "and if I have I don't remember them but it's possible someone has a new power."

"One minute Mr. Lancer is yelling at us and this," Tuckers arms waving up and down, "I'm not arguing but I don't suppose someone knows what's going on."

"Shared psychotic break with reality," Sam offered, a slight hesitation in her steps as she stayed near the other two. She was doing her best to mask her fear, but I had we all knew how she felt, even for them from what I understood, was a little bizarre.

The four of us spent about five minutes walking though the school and as far as we could tell we were the only things moving. If everyone else was a live of dead we couldn't tell, along with their bodies their pulses had stopped so as for all we knew everyone in the school was dead except for us. It only got worse when we looked outside, and the entire world seemed to be suffering form the same condition. Out of mutual agreement we all went inside after that little discovery, I'm not sure if it was out of fear or just caution but till we needed to cross that line none of us were willing to do anything.

"So we're the only people left on earth," Sam's voice holding a far away quality that signaled she might start panicking if something was done.

"Yeah you know what that means don't you," a sly look on Tuckers face as he rubbed his hand's together. "Not only am I now one of the coolest people on the planet we have to start repopulati….."

(NO YOU DON'T,) Tobias' thought speak invading all our minds and making our computer expert jump a bit.

He growled something under his breath and pointed up at the red tail flying down the hall, "man that isn't cool."

"Not the time Tucker," I barked and looked down the hall the hall to the hawk, "oh tell me you have some clue what's going on."

(Maybe give me a second,) landing at my feet and starting to morph. I've seen him do this enough to know it's not always pretty or orderly but it is amazing. DNA somehow rewrites itself, mass is somehow sucked out of another realm that's somehow related to the Ghost Zone, instincts begin to develop. Tobias is the Holy Grail for psychologists, zoologists, behaviorists, physicists and at least a dozen other fields of study, and yet all he wants is to live in peace and eat a few mice. Feathers disappear, each one sucked into his body, bones shift, some break apart and knit back together, internal organs change, some disappear while others are grown, clothing somehow sprouts from his body and he starts shooting up in height till he stands about as tall as me, a mess of dirty blond hair running down his back, an animal shirt on his body along with a jacket, jeans and shoes.

"So," Tuckers fingers drumming against a wall impatient for an answer.

"Give him a second his mouth has to form," I growled at my brothers friend before shifting my eyes back to Tobias watching his beak recede into his face forming lips.

He moved his jaw slightly, a little routine he'd started doing after morphing, "good news bad news. I might know what's going on," scratching the back of his head, "but if I'm right this is going to get really bad before it ends."

"You actually know what this is?" my brother growled grabbing his arm and forcefully turning him towards him. "We need straight answers, and don't trout out the alien thing again."

I sighed and rolled my eyes at that, Danny had just never excepted that part of Tobias' story, not that I could blame him. Our parents fight ghosts and even I find parts of his story just a little to hard to believe. Doing my best to keep my voice calm I tried to defuse what was becoming a tense situation, "not the time for testosterone Danny."

"She's right, we're goi…..," his words trailing off as he seemed to focus on something past my brother. I followed his eyes but didn't see anything. "No way," his words far away as he pushed past my brother and ran down the hall. He moved near a hall and I thought he'd dart down it, Danny a few step behind, but he stopped as something whipped out at him faster than my eyes could see.

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**Tobias POV**

I've seen my fair share of weird things in my life, I've also been my fair share of weird things, and I was looking at someone that was technically both. He was a little older, his blue fur was a little mangy now but at the same time having an elegant look to it. His arms seemed a little bigger than beforehand he had a gun belt around his body that held a shredder, a kind of high tech laser weapon that could do a fair amount of damage if he decided to shoot me. His eyes had an intensity that hadn't been there before, and he seemed to radiate confidence and strength, just like his brother had the only time I'd been in his presence despite being hurt all those years ago. The man before me sent chills up my spine, and made my eyes water a little in joy, something I didn't know I'd been missing seeming to grow in my body as I took him in.

(Do not move,) his tail blade against my throat, a warning strike, if he'd wanted to my head would be rolling across the floor before I could blink. (I don't wish to harm you creature but I…)

I cut him off before he could finish his thought, "you don't want to do that Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill, you really don't," my voice low so the others couldn't hear us.

At the sound of his name his tail twitched nicking me slightly but not enough to make me move. (How do you know who I am.)

"Look at my face and think back, there aren't that many choices," crossing my arms in direct defiance of his tail.

He stared at me for a moment with his main eyes, the other two moving this way and that, always scanning just as he had been taught at the academy. Then his eyes went wide and his tail moved pulling from my neck and shooting around the back of my head and pulling me forward and out of sight of the others, (Tobias,) the thoughts almost devoid of hope.

In hushed tones, "it's been a long time, I'm glad to see you Ax-man," his tail moving from my head. Off in the hall I could hear the tell tale signs of Danny shifting into his ghost form and I had to bark out, "EVERYBODY STAY PUT," in order to keep my time with my old friend to myself till I was sure this needed to involve the others.

Before I could blink his tail blade was back at my throat, (I don't know what you are but you will pay for this deception.)

I did my best not to flinch or sweat but it was hard since I knew full well what he could do, and that there was no way I could demorph from a decapitation. "Put it down Ax, you know me," my voice steady despite the fear of nearing death.

(I think not, whatever you are you can not be him, because…..)

"Everyone on earth hard their minds wiped by experimental Andalite nanites," his main eyes growing slightly larger as he looked at me in surprise. "Key word there Ax, 'on earth' I wasn't here when that happened."

(You expect me to believe that,) a slight rise to his fur as his anger grew, (I my not have known where he was, but I would've known if he left the planet.)

"Unless I used a slightly different method say the same guy that's doing this?" lifting an eyebrow.

(The Ellimist,) practically spitting the name with his mind.

"The same," grateful when he pulled his blade away from me, but in turn focused all his eyes on me.

(Your asking me to believe a lot, I need proof that your telling me the truth.)

"Well that's kind of pointless isn't it? The guy knows everything, no matter what I tell you he could have found out so it becomes a matter of do you trust me? Do you believe I am who I say I am?"

He didn't say anything at that he just stared at me, his eyes going up and down my body trying to take in every detail of my form, and given the look in his eyes I knew if he didn't believe me he'd strike me down for wasting his time. Finally he stopped and looked in my eyes, (I can't prove what your saying, but for now I will take you at your word but if I find out you are lying to me, the price you will pay is beyond your comprehension.)

"Fair enough, but I'm not lying to you , this is me Ax, or would you prefer a feathered body," allowing myself to demorph in front of him.

(You're a bad imitation,) his lashing out and barely missing my as I jumped back and flapped out of range of that inhumanly fast tail.

(What is your deal,) then it hit me, I'd forgotten that I morphed faster than I use to, faster than an Andalite could. (I worked for him Ax,) hopping back into the hall as he approached and seeing Danny hang in the air in his ghost form. Focusing on the ghost alone, (let me handle this,) and focusing back on Ax, (remember the Hork-Bajir fiasco, I worked for him and got paid with morphing and my human body. This is the same deal I worked for him and I asked for a few new tricks in return, you want to tail whip me fine but I don't think your brother would really approve of it.) I knew the last part was a low blow, but I had to get through to him and Elfangor's memory would do it much faster than anything I said to him.

His tail hovered in the air, ready to strike but it never did, instead lowering to it's ready position, (how long did you work for him?)

(Five years Ax, I was the equivalent of a Drode, an emissary of his will, doing all sorts of things, most which I can't remember. For you a long time has passed, for me it seems like we parted ways last year. Yes I know most of the stuff that's gone on here since I left, Erek filled me in.)

His tail vibrated in a sign of rage I'd come to expect from Andalites, (WHY? You know him, he can't be trusted why would you work for that creature?)

I glared up at him with my hawk face, hoping I was giving him more of a death glare than I normally did, (I wanted Rachel back, I thought he could give her to me.)

(Oh,) stepping back slightly, his eye stalks lowering in shame and regret.

I turned a way from him not wanting to meet any of his eyes but still keeping an eye on his deadly tail with my peripheral vision, (it didn't work Ax, and I just want to put it behind me.)

(I'm sorry, I knew you loved her but I had no idea you would go to such lengths to reunite with her,) his tail lowering to the ground as a sign of empathy.

(Neither did I till it was put in front of me,) turning my body to get a better look at him, (it doesn't matter Ax-man, like you said I should've known better than to make a deal with him. It's like the old sight gag, 'I wish for a million bucks, then you get hit by a herd of deer'.) He lifted an eye stalk at that, a sign of confusion, (it's a cartoon joke Ax, you do remember what those are right?)

(Still images moved at a high rate of speed to simulate movement, I remember.)

I shook my head slightly, (let me guess when you left earth you forgot everything we taught you didn't you?)

(Not everything,) stepping closer, (but a Prince has little use for human trivia,) at that statement he held himself a little straighter, a little prouder.

(You're a Prince? You got promoted, why to go bro,) hopping over to him.

(Thank you, my time on earth severed me well,) bending down to be closer to me, (sometimes I think the only reason I'm still alive is because of what I learned here on earth, fighting with you brother,) thee of his four eyes closing, the last looking at the four humans. (When the end results of the plague were known I feared for you, I believed you were forever trapped as a hawk with out memory of what you once were, I am glad to know you still live and that you are free.)

(I'm glad to know your ok to Ax, I would have called, but the Chee want to remain a secret from everyone, and I don't know how to hotwire telescope and turn it into a communications array.)

He smiled at that and made the huffing sound I recognize as Andalite laughter, (I understand, one told me they were going underground again, at least now I know your ok, when this is over I will come for you and take you off this world so you can be with those that will respect you so you must no longer live in secrecy.)

(I appreciate that, but I'm not exactly alone,) nodding for him to walk into the hallway, (there are some people I want you to meet, I think it's kind of important.)

(I'm not sure what introducing me to that's that are frozen will do but if you wish I will comply till our abductor makes himself known.)

Three steps into the hall later Tucker screamed, Danny fired a blast of ectoplasm, Ax dodged out of the way and I let out a call that echoed off the walls and froze everyone. (COOL IT GUYS,) my mind invading all five minds and making the humans shiver slightly, Ax being a veteran of more fights than myself didn't even let it phase him.

Ax looked at me with one of his stalk eyes, (back I will deal with him,) readying his tail to strike.

(He's my friend, ok he's not but his sister is and she's not going to be happy with me if you try and take off his arm.)

"You know this thing," Danny's hands still glowing green and rising higher into the air to avoid the range of Ax's tail strike.

(Did I not just say cool it? Ax they're friends don't hurt them, Danny you hurt him and you can never go human again, because if you do I will kill you and they will never find the body, do not doubt that I can do it.)

"Your threatening my over that thing, he's a ghost."

(Ghost?) Ax's eyes main eyes on the half ghost, one stalk eye on me and the other on the three still together.

(No he's a very much alive alien not to mention the closet thing I have to a brother, so back off.)

"Brother," Jazz moved away from the others and coming towards us, but only as far as Danny would allow as he put himself between the three of us.

"I don't know what's going on here Jazz but I don't trust it, for all we know he's behind it."

"We're not going to learn anything by blaming each other Danny," side stepping him a little, "beside Tobias told me about him, or at least I think he did." Looking at Ax, "your Axmilly-estrogenith-isithill," her pronunciation of his name slurred but still recognizable.

I half expected Ax to laugh but instead he grew ridged, (you told them,) given how the others looked I guessed I was the only one he was speaking to. (Do you have any idea just how dangerous that is, humans can't know what happened you could cause a panic not just here but on the ship in orbit.)

(Relax Ax not many people know and it was kind of a necessity for them to know what was going on.)

(How could any situation possibly require you to tell other people, and don't say you were lonely, I know you better than that,) his main eyes now trained on me and his stalk eyes on the others.

"What is going on here," I heard Tucker whisper.

"They're having a private conversation," Jazz hissed, "I don't think he's happy with Tobias."

(I'd tell you but somehow I doubt you'd believe me.)

(Try, I've come to believe a lot of things other Andalites don't because of this world.)

(Ghosts, this is about ghosts,) ruffling my feathers.

(Ghost are the by product and a weak minded and socially inexperienced society that need to believe they can communicate with those that are gone, they don't exist and they never have, if they did Andalite scientist would've discovered them by now.) A typical air of Andalite arrogance washing over him and making me want to claw one of his eyes out.

I shook my head, (how did I know you'd say something like that,) and looked back up at him, then shifted my vision to Danny, (can I get a little demonstration of ghost power for my friend here please?) At first Danny didn't do anything but after a poke in the ribs by his sister and a dirty look to match he did a quick visual run down of his powers. (That prove anything for you Ax?)

(Tricks nothing more, easily replicated with technology.)

(I suppose Rachel coming back from the dead and ripping a path of carnage through the town can be replicated with technology to huh?)

(What?) stepping back slightly, obviously not understanding the entire question.

(You heard me, she died then she came back as a ghost and proceeded to beat the crap out of us due in part to the fact that dieing with morph tech in the system makes for some really powerful specters.)

(That is ridicules,) his tail vibrating in irritation, (your being tricked Tobias, most likely by them if not someone else.)

This wasn't working, Ax like most Andalites I'd met had an ego the size of a small planet when it came to them and their culture. They all seemed to believe that if they hadn't done it couldn't be done, and if he wouldn't take my word for it, or the proof that was Danny I'd have to find another way to convince him. Looking at Jazz it hit me, focusing my mind ion her, (morph tech is related to ghost tech right?)

"I think so, but I can't be sure.'

(Good enough,) focusing back on Ax, (what if it was an accident? You say ghosts don't exist according to my friend there the technology that allowed ghosts to cross over is related to morphing tech. What if it was an accident? You're the one who said humans are evolving faster that Andalites in terms of scientific knowledge, what if we were on the path to making morphing technology got lost on the way, is it possible, I mean just randomly possible what I'm saying could be true?"

He looked at me for a few moments and from the look on his face I was guessing he was mulling everything thing over. (There are stories,) his words slow and labored, (rumors really that have passed into legend that when we first developed this technology strange things would happen. The scientists claimed to see face that weren't there, things would move of their on accord, but after several years we stabilized the technology the stories stopped, except for the occasional, what do you call it, campfire story?) It was a rhetorical question so I didn't answer, (do not take this as an endorsement of this story but sake of argument I'll assume your right about what your saying. It might be possible that you've somehow encountered a Z-space shadow, the remnants of a DNA code that have somehow formed together. My people have debated whether or not they exist for many years but never found proof one way or the other, if this is what your encountering this could be a great discovery. But they are not ghosts,) the last part added more as an after thought, some way to save face.

(Whatever you say Ax,) if I could have smiled I would've, after all these Ax was still willing to go along with anything if they thought they were the ones that came up with it. (All I know is it looked like Rachel and I couldn't stop it alone,) looking to the others, (these four are the closest things we have to experts in the area and I needed them Ax.)

(I understand, but still what your doing is very dangerous I can't be sure how my people will react if they knew some humans have on awareness of the Yeerks.)

(That's not quite all, but we can get to that later, I think I should introduce you to the others since if you're here we may all end up working together.)

He nodded his head slightly at that, a human habit he'd obviously picked up, (at the moment I believe that is a correct assessment of the situation.)

(All right,) my thought speech going to tight beam to wide spread, (we're now in a slight agreement as to what's going on so everyone can calm down. This,) nodding my head, (is Ax, technically his names longer but we've found Ax works best, they can call you that or would you prefer Prince Ax?) looking up to him and hearing a little giggle from someone.

(Lets just stay with Ax, over the years I come to prefer that they not use that title unless it's a matter of protocol.)

(Of course,) rolling my eyes, (now you figure that out,) shaking my head remembering all the times Jake had told him not to all him that, and all the times he'd been ignored. (Anyway, these are my friends, the one hanging in the air is Danny, he had an accent with his parents equipment and now he has a few tricks that are beyond those of normal humans. The girl with the black hair is Sam, she's a bit sarcastic but you can trust her. The guy with the glassed is Tucker, by human standards he's an expert with computers,) that earned us a small snort from Ax. (And the girl with the red hair is Jazz, my friend and confidant in these dark days and Danny's older sister. Everyone this is Ax during the war he was my best friend, we lived in the woods together, protected each other and got into more trouble together than anyone has a right to. He's also part of the Andalite military, Prince is a rank, it means he's pretty high up the food chain, he also knows a lot about human culture, of course it is a little dated. In either case don't try and tick him off, he's been in more fights than any of you and he's deserving of respect.)

"You believing this?" Danny asked.

"Yeah," the words coming out under Jazz's breath before moving to Ax before he could stop her, "Tobias has told me a great deal about you, I'm not sure he wasn't exaggerating a here and there, but I believe this is a great honor."

(For me as well,) bowing his front legs slightly, (Tobias does trust easily, if he considers you friends you must be very special.)

"Not really," moving a few hairs out of her face.

(Modesty, I see he chose very well,) flashing that famous Andalite eye smile that I still don't understand.

"So you're an actual alien," Sam asked moving over to him and walking around him but at the same time keeping her distance from his tail.

(I am, you don't need to be afraid I won't harm you.)

"All the same I'll keep my distance if it's ok," her eyes darting from the long bladed appendage to the rest of him.

"Yeah like this proves anything," Danny hissed, twin rings surrounding him and changing him back to his human form.

(Amazing, how did do that?) Ax's eyes on me.

"We aren't sure yet," Jazz answered him and everyone proceeded to go into the story of the origin of Danny's powers and what we'd been through here followed Ax and I going into a few details on our side, what I'd done in the war, what he'd done. I was able to through in a few key words to keep Ax from going into a few things, namely the our unique relationship. It's not that I'm ashamed of it, it was just something I still wasn't ready to spring on the others yet. I also managed to keep him from talking about the Chee still being on Earth, another thing they didn't need to know about. More than an hour passed by and nothing changed no Ellimist, no Crayak, no time restart, just the six of us still in the school each starting to become a little worried about what was going on.

"I though you said he would show up," Sam hissed looking around.

(He usually does,) I snapped growing a tried of the constant questions, (just because I worked for him it doesn't mean I understand how he thinks.)

(It's possible,) given the way Ax looked I was guessing he was speaking out loud, (that he wasn't us to see something, remember the first time he came to us, he deliberately made us come to him and showed us a way out, it's possible the same thing is going on here.)

"Uh, except this is a school we're not in any danger except from the occasionally pop quiz," Danny growled.

(I have to go with Ax on this he might want us to see something,) earning a glare from Danny, (look we have nothing better to do and I'm getting a little stir crazy in here.)

"Assuming they're right about what we're dealing with they are the only ones with experience Danny maybe we should defer to them for the moment."

"Your taking his side," he snapped at his sister.

"I'm not taking anyone's side but we're all a little stressed and a walk might do us all some good, maybe we can at least think about what's going on."

(Good,) Ax looked around, (one big group or groups of two, one person with powers one without.)

"Now he thinks he's in charge," Danny half whined half snarled in disgust.

(I'm offering a suggestion nothing more, but at the moment those are the two most viable options given our resources.)

"Forget our resources we are not leaving, we have no clue what's going on, and just because your suppose to some big hotshot on another world, and I'm not saying I believe that, it doesn't mean you know jack about what's going on here and now."

"DANNY," his sister barked, "I've had enough of it if you can't be civil DON'T TALK, we're all stressed and there's no reason to take it out on them it isn't their fault!"

"Whatever," twin rings flowing over his body, returning him to his ghost from, the black and white suit reappearing on his body and floating away, Tucker and Sam right behind him, albeit a little reluctant to follow his lead.

Jazz growled something under her breath that I didn't really want to hear and looked at us, "I'm sorry about this, he's….I don't know what's wrong with him lately."

(He's forced to deal with things that defy his definition of normal and he's lashing out at them, forcing them back in the hopes they'll become something he understands or can control.)

Ax's words were simple and direct and containing that Andalite clarity I never quite understood, and I could tell it impressed Jazz. "That might actually sum it up nicely, except you forgot the part where his masculinities threatened by Tobias and my relationship."

(Relationship,) turning his eyes to me.

(Not that way Ax, he's just mad someone male likes hanging around his sister.)

(Ah yes, I understand, that would seem to be a universal concept. However since he's gone it would seem we should begin searching for clues in the hopes we can end this.)

(Works for me,) fluffing my feathers and flapping onto Jazz's shoulder, (your school pick a way.)

She sighed, "since Danny went one way we need to go the other."

(Sounds lime a plan,) as we made our way down the hall, quite the possibly the strangest trio with a pulse this state would ever see. We ended up walking around for a ten minutes and I had a feeling I knew why The Ellimist hadn't shown up, the final member of the team wasn't with us yet, the question was how do I handle bringing Nikki into this. She just stood there as if she were frozen like everyone else, but I knew she wasn't. She just wanted to stay out of the fighting like the rest of her kind, something I respected, but I didn't think was going to happen in this instance. I considered pointing her out, but my promise to her kind of prevented that so we traveled for the next hour and never found anything else that might be part of what we needed.

"So any others ideas boys?"

(Regrettably no, this is beyond my understanding.)

(The guy plays by his own rules, till we understand them we don't go anywhere,) I sighed wishing I could just break my word and tell them about Nikki so we could hopefully get whatever this was over with because it was making me insane not doing anything.

"So he could hold us here like this forever?" a hint of fear growing in her voice.

I could have lied to her but I was doing enough of that to begin with, (from what I remember, yeah he can lock us here till we die.)

"Ok then," her voice high before steadying herself, "lets go find Danny and see if he found anything," picking up the pace to something just under a mad sprint. With how she was moving it only took her a few moments to find the others who had less luck than we had, which had put Danny in a fouler mode than he'd been in before he left.

"Nothing," Sam sighed

"Less than nothing, at least nothing would be something," Tucker panted, obviously having been running like Jazz.

(We found nothing as well,) Ax sighed.

"What parts of the school did you check maybe it's in one of the sections we haven't looked," a weariness in Jazz's voice.

"Or it's somewhere outside," Sam added taking a deep breath.

"GIVE IT UP," Danny barked, not in the mode for any of this, "WE'RE NEVER GETTING OUT OF HERE AND IT'S ALL THAT BIRDS FAULT, TILL HE CAME AROUND WE KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON!"

"Back off Danny this isn't his fault," a very real threat in his sisters words.

"YES IT IS!"

I could see Ax's tail start to loosen and turn slightly, a sign he was close to attack, (he is not at fault, no one controls The Ellimist.)

"YOU SAY THAT LIKE THIS GUY EXISTS FOR ALL WE NOW THEY'RE MAKING IT UP!" his hands and eyes glowing green with power.

"Stop," the voice faint coming from behind us.

"THIS GUY HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT TROUBLE SINCE HE CAME HERE"

"Stop," growing loader

"WE HAVE TO GET RID OF HIM THEN MAYBE LIFE WILL GO BACK TO…." his words cut off as a hand shot in frond of him so fast it took him a second to jump back and fall on the ground. Between now stood a girl of Hispanic and Asian heritage slowly lowering her arm, with a speed I'm not sure any native earth creature could match Ax stuck out with his tail, and completely missed her she side stepped the strike with something between a sad and amused look on her face.

"I told you to stop," moving away from us.

"Whoa who is she and can I get her number," a slight love sick look on his face.

"Not the time for this Tucker," Sam snapped.

(Hello Nikki,) my voice cutting into all of their minds and bring their eyes to me, and in in unison they all let out something close to "you know her?"

"Hello Tobias, Aximili," bowing to us slightly, "we both know what's going on, so I'm just going to make it easy on you and reveal myself."

(A Chee,) a hint of surprise in his thoughts as they went everywhere.

"More than that Ax," she hologram shifting to Erek then dropping to reveal her cream and chrome colored upright robotic dog body, then back to Nikki. "I had hoped to stay out of this but I don't think he's going to allow it."

"NO," Tucker falling to his knees, "THE HOT GIRL ISN'T HUMAN!"

She lifted a fake eyebrow at that, "should I be worried about him?"

Sam sighed and shook her head, "no more than the rest of us," puling him up and slapping him lightly to calm down the mock theatrics.

"At last you all meet," a new voice joining the fray as a short old man, in a long white beard and flowing robes with a vague blue glow to him stood in the hall and looked at us with an amused expression. "What I have to offer involves you as well them Nicole and I would prefer to do this with the aid of my former emissary."

(What exactly do you want?) my thoughts hitting everyone, yet my eyes rested solely on him.

"I require your assistance, while I know my employ I was hoping if you could act as an intermediary between these three groups."

(Three, I only see two,) a little worried I'd missed something.

Waving his hand to Danny and his friend, "human ghost hunters," moving his hand to Ax and Nikki, "aliens," moving it to himself, "me. You've added us all and I was hoping you could do the same now in this dire time."

My feather rose on my head and I suppressed the urge to claw his eyes out, (and I do that how?)

"You've already begun, you have already introduced five of the assembled I was hoping you could do the same for the rest of us."

(Fine, everyone this is Nikki, she's an old friend and ally.)

"Not to mention a race you said had left the planet," Jazz hissed.

(I said the others races left, you implied that included her race.)

"And I made him promise not to reveal that our race was still here, something I hope he will continue to do," looking at Jazz, "do not be angry with him he was merely fulfilling a promise to me."

"We'll be talking about this later birdie."

(As well we should,) looking at the glowing man, (and that is The Ellimist, one of the two most powerful creatures in the galaxy who has arranged all this, why I don't know, but chances are he needs us for something and that's probably a bad thing.)

"That depends on the side your on," giving me that knowing smile that somehow stayed the same regardless of what other form he took.

"Yeah right," Danny hissed pulling out his thermos, "time to prove what this guy is," pulling off the lid and releasing the power of it at The Ellimist. Not surprisingly it had no effect on him, although I was kind of surprised he didn't try to stop Danny. He tried pulling him on for a few minutes before finally giving up and capping the weapon.

The glowing man looked at the half ghost, "are you done?"

"Not even close," flying towards him getting ready to kick him.

(DON'T ANGER HIM,) Ax's words filling all our minds, but did little to stop Danny, not that it mattered as he simply froze in place before his foot could connect with the other creatures face.

"You've been having a very hard time lately Danny so I'm going to forgive this, but I do need you to listen, all of you, because this is very important." With a wave of his hand Danny flew back to Sam and Tucker but didn't become unfrozen and simply hung in the air. "You may wish to sit, this may take a while to explain completely," without another word we all dropped down and watched him.

"It is true these three have worked for me in the past," waving his hand at Ax, Nikki and myself, "and it is true what they say about my power, and as such I have limits to what I can and cannot do, however there are times when that limitation can be gotten around, this is one such instance. The Crayak violated the rules, or more specifically one of his servants did because it was unable to wait and see what the end result of its interference was."

"Excuse me," Jazz's hand going up, "what do you mean 'it'?"

He smiled at her and laughed a little, "the creature in question does not have a gender humanity would understand so I refer to it as an it, do you understand?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Now where was I," bringing his hand to his chin, "ah yes the violation, it's mission was merely to provide opportunity for knowledge to be acquired instead it gave knowledge and accordingly has been expelled from The Crayak's service. Unfortunately we have been unable to come to an agreement on how to handle the change to the playing field, he claims ignorance of the move but believes it should remain in play, I believe it should be undone, as such we have come to the only conclusion we can, we must play for the fate of the move."

"Anybody else feel like we're in the middle of a little kids argument," Sam hissed at Tucker and for a second I thought she'd end up frozen like Danny but the story teller ignored her.

I already saw where this was going, (you need us to decide for you don't you.)

"Correct Tobias," nodding his head.

"Fine take it, let us go," a forced calm in Sam's voice.

"It is not that simple Ms. Manson," lowering his eyes to her.

(We have to fight, one side vs. the others whoever's side wins decides the fate of the decision.)

"Correct my former emissary."

(But why us? You have people to do this for you, I know I use to be one.)

"Correct under normal circumstances I'd let one of them handle this, but due to the nature of this move and it's repercussions I believe those here will be better suited to the task."

"Ok," Tucker finally adding his two cents, "that explains those three why us?"

"Because they cannot handle The Crayak's chosen players, for that matter nor could you alone, but together you might be able to."

(Who are they,) I was almost afraid to ask, the last time I was part of this I'd come close to death on more than one occasion.

"They are the reason I have chosen you," holding his hands before him seven small figures appeared, each slightly transparent almost like they were holograms. The sight of most of them made my feather rise and forced me to repress a snap of my beak. Next to me Ax was having a similar reaction as was Nikki but to a far less degree. "You recognize them I take it."

"Yeah, ones Desiree," Tucker spat glaring at the green skinned female in the mists of the monsters.

"Howlers," even with Nikki's nonviolent programming I thought the word contained a threat of pain beyond anything humans or Andalites could conceive of.

(That's not an Andalite is it,) ax's vision split between the image and The Ellimist

"Correct, I believe you know him as Visser Three," before anyone could react Ax slashed his tail through the image and The Ellimist's hand yet did no damage to it.

(WHAT,) my voice jarring everyone it hit except Ax who was equally enraged by the news, (HOW DID HE GET INVOLDED IN THIS?)

Before he answered he froze Ax who was in the process of striking out with his tail again, "a deal was brokered between the two, as long as Visser Three wins this game he will be free to do what ever he wishes if he does not he will return to his confinement."

I forced myself to remain calm but it was hard and I was pretty sure I was failing, (you let the most evil thing in the universe make a deal with the other most evil thing in the universe!)

"Who he can and cannot use is not up to me, I can merely choose those on my side."

(I'm in,) I didn't even have to think, if that thing was free, I had to deal with him.

(As am I, I don't know what that is, but if it is somehow related to him, honor demands I deal with him.)

"I'm not sure what good I'll be but if those are Howlers my path is clear, for my creators I will stop them."

"Good, you three go do that, can we go home," Tucker whimpered.

"While I appreciate your intensity I'm not done, I believe you need to understand what's at stake. On a world known as Hagsepla the residents were attempting to create a way of moving from one point to another at an accelerated rate, a path way to what Andalites know as Z-space. The Crayak's emissary altered the equation so he tapped into what you humanity calls the Ghost Zone. Yes Aximili ghosts do exist they are not they are not Z-space shadows, how they exist is not something you need to concern yourself with. This is something The Crayak has been hoping would happen since your defeat of his forces in the last side game we had you participated in. As such he has carefully positioned every Howler in the Ghost Zone to this Ghost Portal……"

(And if they get out,) already seeing where this was going, (they'll pick up right where they left off, they'll kill everything that's gets in their way, and no on top of everything else he designed them with they're immortal and are equipped with even more powers. That why you need us, Ax and I take on Visser Three, Nikki for her experience with the Howlers, the others because they've fought ghosts in the past and have all of the equipment.)

"You always were one of my best student Tobias," smiling at me, "you already understand the risk, or if you don't Tobias can explain them to you. I understand this is a difficult choice to make, I will give you twenty four hours to choose, in that time Aximili will remain on earth and Nicole here, if either one of you chooses not to help you will be returned from where and when you came with no trace you have been here save you memories, the same will be true if you chose to fight and live."

"Let me make sure I understand this you need us to fight a bunch of alien ghosts in order to stop a massive invasion of these things."

"In essence Samantha yes."

"Whoa boy," holding the bridge of her nose.

"I will return in twenty four hours, any questions you have direct to these three," directing his hand at us, "I will take your answer then."

The next thing I knew I was back in the park sitting on the same branch I had been when all this started, Ax and Nikki were below me and Ax was in his normal state. Thankfully I didn't have to worry Nikki managed to throw up a hologram before anyone say us so we didn't have to worry about anyone seeing or hearing us for a while.

"We polluted their entire race, we made them incapable of being weapons, and now their back," anger and weariness mixed in Nikki's voice to form a sound I'd never heard before.

(Which begs the question,) Ax's tone holding a defiant quality to it, (why are they still a threat, we polluted their hive mind, they shouldn't be a threat anymore.)

(A hive mind that doesn't remember defeat because they were always disconnect before they died, chances are the ones we're going up against were dead long before the contamination.) At that thought the actual scope of what were facing hit me, (the Howlers whipped out the Pemalites, and they existed before humanity did, assuming the Howlers existed before that and kept getting produced…..)

"The number of dead Howlers out number every living creature on Earth several hundred times," Nikki's words having a sharp clarity to them.

(We have to stop them or everything in the universe will die,) Ax's main eyes growing large.

(Oh boy are we in trouble, lets keep this little piece of info away from the others ok, they don't need to know just how bad this is.)

(They deserve to know what they're fighting for brother.)

(They're kids Ax, they don't need to know this.)

(As were we once and we held this weight.)

"And you bore well, better than most could've," Nikki's voice holding a far away tone to it.

I mentally sighed, (what we were up against, and this are totally different things, it's like comparing a flea to a polar bear.)

(Two creatures I'm still intimate with,) a hint of a smile on his face as he cracked a joke, that in it's own way was kind of funny.

(Fine Ax, I guess the mighty Prince would know a little bit more about this than I would.)

(Don't start, I hate it when people call me that, I really do,) folding his arms over his cheat.

(Why's that,) wanting to steer the conversation to any other place.

(Its hard to explain, just something about my time here made it difficult to really assimilate back into the military. Titles started to seem pointless, people in power didn't seem to understand what was going on, the name just ended up making me sick after a while, given a chose I prefer those under me just call me Ax.) He seemed to stand a little straighter at that, his tail rising just a little as if saying something deeper than it really was.

(Wow, you've changed man,) hopping down from my preach and landing on a table so we could talk a little more face to face. (I remember when Jake use to scream at you for calling him Prince and here you are not wanting to be called it.)

(Irony and the universe always seem to be constant sync,) looking down and smiling at me.

At that Nikki came out of her funk and did her best to put a smile on her artificial lips, "so what do you do now? Do you command a ship?"

(Teacher actually,) letting his tail swish from side to side. (After my time here I learned just how powerful morphing could be as a weapon as apposed to just a technique for infiltration, and even then we didn't really use it well. I managed to convince my people to give me a small group of Aristh's to train as I saw fit, they're doing well, most understand what morphing can do, and just how useful morphing can be combat as well as spying. There are still some holdouts clinging to the old ways, but I'm winning them over, albeit slowly. If I'm right by the time I'm done with them, they'll be a true force in the war, and hopefully pass what they've learned on to others.)

(Sounds like you enjoy your work.)

(It is rewarding but it's not my first love.)

(And that would be?) growing interested in how his life had unfolded.

(My wife,) a smugness in his voice that almost made me fall out of the tree.

(Your married?) That had never occurred to me, for some reason the idea Ax was married was just beyond what I had considered, it was just kind of beyond me.

(About two Earth years now, Penvar-Inaji-Sarnul, she's a beautiful woman and one of the most precise fighters I've ever met. She can disable even the most skill tail fighter with one strike. She's also the gentlest creature I've ever met, I hope one day the two of you can meet, I think you'd like each other.)

(I'd like that Ax,) nodding my head.

"I'm also happy for you Ax," the fake human sitting down next to me, "but it begs the question should you be part of this? You have a family you should be with them instead of being part of this."

(It's because of her that I'm doing this, if what he said is true, then my people will be in danger and I can not allow this threat to come to her, and because I will not leave the rest of my family to face this alone.)

(Thanks Ax, but she's right, you have a wife you should go home.)

(I'll take that under advisement but I'm not going to follow you, I'm part of this that's all there is to it, I couldn't live with myself, or look her in the face if I knew I let my brother go into battle alone.)

(Thanks bro,) Hopping over to him and doing my best to slime at him.

(It's not a problem besides if it were your mate at home you would not run from a fight I was part of,) all his eyes focusing on me.

(Except I don't have a mate or a girlfriend or anything along those lines,) a slight laugh in my voice.

(Funny you were riding around on shoulder, what was her name,) holding what would have been his chin if he were human, (Jazz.)

(So)

(Nothing,) a smugness to his voice that made me a little crazy

(What Ax,) growling mentally

(As I said nothing, but the only other person who's shoulder you rode on was Rachel, I just find that funny that's all.)

(We're friends Ax that's all now drop it.)

(If you wish, I just find the parallels interesting.)

I wanted to snap at him but I didn't, in spite of everything else he had the right to taunt me all he wanted. I was kind of surprised when I found out the others stayed in school the entire day, in times like these skipping school was a necessity, but no, they stuck it out. We ended up tracking them down and spent the day trying to figure out what to do. We did our best to explain just how bad the Howlers and Visser Three were but I couldn't be sure they were truly getting it, I wasn't sure they could without facing them for themselves.

"So all this is real," Tucker whimpered in Danny's room while Ax and I sat in the desk still in bird form.

(For the thirty eighth time YES, this is real we are in trouble and we have to deal with it,) I didn't mean to snap at Tucker but he was getting on my nerves. Not that I blamed him, Ax told them what was at stake and from there I'd be worried if they didn't panic.

"But we can't do this, we can't, look at us, he can't expect us to do this."

Ax just looked at him and gave off that Andalite air of confidence and supremacy, (he can, he has, the question is what do we do about it?)

"But why us we're kids, he needs real people for this, people that have trained for things like this, there has to be someone in the universe that can really handle this."

(Doubtful,) Ax's eyes moving away from him, (if what I'm hearing is true there may be no other worlds. Every world has stories of the dead coming back, but this is the only world to my knowledge where it actually happens. You may be largely unique in the universe when it comes to this technology thus you may be the only ones capable of doing this.)

"But there are people on this world better suited…"

(No Tucker their aren't,) cutting him off, (remember I've seen some of the others, they don't really understand what they're doing. They have the weapons and the experience, but for the most part they have no clue what they're up against, all of you do.) Sighing and ruffling my feathers, (I don't think this was an accident,) looking at them. (I can't be sure but I can't help but think that The Ellimist maneuvered me here just for this moment.)

"So this is your fault," a dark laugh at Sam's lips.

(My fault in that I'm a very reliable piece,) my feathers smoothing out. (This is big, I'm not going to lie to you, and there's a very good chance someone will die. These guys, they're in a whole new league, they will kill you without a second thought make no mistake about that. We can't force you into this, nor will we, this is a decision you have to make on your own. If you back out that doesn't mean you're a coward, nor will we judge you that way, but the three us are going. We have no choice in the matter, this is an old score that must be settled, one we put in motion long ago. We made them useless as warriors in life, and in death they've undoubtedly become something worse, so they're are responsibility. As for Visser Three, well the less you know about him the better, but Ax and I are the ones that have to deal with him as well, its score that's needed settling for a long time.)

Jazz looked my me with a mix of anger and defiance, "so that's it your just going to go regardless of what we decide, you'll be out numbered and facing certain defeat."

(I…we know, but it's something we have to do, Jazz this is not an obligation for you, don't think it is. You need to stay here, you don't want to be part of this, and you don't need to have your mind scared by it. If your even considering saying yes out of some sick loyalty to me, don't, just don't period. You have a chance at a normal life I don't, you can walk away I can't. For me it's a must for you it's a choice, you should stay here, you all should, but if you come, thank you. But these are decisions you have to make on your own, I can't make them for you, and I won't make you. We'll need your help more than you can imagine, but that's no reason to put yourselves in harms way for us.)

Sam applauded in the corner, "rousing speech," the sarcasm think in her words, "really it was you could give the president a run for his money."

"So your just going to go," it was the first time Danny had spoken since bringing Ax here, "it doesn't matter what we say you'll go and fight these things knowing that you'll probably die."

(It is in our nature to do these things,) Ax lifting his head and coming off like one of those overly egotistical Andalites I'd met in the past.

(Sometimes you have a choice sometimes you don't, and now I find I have no choice at all,) flapping over to the open window. Looking back (whatever you decide I just want to ask you to bring weapons for us, Ax's shredder can do some damage but it isn't set for ghosts and we could use every little edge we can get at this point.)

(Yes that would be appreciated,) Ax nodding and flapping next to me in his great horned owl morph.

"Tobias," the word more mouthed than said as my eyes met Jazz's.

(I have to do this, you remember what I told you, about when I got my powers?) Her head nodding, (this is the monster that killed him, I thought he was out of my life, he isn't that means I have to deal with him, to honor the memory of that man, and all those that died trying to stop that monster. His freedom is a slap in the face of all their memories, and I can't allow that to continue.) If she had some response I didn't hear it as I jumped out into the sky, Ax behind me, whatever their decision I wouldn't taint with my presence, I just hoped sanity would win out and they'd stay the hell away from this.

* * *

**Jazz POV**

I couldn't help but sigh and stare at the dark ceiling, the power to move long since leaving my body. The choice before me was monumental, if I agreed the odds of my returning were slim, and there was a good chance I'd just slow Tobias down.

"The fact that I'm thinking like that at all means I need to have my head examined," I chuckled lightly, but I couldn't ignore the truth in the statement. I had no business even considering it, nor did the others, yet I knew deep down we all were. Inside all of us was a desire to see how far this rabbit hole would go, and at the same time terrified of knowing. We were kids, I know I liked to tell myself I was an adult but I didn't feel that way right now as I held Bear Breteinstein close to my chest, and wished I could just wake up from this nightmare.

"Your going to let him go aren't you," I asked myself bitterly knowing there was no way I could stop Tobias from doing this. I knew the story, that Visser Three had done horrible things to everyone on Earth and countless other species across the galaxy, but I always had the feeling there was something more to the story. Something about the way Tobias looked and sounded that couldn't be hidden even in his hawk form something that made me think what happened between them was more personal, more primal, and it scared me more than the stories he told.

"What choice do I have," pulling the bear further into my breast and sighing. I was no fighter, I training to me a child psychologist not a Marine, I had no business going out there going the kinds of things they'd be doing.

"But that didn't stop him," the internal argument becoming external, "he fought, he gave up everything to fight, and he won. But I'm not him, I'm just me, and I can't go out there, not and live. I'm not a hero, it nearly went insane trying to help Danny, and that was just by doing little things, what I'm being asked to do is so much. It goes against everything I believe in, that all conflicts can be resolved with understanding and time. But these creatures don't comprehend understanding, they just know death and killing, so where does that leave all my lofty ideals?"

* * *

**Tobias POV**

I wish I could say I got a good night sleep but I didn't, my nerves just didn't let me relax. I was about to go into hell and I couldn't see a way around it. Ax didn't seem to have that problem, but then again I don't think he ever did, it was one of the benefits for being raised to fight, you learn how to drowned out the annoying little fears and just rest. Nikki on the other hand just sat at the table all night, but then I don't think Chee ever slept.

I was hardly a wreak by first light, but I could've been better, I ended up joining Ax for his morning ritual, even morphing my Andalite form so I could do it properly.

We bowed low in tandem and spook as one even after all this time I knew the words by heart, (Freedom is my only cause,) raising our eye stalks to the sky, (duty to my people my only guide.) Lifting my tail and trying to remember my new words Ax had taught me, (loyalty to those that stand beside me my only glory. Whatever comes we stand as one, united in our convictions, we shall not yield.)

When she was sure we were done Nikki applauded a gently as a sign of respect, "that was very beautiful."

(Thank you,) bowing his head slightly, his stalk eyes turning to me while I demorphed, (you remember everything, I'm impressed.)

(I had a good teacher,) shaking my head and letting the newly formed feathers wave freely, (but I have a feeling that's not a normal Andalite ceremony, just call me crazy but something didn't sound quite right to be on of theirs.)

(It's not,) a look of pride on his face, (it's the one I have my student do, one I've found to be more in tune with what I've learned here, a message I hope they will carry with them forever should I fall this day.)

(Don't start talking like that Ax, we're going to be fine, this is us, there's not a force in the universe that can take us down when we get going.) I knew full well Ax could see through my little display of bravado, but it made me fell better.

(You are right of course,) smiling at me while he morphed his northern harrier, gray feathers running over his body as his fur receded. His legs pulled together and merged into two legs, the hooves splitting into taloned feet. His stalk eyes pulled into his head while his beak emerged from his face. His body shrank and his tail sucked into his body while tail feathers grew over them. His arms changed to wings and boasted an impressive wing span considering he still had half in normal height. Eventually the changes ended and he was once more sitting in the body of a raptor, a cousin to my own form, and irony not lost to me.

(So a quick round before he pulls us in,) looking from Ax to the sky.

(I'd like that,) spreading his wings, the two of us ready to fly with the fresh morning thermal and enjoy what might be our last day on Earth, something we didn't get to enjoy as we suddenly found ourselves in a hallway at Casper High.

(Well that was a short trip,) rolling my eyes and banking away from the wall that I now found myself flying towards and landed a few feet away on the ground. A moment later Ax landed next to me, with Nikki a few feet away and the other four spread out through the hall, each carrying a backpack of some form or another, except Jazz that had a large duffle bag hanging under her arm. Despite the different expression they tried to wear they all seemed tired and aggravated.

In the middle of our little group stood The Ellimist, both hands on his staff as he somehow looked at each of us at once despite our different positions, "what have you decided?" The words were simple but the consequences they carried were far from that.

(You know where we stand,) even now Ax stood in defiance of him, unwilling to give an inch to him, spreading his wings to encompass Nikki and myself.

"I expected no less from the three of you," nodding to us, "and what of you," looking at the four humans, "what have you decided?"

At first no one spoke, then Jazz stepped forward, albeit hesitantly, "I'm sorry Tobias," she whispered looking me in the eyes and my heart skipping a beat and I breathed sigh of relief, the girl was smart enough to stay out of this mess. She looked at The Ellimist and took a deep breath, "I don't know you and I don't trust you, but he does and I'm not letting him do this alone, if you…"

(DON'T,) my thoughts nearly pushing her back, (DON'T YOU DARE BE PART OF THIS!)

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS JAZZ," her brother barked

"He gave us a choice," taking a deep breath, "and I chose to stand with him," looking at me, "whatever may come we face it together. I couldn't live with myself if you didn't come back while I stayed here." Then she looked at her brother, "I'm sorry but I have to do this, and you know it this isn't something I can just let slide. Everything that's at stake, what's one life if it saves untold more."

Her brother opened her mouth to argue but was silenced as Sam moved over to him and took his hand and gave him a look of resolve that I understood, and had seen in the faces of others in my life.

(She isn't part of this,) I hissed to my former employer.

"But she is, and she's made her decision," a knowing smile coming to his lips that made my feathers rustle in contempt. "What of the rest of you?"

"If my sister goes I'm going with her," twin rings forming around Danny as he took his ghost form, "no way am I going home without you, no way am I facing mom and dad knowing that."

"I'm with you too," a look of conviction and forced serenity of Sam's face, her arms crossed making the jacket she was wearing wrinkle. Her little statement still earned her a look of shock from Danny but he didn't argue.

"On the one hand," a slight quiver in Tuckers voice, "if I go I'll be facing life threatening ghosts, but I get to see another world. On the other hand if I stay I'll be safer, but I'll have to deal with the fact you talked about me behind my back. So what the heck, I'll go, but if I die I want the biggest funeral on the planet, I want the planet to weep for the materials it has to give up in order to make a shrine to me and all my glory."

(We need him why,) Ax's thoughts going out to everyone but Tucker and getting a nervous laugh from them.

"Your making fun of me again aren't you," he asked in mock anger.

"Thank you," The Ellimist bowed his glowing head, "I wish you luck, if you win you will know, good hunting." And just like that he vanished from sight leaving us alone in a frozen hall.

(You shouldn't be here Jazz,) I hissed in private though speech.

"To bad Birdie," moving over and bending down next to me, "I am and you can't get rid of me," caressing my neck with one hand and her backpack strap with the other.

(You do attract the weird ones brother,) cocking his head in my direction as he look at her, (but I like her, I think this one might actually keep you balanced.)

(Drop it Ax,) not in the mode for his jabs at my social life.

"So what now," Danny floating over to us and shooting Jazz and I a death glare.

(Not sure, generally…,) I never finished the thought as the floor diapered, for that matter the school vanished as well and we found our selves hanging about fifteen stories above an alien skyline and promptly fell to the ground. Well the three normal humans and our Chee feel to the ground, or at least the roof of the building we were under, Ax Danny and I flew or glided down next to them. (Well I'd say we're here,) cocking my head and looking at the pink sky with gold clouds around me, something about the sky made it difficult to see very far sharply, for some reason everything blurred a little as I looked further out. It was hard on my eyes I could only imagine what it was like for the others, it was like the planet itself was making me near sighted, or as much as it could a hawk. Oh yeah if we weren't on another world this section of Earth had some real environmental problems.

"Where are we," Tucker whimpered lightly walking over to the edge of the roof and looking down to the alien city below.

(This would be the playing field aka Hagsepla ,) landing next to him and getting a better look at our new world. For whatever reason the problems I had seeing into the horizon didn't seem to apply looking down into the city, another mystery. Below us was something pretty close to a human city. The buildings were a little rounder and most had a green and red color to them. They seemed to have roads and side walks close to what I'd seen throughout my travels, but the people that inhabited the world didn't seem to be human in the slightest. The looked king of like octopuses, orange octopi with silver stripes that caught the light and reflected it. On the side of their heads were eyes, two just like humans but very large looking a lot like a cats eye marble. Each walking around on their six legs, each of those ending each ending in something approximating a lobster claw, only in was one side was serrated. In-between those legs was something the color of mud or rust, it varied from creature to creature, possibly a gender thing I couldn't be sure. It took a few seconds to get a good look at it but from what I could tell it looked almost like a set of arms and hands, they were tiny little, probably useless for lifting, but they were hands none the less. Off in the distance maybe a mile a or so was an ocean as black as the night sky without the moon that seemed to go on for miles in every direction, appropriate for a race that looked like they belonged in the water instead of on land.

"Somehow I was picturing something out of the movie," Tucker sounding a little lost.

(You'll find things are rarely like they are in the movies,) turning around to the others, three of whom were making a bit of a racket as things dropped to the ground and the sound of mechanical clicking and hissing filled the air. Both of the girls were pulling weapons from their bags, and I recognized most of them Fenton Bazooka, Fenton Peeler, Fenton Thermos, two rods that I assumed were Jack-o-Nine tails, Fenton Ghost Gloves, Specter Deflector, Fenton Foamer, a case of Fenton phones, and two small guns that seemed like normal anti ghost weapons.

(Impressive array,) Ax having retook his Andalite form, (but you are sure these will work?)

"Unless my parents messed with them they work," Danny's hands running over one the Ghost Gloves. "They'll give us a fighting chance," looking at his sister, "and some of us will need them."

"I can take care of myself Danny," reaching for the Fenton Peeler and caressing it gently, "I helped mom rebuild her, she should be able to take a lot more damage now, and can inflict just as much."

"I hope your right," he sighed and looked at Sam who appeared to be undressing as she messed with her black and green skirt.

She stopped him before he could say anything, "bet you never saw this before," whipping the martial off her body, Danny instinctively covering his face with his hands and turning around, his face growing red. She erupted in a brief fit of laughter at his reaction, not that I blamed either of them.

"What is that," Tucker whimpered getting al eye full of what laid under here clothing.

"Something I've been working on for a little while but never had the nerve to try on, sitting on the ground and kicked off her boot and rolled down her leggings, revealing more of the black material that seemed to encase her legs.

"Please tell me that's not what I think that is," one of Jazz's eyebrows lifting.

"It is," the goth pulling off her jacket and tank top and pulling down the rest of the material so it connected with the pants and pulled out a pair of black fingerless gloves from the jacket pockets and slipped them on.

"You're more a Fenton than I am," shaking her head.

"Scary thought isn't it," standing up and stretching her legs now that her modified black and purple hazmat suit was free of all the other clothing.

"You look like his mom," Tucker laughed walking over to them, making Danny turn around and look at her.

His eyes went large and the blush grew darker, and I guessed grew larger even if I couldn't see any of it thanks to the full body suit. "Well there goes fantasy," he hissed under his breath after his breathing returned to normal.

"Fantasy?" Sam giving him a sly look.

"NO," Jazz barked and slapped a hand over her mouth in embarrassment, steadying herself, "that is to say…um…..I just don't want to hear it ok. Whatever goes on between the two of you I don't want to hear it, I don't."

"Well I do."

In unison Danny and Sam yelled "SHUT UP TUCKER!"

(I repeat we need him why?) Ax giving me one of those looks.

"People," Nikki speaking for the first time since we landed, "whatever we're going to do we should do so quickly, need I remind you of the advantages our opponents have on us?"

(That is the last thing you need to do Nikki,) spreading my wings, (I'm going to do a quick recon if I come screaming like a crazed Olfacn Nairi is after us,) Ax finished.

(I was going to say like you life depended on it, but that works you,) having not clue what the creature was, but having a good idea it was big and dangerous.

* * *

**DP Style**

"So what'd you bring Tuck," the half ghost looking at his other friend.

"What else," digging into his bag, and pulling out a can, "Foley by Tucker Foley."

(He brought cheese in a can?) Ax's statement earning him a laugh from the four humans.

"It's an anti ghost spray of my own creation thank you," crossing his arms, "they can't hurt me if they can't touch me."

"Can't argue with the logic," Jazz shrugging, "but did you bring anything else?"

"Jut my PDA and this," showing the lipstick weapon he still hung onto, "I didn't see a reason to bring anything else it's not like I'm fighting, I'm just hear to see the sights."

(Then your telling me we only have five people that can fight,) Ax glaring at him with three of his four eyes, the remaining stalk eye scanning the perimeter for danger.

"What you not fighting," Danny snapped furred alien looking at the blue, "the great Prince to good to fight with a bunch of humans."

"He means me," Nikki folding her arms, "I'm incapable of violence of any sort, it's how I was programmed, I will give you what help I can but I will not fight with you against these monsters."

"Your telling us this now?"

"Actually Tobias told us this already," Sam reminded him, "you just weren't listening."

"But picking up cars….and running across the country…..and super dog," he stammered.

"All true, but what I am capable of and what I will do are very different things, I'm sorry."

"But you nearly punched me in the face yesterday."

"Yes, nearly," a small smile on her lips, "I am incapable of violence, that doesn't mean I can't do other things, like bluffing."

(Or being used as a shield or holding an opponent to keep them from harming someone else, being anti violent and useless are not that same thing)

"All the same I'd prefer big and violent," crossing his arms.

(It's alright Nikki,) Ax laying a hand on her shoulder, (I have no doubt you'll be useful, you always are in your own way, we'll deal with the combat, just be ready when we need you.)

"I will be," a tiny hint of rage in her voice.

"You remember how to use these," Jazz asked Ax, lifting one of the small gun to him.

(I do,) flipping open the small cover and adjusting it, (I've come to despise guns but I'm a quick study, I remember what you told me last night.)

"Good, I'm not sure I can teach you again," smiling up at him.

In private thought speak to her (thank you for coming, but I do wish you had stayed on earth, if no other reason than to calm Tobias' mind. But this may be for the best, he always did fight better when he had someone on the field he cared for.)

"He what?" looking at him.

(Nothing, it doesn't matter,) looking away from her, wondering just how far this denial went between the two.

"Why do you have that anyway Sam," Danny, his blush fading, but he still had a little red in his face.

"This," running her hands along the hazmat suit, "just something I wanted to try on one day, you mom does pretty well in it, and I just wanted to see wheat would happen if I put one on."

"Oh yes," Tuckers eyes rolling around, "because one of those makes you a martial arts expert."

"No," a grin forming on her face that made him nervous as she pushed off with her feet and did a back flip, landed on her feet and snapped a kicked at the air, her foot going over her head and staying there for a moment, before dropping down, the leg swung down as she turning into a leg sweep and shot up and punched at Tuckers face, the strike ending a quarter of an inch from his throat. Before he could react she did another back flip ad landed in a spilt and hopped back up and ended with a round kick that stopped before connecting with Danny's temple. "That however does," crossing her arms as she pulled her leg down with a grace neither boy knew she was capable of.

"Hudda whadda huh," was all Danny could say, his brain no longer working after the demonstration.

She tapped his face, "you remember those ballet lessons my mom made me take when I was younger," giving him a look that bordered on seductive, "not ballet lessons. She wanted me to be a nice normal girl that was trim, toned, thin and flexible, something that would attract a man, and she wouldn't be talked out of it so I made her a counter offer, I'd go into a sport that would do that, but there was no way she was ever getting me in tutu. Granted," lifting her leg up to work out a kink, "I haven't taken those classes in a few years, or really worked out as much as I use to, but I still have some moves." She grabbed one of the rods on the ground and clicked it on, beams of green emerging from each end. She gently spun the weapon in her hand and moved it behind her back, with ease, before striking back with it putting on end at Tuckers throat without looking back. "Of course things never completely go way, I may not be your mom or Valerie, but I think I can handle myself if I have to."

"We're going to have to have a long talk after this provided we live," the half ghost hissed, "but in the mean time do me a favor, wear this," holding up the Specter Deflector.

"Yes mother," grabbing it from him, but not putting it on.

"Don't be…" Danny's words cut off as Tobias' words hit all of them.

(GET IT AND GO FOLKS WE GOTTA BOOK.) Even if they couldn't see him they knew enough to follow his orders, Sam and Tucker forcing everything into the bags they'd brought with them, some going into the large duffle bag some into the smaller bags that were tossed around their backs.

"Where do we go," Jazz's eyes scanning the sky just like Danny, Nikki and Ax trying to figure out where the threat was coming from.

(We'll know soon enough,) all of Ax's eyes scanning three places at once, a calm coming over him.

"Guys pick it up," Danny hissed ripping his eyes from the sky to look at his friends.

"Moving as fast as we can," Tucker forcing the ghost gloves into his bag.

"Calm down Danny, panicking won't help anyone," Sam's breath ragged.

(You'd be surprised,)

"There," Nikki yelled Ax spinning to look in her direction, at first he didn't see anything, something about the sky obscuring his vision. At first he couldn't see it then it came into clarity, or as much as he needed it was a blue Howler, or at least that's what he thought it was.

(Have to make this count,) pulling his ghost weapon and aiming at the creature, hoping he could do this with out hurting hitting Tobias.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

Oh boy, I hoped Ax knew what he was doing as I watched him pull a gun out and hoped it wasn't his shredder, getting hit by that gun was the last thing I needed. Well at least I knew he had heard me, I was doing my best to stay away from the building but at the same time be close enough so he could get off a clean shot and whittle down the numbers of these bruisers.

At the moment I'd found one, but that was enough, it looked almost identical to the last one I saw, same swept back legs, same arms longer than their legs, same four claws sitting on top of their hands, same joint in the middle of it body that let in spin completely around and strike from any direction, same emotionless eyes on their head. It was even the same size, no bigger than a normal human male, although it did sport a few new tricks and looks. The two big ones were staring me in the face, it could now fly but thankfully it didn't seem to be very good at it, that or it still thought killing was nothing more than a game and it wanted to play with me before it ripped my spine out. The other one was the color, in life Howlers had black cracked skin that let a river of ever shifting red slime shifting under it. Now however it's skin was robins egg blue, the same color it's eyes had been in life, and slime underneath glowed a neon green. It's eyes were now a dead black, something that seemed to be more fitting than the pervious hue, I had no idea if those eyes could now see through skin to the organs that lied in every creature as they had when the creature still drew breath and I didn't really want to find out.

I dipped and dodged in the air as it came after me, it's claws glowing an eerie black thanks to it's ectoplasm. Silently I hoped I wasn't leading the others into a trap, and grateful it hadn't opened his mouth yet, the last thing I needed was for it to let out that scream and lose all control of my body and plummet into the ground. I never forgot what Nikki told me, spend enough time in the presence of a Howler's scream and you'll die from it, and as many short attacks of it as I've had I knew that was a distinct possibility.

He slashed at me with his claws, leaving neon after images in the sky, no matter what I did thanks to his unique body design he was always is arms reach and I wasn't interested in having him claw through me. I dipped and weaved doing my best to ride the alien thermals and headwinds, but they weren't exactly like the ones back home. In the end all my moving didn't amount to much as it managed to hit me, it's claws impaling me going right into my back. I swear I could feel them growing inside my body till the popped out of my chest. The pain was beyond words, on top of the pain of being cut it felt like I was being burned and frozen at the same time.

The pain only lasted a few moments as a blast of green cut through the sky and hit my assailant in the arm and knocking it back and making it's claws retract from my body. On the down side to that, whatever it had hit had made it impossible for me to fly. I fell three stories before I remembered I could morph and changed into my mallard form and pulled out of the dive, just in time to see the monster head towards the source of the attack, right to Ax and the others.

(So much for that plan,) rolling my duck eyes, (nothing quite like starting out on the wrong foot from the get go.)

* * *

**Jazz POV**

I never thought this was going to be easy, but I really wished I wasn't here. I wrapped myself in the safety of the Fenton Peeler, unfortunately that allowed me a good look as the ghost of a Howler impaled Tobias with something on his hands, it was hard to tell what even with the magnification the armor allowed it was still hard to make out some details. I watched as he fell out of sight, and as much as I wanted to run to the side of the building to see him I didn't dare, he could take care of himself and I was about to have bigger problems to deal with. That and I had talked dad out of putting jets in the feet of the suit, and given what I was now facing that might have been a mistake.

(If any of you wish to leave do so now, I'll hold him off as long as I can,) Ax's thought were a mix of confidence and authority, something I relished at the moment. Despite them however we all stood our ground, readying whatever weapons we had. Danny's hands glowed, Sam's staff reignited, Tucker pulled out a small tube of lipstick I recognized as one of my mothers more covert blasters, my blaster shifted out of my left arm while the claws emerged from the right, Ax pulled both his guns and steadied and his tail somehow seemed to go taunt, ready to strike, them ready for it regardless of what it did.

Nikki lifted her hands and whispered to us, "I'm going to try something," the air around us shimmering for a second, and Ax's body relaxed a little. "I'm not sure if this'll work but it's the best I can do."

(With luck it'll work for a few moments,) all his eyes still focused on the approaching ghost.

"Um," a waver in Tucker's voice, "what'd she do."

(A hologram now covers us, but we can't be sure it'll work,) a fierceness in his thoughts were so close to those Tobias had it was eerie.

If the hologram worked it didn't stop the Howler from coming at us at full speed, I had a feeling what he'd seen was enough to convince him were we were that or being dead had given him some predanatural awareness, either way I didn't really care as I tried to stay calm and not fire there by giving away our position. A few feet from us he stopped in mid air and stared at where we where, giving us all a good look at the monster. He looked some much like a human it was funny I'd seen the little image, but only briefly, and from the way they described the alien I was somehow expecting something else, something bigger, something more horrific. Then again that fact that it looked so human was pretty horrific in and of itself. He's eyes were cold, as if they absorbed all light, made even more so by the fact that I could see everything but ourselves reflected in them.

I could feel my entire body start to shake as I looked at him, a panic I'd been forcing down quickly rising to the surface, and I started to fear the trembling of my body would draw his attention. If it did or not I'm not sure but I watched him open his mouth and the next thing I knew I was on the ground trying to rip my helmet off to cover my ears from a sound I couldn't even hear. I don't know how else to explain it, there was nothing in the air but I knew it was making a noise. Around me the other were doing the same, dripping their heads trying to block the sound out, even Nikki who by all rights as a machine shouldn't have the problem.

And then just like that the sound was over, well not quite, the Howler had indeed shut up, but only because Tobias had intervened and was now crushing him into the roof a mass of feathers and skin that was growing larger by the second. I don't know how he did it, and I don't care, I just knew things were better now. Or were, I watched with horror as a claw came out of his body, not phased through his body, came through his body. A long gash was slashed into his side and a blue arm tore out of him, followed by the rest of the Howler.

(AAAARRRGGGG,) Tobias scream hitting us all as the ghost came out of him like grandma out of the big bad wolf.

(DROP HIM,) Ax's words demanding complete obedience as we all fired at once at the creature knocking him back off Tobias what was trying to demorph, from whatever he had tried to become. Out of instinct I ran to him and slid on my metal knees over to him holding his head as he changed back to a hawk, the large gash still in his side.

"Stay with me," I whispered picking him up when he was small enough to move and I ran back to the relative safety of the others. Cradled in my arms he finished become a hawk then morphed a duck before retaking his real body.

(This is really not starting well,) a strain in his voice as his body winced.

* * *

**DP Style**

"TROUBLE," Nikki barked behind the others forcing Sam and Jazz to turn to her in time to see two more Howlers about to set foot on the roof.

(Everyone,) Ax's thoughts hitting them, (keep threw mouths shut, we need to disable their scream before we get taken down again.)

"When it rains it pours," the goth managed to hiss, her staff spinning in her hand as she darted forward and stuck with the weapon at the closest Howler, aiming for his neck. Unfortunately for both the weapon didn't hit it's mark as the creature simply floated back. For a second she though it would throw a punch at her, but instead it's hand glowed a light sucking black and fired a beam of ectoplasm at her, an attack that connected with her staff and knocked her back and made her slide along the ground.

(Great I was hoping they weren't equipped with other ghost powers,) Tobias worming his way out of Jazz's grasp and starting to morph a polar bear so he could get in on the fight, a little surprised that despite the multiple morphs and damage he could still do it.

Jazz didn't wait for him to finish before she started firing her built in blaster trying to force the one bearing down on Sam away from her. "Come on big and ugly, right here come and get me." She was able to attract both of the dead Howlers to her and did her best to slow them down with suppression fire but her weapons didn't seem as strong against the ghosts as they had been they had combined their fire power. The one that had been after Sam was the first to reach her, doing something between running and flying at her only to meet with a larger problem as Tobias finished his morph and stood in his hind legs

(Down Jazz,) the hawk/polar bears thoughts on a tight beam, without argument the armored redhead ducked just as he racked his paw over the alien ghost and crushed it into the ground. Moving like a well oiled machine Jazz fired her cannon at the other ghost knocking its legs out from under it and sending it to the ground, well almost to the ground, it caught itself part way down and floated back into a standing position ready to go back on the attack. An attack that never came as Sam darted in swept it's legs out from under it with her staff, using the spin and rising up to her feet and slamming the weapon down onto the beasts chest. Tacking half a step forward she repositioned the weapon in her hard thrust downward, dropping her weight the tip of the weapon going straight into the monsters mouth, forcing a gaggling sound from it's maw.

"Wow," Sam's voice enthusiastic, "this is it, I thought you guys said these guy were going to be hard, we can have this whole thing wrapped up in under and hour at this rate."

Her words came all to soon as the final two Howlers arrived from above dropping their invisibility and firing blast after blast of ectoplasm at the warriors of The Ellimist. While the blasts did little to the seven one did impact the duffle bag that held many of their weapons, creating a large fireball that sent Sam and Tucker into the sky and off the building while the others for various reasons were able to avoid the force of the explosion.

"SAM," Danny's attention torn away from the fight as he went intangible and shot through the building till he emerged above her. "I'M COMING, HOLD ON."

"I'D LOVE TO IF I COULD," barking sarcastically as she reached for his as she fell. Pouring on all is speed he caught up with her and grabbed her before she hit the ground. Pulling her into his arms she kissed him as soon as she was close enough, then pulled away a blush spreading over them both. For a second their was an peculiar silence then she spat out "TUCKER!"

"CRAP," holding on to her flying to the other side of the building both hoping he wasn't a pancake, instead they found him hanging from the Jack-O-Nine Tails that was now attacked to the planets equivalent of a flag pole.

"If you two aren't busy making out SAVE ME!"

The goth sighed in relief and in a flippant tone, "well he's fine," reaching her hand out and wiping the purple lipstick from the half ghosts lips as best she could.

"But what about the others," the half ghost looking up as blasts of green and black filled the sky.

On the roof they had their own problems, (BACK OFF,) the polar bear barked back handing the Howler sending it end over end for a few feet, but doing little more as it righted itself in the air and dove back down at him.

"We have to get out of here," Jazz doing her best to hold off a Howler, "we need to make sure the others are ok," her pervious fear melting away as concern for her bother and his friends flooded her system and spurned her on.

Behind her Nikki did her best to hold another at bay by simply holding it in her powerful arms, "we're doing the best we can."

(She's right we're at a tactical disadvantage, we need to fall back at regroup if we have any chance of winning this,) Ax's tail whipping out keeping his two Howlers at bay while he fired his shredder and ghost weapon.

(Good in theory question is how Ax-man?) Tobias side stepping his opponent and bringing both claws down onto its back and driving it to the ground.

(I can't think of everything here,) hopping back and firing both weapons at once.

Before anyone could respond the world around them exploded the roof cracking as decomposing hands ripped to the surface followed by heads that looked like they had had been underground for years. The surge of the rising dead was enough to distract the Howlers for a few moments and halt their attack as they stared at the slight in confusion.

(I don't know what's happening and I don't care, time to go,) Tobias' thoughts hitting the others as he ran to the side of the building, essentially tackling Jazz as he went as he rammed her with his shoulder and took her with him. Before she could get out a word he jumped into the unknown and hoped he was right about the scent he had picked up.

"What the…" Danny's words tailing off as he watched the polar bear and his sister descend on him.

(GRAB HER,) the morphed hawks words hitting him like a ton of bricks, not that they needed to at that point the half ghost knowing what he had to do as he grabbed her off the bear and floated down to the ground. Meanwhile Tobias had demorphed on the way down and was flying up to them while trying to find Ax and Nikki.

(We're ok, go we'll find you later,) the thoughts hitting Tobias, Danny and Jazz. Neither had to be told twice as Danny flew over grabbed Tobias and went intangible and shoot through the building and out of the sight of the Howler ghosts that followed them. Without stopping the half ghost pulled them down through several levels of floors till they hit the sewer and were able to find where Danny had stashed Sam and Tucker before he when back for Jazz.

"Ok can I go home now?" Tuckers eyes shifting from side to side every few moments.

(Calm down, everything's ok,) Tobias now standing on the ground and resting, all the morphing and damage finally taking it's toll.

"OK WHAT DO YOU MEAN OK, WE WERE NEARLY KILLED NOW WE'RE IN….." his words trailing off as Danny overshadowed him to keep him calm. "What he means to say," Danny's voice coming out of his friend mouth, "how could this possibly be ok, we just lost some of our weapons, two people, and pretty much got our buts handed to us."

(First off we haven't lost Ax and Nikki, wherever they are they'll be fine, those two are good at hiding, and they undoubtedly find us soon. Second how much did we lose?)

Sam started counting off on her fingers, "Fenton Bazooka, Specter Deflector, the Fenton Foamer itself but I thing we still have two refill cartages left, and part of our communication equipment, we have enough for all the humans but that's it."

"In other words all the heavy fire power," Jazz simplified, "if we had the bazooka we could've just sent them all back to the ghost zone with a few shots."

(No point in morning our losses,) his feathers ruffling, (we still have some equipment and we're still alive that means we're not done yet. In any case we need to put some distance between them and us, fighting in this place plays more to their advantage than ours.)

"So who made you leader," Danny growled.

(Not the time,) his head spinning around and looking at the other super powered human as he exited his friends body, (all I'm saying is the smart thing to do is to get away from here, those things aren't going to stop and the more distance we put between us the longer it'll take them to find us.) Danny growled something under his breath that the others could hear, except for Tobias who ignored him, and started walking, his friends following him.

"This never ends between you two does it," Jazz's armor sucking back into the peeler.

(I don't think so,) letting the redhead pick him up when the armor was retracted and caught up with the others who were absently wandering the Hagseplagen sewer system.

* * *

**Ax POV**

I didn't like being separated from the others, but at the moment it was for the best. I had faith Tobias would keep them safe, provided they heeded his wisdom and he was still the same man he was when we last fought side by side.

"Are you alright," a hand resting on my shoulder, there where times in my life, like these, that I truly missed my Earth allies, as powerful a race as the Andalites were, there were something's even we couldn't do, among them holographically create an army of the dead to rise from a building then drop off said building with another person, put a hand through a building and use gravity combined with the slowed momentum of the tearing building to come to a safe landing on the ground.

(As much as can be expected Er…Nikki, just thinking about my brother,) my stalk eyes on the sky.

"Tobias will be fine he always is." giving my a comforting smile. Thanks to her a hologram was incasing us and keeping others from seeing us which allowed me to rest and heal from my injuries with a quick morph.

(I know, but it doesn't stop me from worrying,) taking a deep breath, (we need information, do you think you can handle that?)

"It depends on the system," blowing on her holographic fingers and giving me a sly look. "But," raising a finger, "I can't do anything with the forms I have, I need to record one of those creatures first then I can do it."

(How long?) my tail wavering in irritation at the whole situation .

"Maybe……five minutes give or take it depends on how many I can observe."

Holding her face, (I have only said this to two women, 'I love you'.)

She laughed a little at that and patted me on the face, "I'm to old for you Aximili," and turning her attention to the street and dropped her human hologram. As she watched I couldn't help but think back to my wife at or home, running wild threw the vast pastures of the landscape. What was she thinking now, that I was a deserter, that I had been abducted by the Yeerks, or did she believe that The Ellimist had abducted me as I always warned her might happen. Of course all this didn't matter unless I was unable to return since if The Ellimist delivered his promise all this would by wiped away as I was returned to my true place and time. However I wasn't foolish enough to believe that he would keep his word, at least not in the way he promised, my family had been tricked enough by this creature that I no longer completely trusted anything it said. But that didn't ease the knowledge that I was scaring Penvar badly, I only hoped she would remain strong for me and that I would soon be seeing her face once more.

(I will return soon my love, do not fear that,) my words traveling to no one but myself as I made a pledge on my honor to return to her.

I was brought out of my thoughts as Nikki placed a hand on my shoulder, "I'm ready, you might want to assume a different form if you wish to come with me."

(Yes I think I will,) thinking back to all the forms I had in my inventory and settling on you I'd found quite useful in my life, an Earth form, a wolf spider. All of my legs split while my arms turned into small grasping implements, my body shrank while my tail ballooned larger and became capable of producing silk. My stalk eyes sucked into my head and split just like my other two eyes, and below them a mouth of sorts formed. Inside me my organs were shifting and changing two hearts merging into one and becoming overly simplified, bones disappearing as they were absorbed into my body. Finally it was over and I was able to look at Nikki her hologram no longer seeming quite and sophisticated to me anymore. Where a two eyes or even a four eyed creature couldn't see through her disguise a spider had no such difficulty thanks to the unique structure of it's eyes, she looked like a member of the native race, yet I could also see through it to the android underneath.

"Time to go," lowering a hand/tendril and placing me on her shoulder.

(Yes lets, I want to know just how much we can find out, and hope some part of it can save our lives, and everyone else in the universe from suffering at the hands of these monsters.)

If she was nervous I couldn't detect it as she walked out into the crowd. I held my breath as best I could wondering if one of those creatures would see through her disguise. After a few moments that fear dissipated but I still wasn't sure how best to proceed, we needed to find a computer or an information repository but finding one was not always easy in an alien culture. (I don't suppose you know where your going?)

"I should soon," her hologram blocking her speech to the others on the street, "I'm running my translation programs as we speak, I should understand the language in a few minutes, then I can hopefully start navigating this planet."

(Good,) running from her shoulder to her head and simply enjoying the sights of the new world, and the short reprieve we had found.

It took a few moments but she finally cranked the communication barrier. A few moments later we were in, what humans might call an electronics store. It was a strange place, I knew what I was looking at were appliances but I had no idea what function they served, of course given the forms of the inhabitants I wasn't sure I wanted to know what they did. Nikki finally stopped at something that seemed to be a large pyramid with a glowing clear cylinder that was filled with a thick red liquid that would zap and plus with what appeared to be energy.

(A chemical computer,) guessing what I was looking at.

"I believe so," nodding her head slightly.

(Interesting, I was under the impression they weren't very effective.)

"Only one way to find out," running her hand over the pyramid and watching a display screen hologram appear above it. "Interesting," tapping at it, the display changing, she tapped at it a few more times, careful not to move to fast. I had a feeling after the first minute she had managed to hack through whatever security it had. The whole time the red liquid glowed brighter and brighter, I was guessing it was the central processor of the system, and the lights indicated how much of it's power was being used. She was on for several moments but finally she pulled away from the system and walked away.

(Learn anything?)

"Ask and I can tell, and your wrong, that was a very effective system, but very fragile, I crashed the system twice, but it came back on remarkably fast. I know about their culture, history, habitat, technology, philosophies, religions, you name it I know it."

I wished to start with something simple, (technology?)

"A little beyond humanity, all thought that can be said for most parts of their societies culture, of course it's also been around five times as long, and have made many mistakes that they make human atrocities seem tame, they're a fitting race to unleash the Howlers."

While I understood her bitterness towards her creators killers this wasn't the time or the place, (Focus Nikki, anything that can help us?)

"I know where their ghost portal is, or as they call it The Gateway."

(You mean it's active?) a little surprised by the new wrinkle, who knew how many opponents we'd now be up against.

"It was, according the official reports our seven opponents escaped and then the scientists were able to shut it down, but it still exists and it's still functional."

(I'm really starting to hate this job.)

"It gets worse, according to most of the reports more than seven tried to get out."

(How many,) dreading what I was about to hear.

"If I understand the translation, I believe one said it best when he said, 'Great Spirit, Great Spirit, we're all gunna die, we can't stand against the legion of the damned, Great Spirit save us'."

At that moment I think I wanted my hands more than any other time in my life so I could slap myself for getting involved in this, (Well something's are starting to make scene,) I growled, I might not have had as much experience with The Ellimist as Tobias did but I knew him enough to know their were plans with in plans. And while I wasn't sure exactly what he wanted I had a feeling it involved the portal generator, and given the fight over them discovering it, I was guessing he wanted it destroyed. (We have to find the others, I need to consult with Tobias and see if what I'm thinking is correct.)

* * *

**DP Style**

"I'm growing bored with this," his words making his companions ectoplasm quiver in fear. In her life and afterlife Desiree had known many men, a great deal of them she considered evil, but this man by far was the most abysmal creature she had ever encountered outside of Pariah Dark, and even then just barely. Till the creature that call itself The Crayak appeared before her and offered her this chance she had never heard of the being known only as Visser, and she found that strange, a creature of such raw cruelty and perversion should have been well known and feared, and why he wasn't made her uneasy. But then this entire situation made her uneasy.

When The Crayak came to her and offered her eternal freedom from her curse of granting others wishes, she had jumped at it, only to wish she had been more specific in what he wanted in return. He had been male, and like all males was not to be trusted and she had forgotten that, which is how she found herself here, on another world surrounded by creatures that claimed to be ghosts but were little more mindless killing machines. All that is save Visser, where the others killed and maimed for the raw joy it brought them, but then she doubted they truly understood why they did it or the repercussions it had. He was truly evil, he didn't do it for fun he did it for the sake of doing it, simply because he could, he knew exactly what he was doing, and how it effected those around him and he simply didn't care. Just being around him made her tremble in fear, the thought that he might turn his attention to her had become her new nightmare. If she could've left him she would've, but she dared not, she knew if she did he would follow her and punish her, no the only way to be free of him, and all like him was to win this contest and receive her reward.

"Give them time, these creature were promise to be the best were they not," the ghost genies words and tone carefully chosen to be soothing to the four legged creature.

His tail vibrated slightly in anger, and it took all herself control not to fly back, "they are little more than beasts, my army would have conquered this world by now, and brought all these pitiful excuses for hosts to their knees."

Under her breath, "they don't have knees." Before she could register the movement his tail shot out hit her across the face and dropped her to the ground.

"Keep you mouth shut underling unless you have something useful to say," his stalk eyes glaring at her while his tail whipped out and pressed into her neck.

"Apologies Master, I meant….," her words cut off as he kicked her with one of his back legs sending her sprawling along the roof that they stood on.

"You mean nothing creature, I may be forced to work with you but that does not mean I require your services or that of these beasts. I merely humor our benefactor by using them and you, but make no mistake, when I grow tired of your insufferable mouth I will show you just how far pain can go for the dead," his tail whipping out and surrounding her neck and lifting her up so he could look her in the eyes. "Do we have an understanding female?"

"Of course Master, as you desire Master," her eyes closed and down cast. In life she had been a slave and now she was again, and she was finding it difficult not to fall into old habits.

"Pitiful creature," letting her go and watching with his main eyes as she fell to the roof. For a moment is tail hovered in the air as he contemplated hitting her again, the shameful display making him sick. He liked having his subordinates be afraid of him, but this girl was too much. He could see she'd been broken long ago by some nameless creature and thus ruined his fun of breaking her himself. Before he could decide one way or the other his stalk eyes caught sight of something more interesting, the creatures he had been forced to command were approaching.

Growling he moved away from her and walked over to them as the five landed on the ledge, their cold dead eyes making even him nervous. In his life he had never heard of these creatures, but he knew them by reputation from the human that visited him, she would often refer back to them in her taunts, but he had yet to see fearsome force that had been a greater menace to the universe than the Yeerk armada. They were fierce and blood thirsty but as a fighting force they were laughable, they moved on instinct more than tactic from what he'd seen, although many of their moves were rather sophisticated. That was why they needed him, they required someone to lead them, to coordinate their attacks and think strategically. However despite their mental limitations they were a skilled efficient killers, that would one day be made more so when they were controlled by Yeerks. He existed for that day, once free of this stupid game he had been promised complete control of the endless army these five came from and he had every intention of leading them to earth to free the others and give them control of these bodies s he could finish what he had started years ago, capture that world, and more importantly deal with all those that had opposed him, starting with Elfangor's son, and that little witch that loved him, then moving on to his jailer, and from there, who knew, but at some point the would have to deal with the Andalite and that was a thought he relished.

"Report," looking the middle on in the face refusing to let the eyes make him nervous. As before they made not a sound, but simply projected they're thoughts into his mind, a flash of images shot through his minds eye, them scanning the sky line invisibly, finding the bird, then attacking. His tail started twitching wildly and lashed out at the ground tearing a chunk of the material from the roof and flipping it over the side of the building.

"HUMANS," his outburst stopping the feed of images as they coward back, they only managed a few feet before his tail shot out and pulled one forward, "show me more," his thoughts making the creature tremble. The images continued, the six attacking, their escape, the Howlers search for their targets and their return to him for new orders.

Slowly the others came forwards as Visser released his grip on the fifth and slowly started pacing, his main eyes closed and his tail twitching in irritation. "Our benefactor has an amusing sense of humor," his yellow and black tail calming it's sway a smile coming to his lips. "Elfangor's son, and if fate is kind his brother as well, so nice of them to save me the trouble of finding after I'm victorious."

"And the humans," Desiree still crouching on the ground, her eyes down, fearing he'd resume his attack on her.

He didn't bother looking at her, "five of them, children I believe, two normal in normal human attire, one in armor, and one in black covering most of her body, and a ghost in black and white."

"The ghost was he a boy with white hair and a symbol on his chest?" a small glimmer of courage filling her being.

"Yes, why?" from his tone she assumed he didn't care, but she felt compelled to answer.

"A child I have battled in the past, he's a weakling, more an annoyance than anything else, he will be little challenge," fluttering her eyes and sticking out her chest turning on every trick she had ever learned to lull him into lust and lower his security..

Visser growled, then nodded, "then he will be your responsibility to deal with, I have more pressing matters to attend to," lifting off the roof and looking at the Howler, "the hunt begins." Before Desiree could move they were gone, the five blue aliens leading the other away, and freeing her for a time.

"Yes go," a seductive smile on her lips as she smoothed out her top and hair, "go and meet your doom." She had a plan, or at least the beginnings of one, imprisonment by the curse of her afterlife was better than freedom at this beasts side, and the halfa could provide an answer to that problem. He had defeated everything in the Ghost Zone, with any luck he could stop that brute as well, especially if she offered a small hand in the deal.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

We must have walked through the sewer for almost an hour, and while it wasn't my first trip given how the others talked I was pretty sure it was theirs. The trip gave me time to think and to listen to the others, according to them the weapons should've worked better than they did, that the fight should've been over in a few minutes, the fact that it hadn't been was demoralizing to the lot of them. Looking back it should've occurred to me as I started putting pieces of the puzzle together. Different races had different rules to live by in life, a human could take more damage than a Taxxons, Hork-Bajir could take more than humans. It only made sense that the same might apply to ghosts as well, that ghosts from different planets might be stronger or weaker than those from Earth. It was a bad miscalculation that might cost us all our lives if we didn't figure something out rather quickly.

I was torn from my thoughts by the others again, (stop complaining,) unlike the everyone else my voice didn't echo off the walls.

"But we're lost," pulling his gaze from the PDA screen, "and I can't tap into this planets wireless system."

"You say that like it's a surprise," the anger in Sam's snaps was growing every time she spoke, "how do you even know this place has wireless?"

"If they can make a Ghost Portal they must have wireless, they can't be that freaking primitive." For a moment I considered telling him just how wrong he was but let it go, if he wanted to believe technological progression was orderly on all worlds who was I to judge, although I really did want to tell him that Andalites invented computers before books, and the fact that we did it the other way around made us back words. The boy in glasses still stared at Sam, "look you'd be surprised how many other times I can tap into a random connection at home so it should work here," looking back at the PDA.

The half ghost turned to look back at his friend, "but this isn't home Tuck," his eyes glowing green in an unseen threat.

"Different word same rules, I should be able to get some kind of signal."

"Where'd you pick that load of crap up," the goth letting out one of those, 'chauu' sounds that seemed to be a library of insults all rolled together and kept walking.

Jazz held me a little closer to her body, "this is going to get bad," her words so low they only reached my ears.

(No kidding,) unlike the others I wasn't panicking, at least not as bad as the others, this wasn't the first time I'd been in a bad situation on another planet.

"What is that suppose to mean," pulling his eyes from the screen and grabbing her arm and spinning her around, only to answered and she grabbed it turned her body and flipped him over her head and onto the ground, before dropping her knee onto his chest and lifting her hand ready to strike him.

"KNOCK IT OFF YOU TWO," Danny flying over and grabbing the girls hand before she could hit her other friend.

"BACK OFF DANNY ALL HE'S DONE TODAY IS COMPLAIN, I'M GOING TO PUT HIM OUT OF ALL OUR MISERIES!" a wild look in her eyes, the stress finally getting to her.

(And then what?) my thoughts completely calm and bringing their attention to me as they forcefully invaded their minds. (He's your friend, how many times have you fought beside him, walked home with him, seen a movie with him, how many times have you argued over food with him? Your stressed I get it, I know what your feeling, I had that stress on me for a long time, and I'm feeling it now but you have to stay calm, and remember what your doing this for.)

"The universe," Danny practically spitting the words.

(Each other,) looking up at Jazz, (nothing else matters, forget everyone else, don't think about the consequences, all that's matter here and now is protecting each other, protecting our family, those we love and those we trust. Do you really want to hurt him Sam? If you do I won't stop you, but we both know you don't want to do that, he's been your friend for a long time and despite your differences, you'd never intentionally hurt him. Stress makes us all do rash things, now ask yourself, what is best for us right now. Is it fighting each other, or fighting beside each other in the hopes we'll all see tomorrows light from your bedroom window."

Sam just looked from me, to Tucker, then back a few more time before a sickly look spread like wildfire over her face. "Tucker…. I…. we…. I'm sorry I don't know what came over me."

Swallowing, and in a squeaky voice, "let me go and we'll call it even."

"Right sorry," her face growing bright red as she pulled him up, but for any could do anything else the sound of light clapping filled the air.

(Danny shield the others,) instinctively barking out orders as I focused on the white tiger in my system.

(Calm down Tobias, it's just us,) Ax's thought washing over me like a wave and filling me mutating heart with joy as I reversed what little I had morphed. A few moments later he and Nikki came trotting out of a tunnel.

(Ax-man,) flying over to him as best I could in the tunnel.

(I see you've endured as always,) smiling at me with his eyes as he bent down, (nice speech by the way, simple, but effective, you have the makings of a good Prince.)

(I thought you said you hated most of them?)

(Hence why I said 'good' Prince,) rubbing my head, (but you should probably control your thoughts a little more, you could have lead the Howlers to you.)

(If they could hear me, we were already in trouble,) ruffling my feathers under his too many fingered hand.

(True, very true,) laughing a little.

"So what am I chop liver," the hologramed android crossing her arms.

(Good to see you to Nikki,) looking at her and nodding my head, (so where were you two?)

(Getting answers.)

"Please tell me their good," Jazz and the others moving over to us.

(Nikki understands the planet, we know this world has a ghost portal that's probably holding back countless Howlers.)

"You mean there are more of those things running around," Tucker took a step back.

"Not yet, the portals down, but I can't be sure for how long."

(I think we're here to destroy the portal on top of everything else.)

(Sounds like a good bet Ax-Man,) looking up at Nikki, (you know where this place is?)

She tapping her head, "maps up here say the word I can get us there."

(And you guys said she was useless,) looking back at ghost hunters, (lead on cyber pup.)

"Lab is this way," pointing down another tunnel, "And don't call me cyber pup." We traveled through the sewer for about half an hour, the mood of the group lifted considerably as we traveled till she stopped as a series of rungs on both sides that constituted a ladder on this planet. "This is as far as we can go down here, we have to take it up stairs, I can extend my hologram for most of the trip but I can't guarantee your safety long term."

(Just get us there Nikki, we'll handle everything else.)

A few minutes later we were on the street and getting an up close and personnel look at the inhabitants of this world.

"Man those guys are ugly," Tucker shaking his head.

(They would probably say the same about you,) if I had hands I would have given Ax a high five.

"Meaning?" not surprisingly Tucker got defensive at that.

(We're on another planet Tucker,) explaining what I hoped Ax had said, (they have a standard of beauty same as we have on Earth, they just look for different things, and to them, we're the ones that look really bizarre.)

"That is suck bull," crossing his arms, "look at them, they all know their ugly."

"Yeah not making you an ambassador anytime soon there Tuck," and given the following sound I was guessing Sam had slapped the back of his head.

We ended up making small talk for the next half hour, thankfully The Ellimist had dropped us near by, something that I took as another sign that Ax was dead on in his evaluation of the situation. The building didn't look that different from all the others I'd seen so far, although I wasn't sure if that was good or bad. I'd seen quite a few places in my life that didn't seem to be well guarded and had turned out to be death traps in disguise.

We stopped a little after the building came into sight, and I was guessing Sam had the same instinct I did, "there's something wrong isn't there?"

"I think so, I'm picking something up, some kind sensor web is in place, I think it might even detect me if I cross it but I'm not sure, I think I can probably adjust it and get by, but just in case we'll need another way in."

I just looked at Ax, who given the looking in his eyes he was having the same though I was, (morph, infiltrate, and destroy?)

(I believe that's for the best,) his tail vibrating in excitement as the promise of mindless violence.

"Hold up," Nikki's hand holding me down, "I need to get a better look at, I think those might be more than sensors."

"How much more," the human tech expert looking over her shoulder.

"It's hard to tell," looking at him, "I think it might be some kind of weapon system, but I don't recognize the energy signature."

"You mean like a laser grid?"

"You could call it that, but it would be a considerable understatement, these are closer to dracon beams but different, I'll need to study them. This is unsettling I read several blue prints of this building and didn't see this system labeled anywhere."

(Everyone makes mistake Nikki, where do you need to get a better look?)

"That roof," pointing to a building midway between us and our target, "it's close enough that I should be able to get a positive reading without this worlds strange properties from interfering with my systems and figure something out but I think it'll to up to you get in and do most of the work if I can't find a way around that grid."

(So how's that different from any other time we worked with you,) again if I could high five Ax I would've. A few minutes later we were on top of the building this time without the benefit of the hologram. Nikki was an amazing person but even she had limits to what she could do, and while the holograms she generated didn't detract from her skills it did slow them down a bit, and at the moment time was of the essence.

"All things considered I like being above those things more than next to them."

"Relax Tucker," the redhead walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder, "if' those three are right we might be out of here soon."

I wanted to tell her we never actually said that but didn't, at the moment for them believe that was for the best, truth was I doubted we were going to get through this without going through Visser Three first. And more importantly was I was waiting for that moment, after everything that monster had done to me, to the other Animorphs, to my family, I was going to enjoy going toe to toe with him. I might not have stood a chance against him, but that didn't mean I wasn't going to try and show him what happened when you ticked off a human, a hawk, and a chunk of the rest of Earths fauna population.

"Can we get this over with," something about Danny's voice scared me, the whole trip he hadn't spoken much and that bothered me. From what I'd seen he was usually a talkative one, always there with a joke or a jab, but here he was simply well, here, it was like he was going through the motions, only coming out of it for a few moments at a time when he had too. If the guy didn't need therapy yet I had a feeling her was going to after this whole mess was said and done.

"Not yet, this system is strange parts I recognize parts I don't, it bothers me and I won't ask anyone to go till I understand what's going on. The good news however is I think I can get by the grid, but I'll need time to adjust some of my interments."

"Small miracles," he sighed softly.

"Don't get your hopes up yet, thinking I can and actually doing it are two different things."

"Oh course the other shoe would have to drop," his eyes taking glowing a light green as he kicked the roof with a foot that also slightly glowed.

(Calm Down Danny,) as I hopped over to him, (trust me running off half cocked into one of these situations doesn't help anyone, we wait for Nikki's go ahead.) He shot me a dirty look, but I could see in his eyes at the moment he didn't mean it, he was tired and stressed, eyes I knew well, eyes I say every time I looked in something reflective, eye's I'd seen on Ax and Jake. He wasn't just scared about himself, he was worried about the others, scared that they were doing to die and that somehow it was going to be his fault. (We'll get through this, by the end of the day you'll be back home eating nasty burgers, I promise.)

"Like you can make that one," crossing his arms.

(Your right I can't make that promise, but just keep telling yourself that and we'll be ok.)

"How do you do it," moving away from the others and lowering his voice.

(Do what?) keeping my thought speech private.

"Stay so freaking calm about this, how can you not be scared?)

(Not scared, I'm surprised I'm leaving a trail of white everywhere I go, I am way beyond scared here.)

"Then why…"

(….don't I show it?) finishing the thought, (what good would that do the others? You, I, Ax, we have powers, we're the ones on the front line day after day, the others aren't. They look to us for strength because they think we've been through this before, it doesn't matter if we have or not, they need us to be strong because that givens them strength. We're the ones on the front line, if we're scared what does that say to them about their chances?) I looked back at the others, (if they weren't here I'd be flying around in circles screaming my head off and hoping the end was quick and painless. But they are, so I have to be strong for them even if I don't feel it myself, you get it?)

"Yeah I do," taking a deep breath and folding his arms and standing a little straighter, doing his best to look like he was calm even if he was shaking a little. "Your like some kind of combat guru you know that?"

(No, and I really wish I wasn't,) fluffing my feathers and looking up at him.

"So you really think we have a chance?"

(I'd say the odds are there, but we have a long way to go before we set foot on Earth again, but we're getting close every step.)

"That's a fancy way of saying 'I don't know' isn't it?"

(Bingo,) cocking my head to the slight.

He smiled at me a little and opened his mouth to say something I didn't hear as I picked up another sound, one I already knew. The subtle clack that was a Howler's claws bouncing against his hand I'd heard it before in my flight back to the others when it got to close, which meant two thing, they were invisible and two, they were really, really close by. (NIKKI HOLOGRAM ON NOW,) my thoughts hitting all of them forcing them into battle stances. I could here Jazz's armor snap into place, Sam's staff power up, Tucker pull a weapon from his bag, and I guessed Ax was putting his weapons down and was starting to morph. I couldn't be sure and I wasn't going to look, all my attention had to be on scene in front of me, I had to pin point where they were and I had to do it fast before the others got hit.

"My what do we have here," the voice that haunted my nightmares spoke. It was Visser Three no doubt in my mind, it wasn't quite the same as his thought speech had been, but it was close enough, if anything it sounded crueler then in had before. Unfortunately I couldn't pin it down, it seemed to change position as he spoke coming from everywhere at once and yet only one place, with my luck it was one of his ghost abilities. "The infamous son of Elfangor and if I'm not mistaken his brother as well, fate has smiled on my this day."

(Where is he,) Ax's thought hitting me.

(Not sure, but I'll tell you as soon as I figure it out.)

"It's hard to believe we'd be reunited on another world so far from where we began this little trek, but rewarding for me at least, had I been told you where here I'd have done this for FREE!" If it wasn't for my hearing I'd dead, a quick flap saving my life as the ledge I had been standing on exploded as Visser Three appeared before me. Well it was him and it wasn't it looked more like a humming bird, well a humming bird that was a foot long, had quills covering it's body, and was black and yellow.

A blast of green shot over my head and just missed Visser Three as he darted out of the way with a speed I almost couldn't follow, (you took my brother from me you will not take him abomination.)

"You speak as though as you can stop me," his form changing into a faux Andalite, the proportions were right except the legs and bogy were to big and he had claws and blades popping out here and there. The color remained the same from his pervious form black and yellow mixed into violent patterns. Beside him the five howlers appeared, but no sign of the female ghost The Ellimist had shown us at the school the day before.

(Even in death you mock my race,) Ax's weapons firing again and I was able to grab a look back. Ax now about eleven feet tall, about three feet of that being a mouth full of sharp teeth. His head looked a little like a shark right down to the dorsal fin, except he now had three in a row. The head moved into a body that looked almost human and legs that looked a bit like a crab, six legs pooping out making up about five feet of the height, and despite the slender look of them they easily supported the creature Ax had become. While his upper body seemed human enough except for the skin that had the look of leather. His arms however were different, on the right he had a pair of claws that were big enough to cover most of his body if he chose to use them as a shield. On his left side were two smaller arms ending in three fingered hands each now holding one of his guns. Of his back was a tail that would have been more at home on a dolphin.

"Of course more sea food," Tucker laughed nervously.

"An ugly form Andalite lets hop you enjoy die in it, KILL THE HUMANS BUT LEAVE THE OTHERS ALIVE I WILL DEAL WITH THEM PERSONALLY."

* * *

**DP Style**

The five moved like a plague of locus onto the seven one going to each of the four humans and one after Ax, Nikki and Tobias alone knowing a reprieve from the attack.

"Not that we don't have to worry about interruptions lets begin Andalite spawn," Visser's body shifting and changing as he unleashed his power, dozens of tentacles emerging from his body and growing, soon becoming nothing more than a twenty foot ball of yellow and black tendrils that hung in the air. "I look forward to bringing your mangled corps and your spirit to that creature that calls herself you mate."

(Rachel,) the realization making him pause.

"Yes that would be her name, I look forward to dealing with that creature after I'm done with you."

(Wrong answer monster,) flying up at him avoiding his tendrils and shooting down over the side of the building, watching him follow and leave the others sight.

Up on the roof, the pairs disappearance wasn't really noticed other than a quick sigh of relief to have one less opponent to deal with, the fighters had their own problems to deal with.

"Back off," a large green blast erupting from Danny's hands hitting the Howler square in the chest and making it fall and spin of his pedestal that was part of his body. He didn't let it slow him down as he flew at the dead alien shooting low out of range of the claws and launching another blast at the beast between it's legs, hoping it would effect the Howler like it did most humans. That hope was dashed as it looked down at him and opened it's mouth, only to get a small blast of ectoplasm in his mouth courtesy of Danny's finger. "Not this time man, keep it shut."

Below him Sam was dancing with a Howler on the roof. The ground beneath her exploded as it struck with it's claws, each one glowing black with ectoplasm and leaving a crater in the building. Before she could react it thrust it's hands up flinging bits of the material at her, most of with were easily turned away as she blocked them with a quick swipe of her staff.

"That's the best you got," regretting her words as it fired off a blast of ectoplasm with both hands. Her reflexes managed to allow her to block them both, but not until she had slid several feet back by the force of the blast. "Right keep my big mouth shut unless I want to lose it," an idea forming as she looked beyond her opponent, stabbing her weapon into the ground she racked it forward sending chunks of the roof towards the Howler in a parody of it had just done followed by darting back as it was impacted by another Howler that had been launched into the air by Ax.

The transformed Andalite was having a little more luck than the humans, his form despite it appearances was faster, stronger and more moveable than any other form he had, maybe even more than his real body. Most of his people though he had been crazy when he added the creature to his inventory, and even more so when he fought with it, but to him it was a perfect mix of power and grace, ready for any challenge that came his way. (Sorry did you want him,) despite the stakes they were fighting for the forms raw enthusiasm was washing other him and making him a little giddy.

"Yes I wanted him," she had intended it to be a sarcastic comment but it came out more as a thank you.

(Apologies,) running over on his thin legs and upper cutting both ghosts at once with his claws sending them into the air only to watch them shift and hang in the air. Flexing his legs he jumped into the air and tried to slam his claws into them, only to watch them pass right though his body as they went intangible.

"Just when you think you have an edge," spinning her staff and readying herself for the attack as they dove down at her. The first one was a few feet in front of the other, taking a deep breath and calming herself and trying to let her training take over she darted forward and between the legs of the Howler, it's claws just missing her as it turned in the sky. Past it's attack she jumped thrusting one end of the glowing staff into her assailant, stabbing it in the chest and shifting her weight when she hit the ground and throwing it into the other Howler.

(It appears you don't need my help after all,) running over to her a leaping over the goth and bringing his claws down into the alien ghosts.

"Doesn't mean I don't want it," spinning the weapons in her hand and joining the fray only to be stopped as Tucker's voice ripped through the sky.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

"I got this," the goth skidding on the ground and running to her friend, "you deal with them."

(Not a problem,) a blast of green highlighting his features as he fired with his ghost weapon.

A few seconds later Sam was close enough to help Tucker, despite his layer of ghost repentant it wasn't stopping his from firing a volley of ectoplasm blasts in his direction. Without saying a word and moving on feet that now made little sounds she leapt at her flying prey. Despite her silent moves it heard he and spun on it's bearing bring it's glowing claws to bear, but didn't get a shot off, Sam was already on top of it, her staff hitting it's mark as it stabbed into it's mouth and pulled it down to the ground. A quick hop and she put herself between the blue ghost and her friend.

"Wow I feel sorry for Paulina the next time she decided to tick you off," pushing his glasses up and running over to her.

"I wouldn't waste the energy on her," keeping her eyes locked on the ghost in front of her.

"Really…." his words trailing off as the Howler got back up and glared at them.

"I really wish our weapons were having their usual effect on these creatures," ready to defend her friend, only to have him side step her and fire his weapon at it knocking it back.

"Just needed a few seconds tweak something," blowing on the fake tube of lipstick.

"Sure you did," rolling her eyes then jumping back knocking him over as another Howler crashed into the ground in front of her.

"Sorry," Danny fling up next to them, "didn't hit where he was suppose to," and placing himself between the others and the two dazed Howlers.

"We're in one piece that all that matters."

"You mean two piece if we were in one piece we'd be in trouble," correcting her a little hostilely, a little ticked he'd been thrown to the ground by the girl.

"Not the time for that guys," Danny hovering in the air and blasting the pair on the ground and grabbing a look at his sister to check on her.

For the most part Jazz was holding her own, the armor letting her take a lot of punishment, but hadn't stopped the Howler from trying. Large chunks had been torn away revealing bits of her real body under the metal. Her blaster now laid on the ground but her claws were out and locked with the black one of the Howler, the combination of green and back glows casting both in a eerie light. Her other hand had her fingers laced with the ghost's own keeping it's claws out of the way pitting them in a test of strength, it's ghostly verse her metal muscles. Her opponent snapped it's teeth at her, given the scorch mark around it's face she was guessing it was the one Sam had attacked earlier, and for whatever reason was unable to let out it's crippling call.

"Not smart," the redhead growled lunging forward and head butting the ghost several times bringing it to the ground, but couldn't get it to release it's grip.

"You ok sis," Danny barked out to her.

"As well as can be expected," momentarily distracting herself, the moment enough for the Holwer to lung forward pulling her off her feet and shooting forward and sending both off the side.

"JAZZ," the half ghost screamed taking flight only to be stopped as one of the Howlers Ax had been fighting escaped his clutches and forced him to the ground.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

I forced myself to stay calm and dipping down out of the way of my opponent. Visser Three was incredible fast in this form, but he wasn't that accurate, he had to many tendrils to coordinate without them over lapping, the arms continually crashing into each other. That over lap was probably the only thing that saved me as the smaller more agile bat I had become slipped seamlessly between the crack in an attempt to tie him to knots. Something that as of yet hadn't worked, every time I tried he just absorbed the tendrils into his body and shot out a few new ones.

This wasn't working, I knew I couldn't take him like this. I had no idea what the limits of his new found abilities were but I knew they went beyond what he could do when was alive and in the body of an Andalite. I'd managed to piece together a few things though, he could reshape himself in an instant, he could fly, and given the glowing his tendrils did I was pretty sure he had some control of ectoplasm even if he hadn't fired off a salvo yet. If nothing else it told me there was no way I could fight him head on, at least not with anything I'd acquired on earth.

"Slowing down Andalite spawn," whipping out another tendril and missing me as shot towards it and slipped through the crack it created between it and the one next to it.

(I'm still good you glorified leech,) slipping past another mass and finally seeing a spot of day light the first I'd seen since entering the forest of wiggling ghost flesh that the Visser currently called a body.

"As annoying as the girl I see, pity for you, that just given me one more reason to prolong your suffering."

(Get some new material freak that not working on me,) it was lie, I knew it and so did he. He was getting to me, making me want to hurt him even more than I had when I'd first heard he was one of my opponents, but I forced myself to stay focused, as much as I wanted vengeance it would have to wait till the others were safe, and till I had answers about what was going on.

After a few moments I was able to get out from under the mass of tendrils that he had become, but in part because I think he let me. Flapping out I demorphed and lost a little height as I did, the bat was close to my hawk body, but it still didn't hang in the air as well as demorphing from another bird body.

Looking back I could see him change, many of the tentacles merging together, four things approaching arms emerging form his body, two on each side, the tendrils hanging between them, a head emerged looking a little pug, albeit one with a square for a mouth, fangs lining each side of the mouth's opening, something approaching the wings I had just discarded for feathers ripped from his back and blocked out the sun beneath him. I couldn't help but think he reminded me a little of a butterfly, a really malformed butterfly that must have been thirty feet long that glowed unnaturally.

(Oh boy,) the feeling I was in a monster movie sweeping over me as recalled all the moves that had giant monsters ransacking cities.

"JAZZ," the word ripping me out of my shock and pulling my attention to the building. I'd managed to pull him away but not far enough so that I couldn't still see it. Off the side of the building I watched Jazz and a Howler fall through the sky, but not her brother who had screamed, whatever had happened he couldn't get to her and I wasn't sure that armor could absorb that kind of impact. A thousand options ran through my mind in less than a second and I didn't listen to any of them, pure instinct shot me forward in the hopes I could catch her, even if I had to get past Visser Three in order to get to her.

"Going some where," his voice somehow staying the same despite that insane looking mouth. With a speed I'd only seen one other aerial creature match he shot towards me, the arms under him reaching out towards me, each hand ended with three fingers on either side forming something similar to a clamp. I didn't have time to try anything fancy as I kept up my speed and caught on updraft hoping to catch enough of a head wind to sail over the top of him and with luck get to her in time.

Again with a speed I didn't think he could manage he preformed a barrel roll his tendrils gripping me and pulling me to his body while his hands covered me, intent to keep me from moving.

"You may have your fathers courage but you lack his skill"

(LEAVE MY FATHER OUT OF THIS,) my anger rising, and a part of my mind clouded over as I considered unleashing something that might be worse than what I was fighting.

He laughed so hard his body shook, it was a dark evil sound that made me want to tear his intestines out if it were possible. "Hard to believe you could care so much for a creature you never knew, one that died so pathetically."

That was it, there were line you didn't cross, that was one of them, I knew what I was doing could be dangerous but I didn't have many choices. I had many bodies at my disposal, most were from earth, a few weren't, a few I'd acquired when I worked for The Ellimist, and while I didn't have clear recollections of how I came to have those bodies, I still knew each of them intimately and almost all of them were forms I preferred not to use for one reason or another. That included the one I was about to unlock.

Denoxgo Lihnep, that was the name the natives used for it, loosely translated from the language of the planets inhabitants it meant 'God of Sky and Death,' how that translated was beyond me but that's what it meant, and it was a fitting name for it. My wings were first each one ripping in half, splitting down the middle and then repairing themselves as they formed two perfectly formed wings one on top of the other. Each was capable to flight, but the lower set was stronger, while the upper set meant to act more like arms, the upper set capable of moving anyway I wanted them to. My vision dimmed, something I was ready for, and just focused on the change waiting for the one I needed and hoping it would effect him. My feet stayed almost the same, the only change were two additional toes growing on each foot, one in front, on in back. Organs shifted in my body, my heart grew stronger and new organs formed, and I could feel my skin shift to accommodate them. In the blink of an eye they kicked on and started producing there special chemical that excreted from my skin, and forced my to be ready since the rest of the changes weren't there yet. Pain erupted on my body, the naturally occurring chemical compound catching fire as soon as it was exposed to the atmosphere. My entire body became a blue fireball that burned so hot even the Visser couldn't hold me. With a scream he let me go, the world below me now in complete focus now that eyes meant for seeing though the burning world had their natural environment back. I didn't have time to think I just spread my wings and flapped ready for the increase in speed and hoping I could still get to Jazz.

She was already below me, but I was catching up to her fast while the changes continued, I grew larger, my size doubling every second while feathers grew to replace my natural hawk ones that couldn't stand the heat. These new ones were designed specifically for this body, each one resistant to the heat and razor edged, capable of cutting through almost any substance alone, with the fire and my strength I doubted anything could resist against them now. The larger I grew and the more the morph completed the faster I became catching up to her in a matter of seconds and thanks to my vision I could see her face when she saw me. She had a look of terror on her face, not that I blamed I could see my reflection in the visor, I was a terrifying sight now, and twenty foot bird that seemed of be made of pure fire, a sight that could scare anyone.

(This is going to hurt,) sending my thoughts to her. I watched her mouth 'Tobias,' and about that moment I felt the part I'd been dreading, something worse than the burning, the instincts, the one part of this body I couldn't get a grip on. It wasn't like the single mindedness of the ant, it was the opposite this creature was sentient, as least to a point, it was aware of the word around it, and it knew it's place in the world, but it wasn't that smart, at least by human standards. It moved on instinct, mostly because there was nothing that could challenge it except for others of it's kind, and for some reason it always completely overpowered my mind regardless of how I prepared myself. I only had one choice hold it off, get Jazz to safety and demorph before it took control.

I opened my talons and forced the mind back as far as I could, doing a best to put a wall between it and my body, With a slight hesitation I closed my talon around her and her attacker a move that forced the Howler to open it's mouth, if it made a notice I couldn't tell, the fire pretty much made hearing impossible. I flapped with everything I had, shooting up the building while I felt the metal of her suit bubble and burn under me, if I didn't do it fast I'd be the source of her death rather than the Howler or the fall, and death by me would be far more painful. Thankfully in this body I was faster than anything she had seen before and flew up the building at a quicker rate than she had fallen down it and without even thinking I released my grip on her and tossed her aside on to the roof, just in time to feel my mental walls crumble as the instincts took over. The last clear thought I had was one of rage as it saw Visser Three, it was not my kind, I didn't know what it was but I wanted it dead for entering my territory.

* * *

**DP Style**

"So you have a few tricks after all," a slight laugh in Visser's voice as he watched Tobias come near him and leaving a burning trail in the sky. He found a great deal of amusement in the idea of facing a creature almost as large as he was, a fight he had never gotten from the upstarts father. "Come then, see if you can die better than your father," his wings and arms spreading giving Tobias an opening, not aware that what he was facing was now a Denoxgo Lihnep a creature that had no predators on it's world, and did not know fear save for the sight of it's kind.

Releasing a scream that belonged more to a Hollywood movie monster than a real creature he flew at the challenger to his absolute supremacy, talons out, upper wings poised to strike. Believing the creature to be an easy victory Visser shot his tendrils out intent on taking holding of the bird and forcing him into a building, only to discover that holding him would not be an easy feet as the bright blue flames rising off it's body burned even the ectoplasm of the alien ghost.

Recoiling in pain his tendrils retracted into his chest, "you have more bite than I thought you would child, it won't save you." Another set of arms appeared between the two on either side taking the place of the tentacles. Flapping his wings more for show than power Visser rose into the sky above Tobias letting him pass under him, his speed equal to the burning creatures, or so he thought as the flaming bird turned in midair and followed him, upper wings racking skyward and back, leaving twin burning trails in Visser's ectoplasm. Roaring in pain and frustration the dead Yeerk struck back, pounding on the bird with his six fists, pain and rage clouding his mind to the fault in his plan. Each blow set his hand ablaze and forced a greater scream from him, pain unlike anything he had faced in the ghost prison racing through his body as he attacked the son of his hated rival.

"RETREAT," the Visser's voice filling the sky, justifying the move to himself by saying he needed time to learn how to counter the flames the form put off. At his order four of the five Howlers lifted into the sky, abandoning the fight as ordered. The sole straggler being the one that had attacked Jazz, the one that was now engulfed in the flames that had remained from his contact with Tobias. The Howler simply lay on the ground, where once had been a force to be reckoned with was now merely a shell of it's former being, it's mind gone, and it's ability to move torn from it as it's afterlife was torn away, burned to ash in the flames of the alien bird.

Denoxgo Lihnep roared in anger as his opponent attempted to flee, such an action could not be allowed. It had invaded his territory, had dared to show itself to him, and for that it would die. To allow anything else was to invite others to come and try and take what was his, that could never be allowed. He followed intent on finishing this and proving why this was his roost.

Panic rose in Visser as he tried to escape as he saw the creature follow him, in his attempt to elude the pursuing foul he went invisible in the hopes he'd lose him. An attempt that did little, his form still visible to the bird as he dove down and rammed the escaping dead alien into a building. After a second the structure caught fire as Denoxgo Lihnep forced his prey into it. In a blind panic Visser struggled against him, burning himself more than forcing his opponent off. Snarling in rage, his strong six arms tore chunks of the alien building away and hurled them at the bird. None of the bits of metal, glass, and mortar connected as they simply burned up as they approached his body but it was enough to give Visser a plan. Reaching back into the building he tore a girder free hit the giant bird in the face with it with his first set of arms. The beam melted as it hit but it was enough to drive Denoxgo Lihnep back.

Calm and arrogance came back to the Howler's commander as he tore two more girders free, a long section now in each set of hands and flew at the transformed human/hawk, brandishing each beam like a staff or sword depending on it's size. With a roar of dominance filling the sky he attacked, thrusting the longest girder held in his middle hands out hitting the flaming beast in the neck followed by a strike to the lower right wing as he tried to bludgeon the appendage with the metal rod held in his upper arms. The lower arms struck at the legs, trying to stab the metal through them.

Denoxgo Lihnep let out a shriek as the metal pierce it's side and legs, the action doing more to enrage the dominate bird than hurt it, an action that was by far a mistake. Let out a call that sent most creatures on it's home world running it struck with it's wings before it could get off another attack and cut through the longest beam with a sweep of it's upper right wing. Before the other creature could do anything Denoxgo Lihnep twisted and turned with it's wings and stuck with it's upper left and sliced off it's left jaw flap earning a roar of pain from Visser. Not will to stop he thrust his talon out and bit into the ghost and stuck out with it's upper wings and sliced off the first two arms on each side, leaving the lower arms alone, and forcing an even greater scream of pain from Visser who thrashed with his wings escaping Denoxgo Lihnep grasp and leaving part of it's body in the birds grasp while he tired to regenerate his arms while trying to put the fires that had sprung up all over it's body.

Denoxgo Lihnep let him flap away a few feet before following him and ramming him into another building and igniting an even larger part of the ghosts anatomy. Once more Visser straggled to escape, a new panic rising in him, something he hadn't allowed himself to feel since he'd taken an Andalite body. But he was no longer an Andalite, and this creature was like nothing he had ever faced before and as much as he was loath to admit it the son of Elfangor was scaring him. In a moment of clarity he realized the error in his plan, there was no way to out power the beast there was only escape and went intangible slipping into the building and changed back to his faux Andalite appearance and tried to catch his breath.

For a moment Denoxgo Lihnep was confused, his prey was gone, then understanding came over him, his prey was hiding, that could not be allowed. Flapping back he struck with his upper wings, the razor feathers and flames rising off it body easily cut through the building and carved it open reveling his challenger. However it was on longer his challenger, the beast that had dared to offend him was gone, leaving only lesser creatures, leaving only food creatures.

Visser however did not know this, all he knew was that the he was that the building had been torn away and that the beast was sticking it's head in the hole and snapping it's beak. Anger now replace panic, his courage and ego retuning in full force. This creature, this child, this Andalite spawn dared to challenge him, dared to think he controlled this fight. He had brought countless worlds their knees, enslaved over a dozen races, and had been granted the coveted title of Visser One, no human would challenge him and live, no creature drawing a breath could match him in power and cunning.

"I WILL KILL YOU AND TORTURE YOU SPIRT FOR ALL ETERNITY!" His body beginning to shift and change again, a new form called from his mind became a reality. He grew to nearly sixty feet tall, his new height bursting though what was left of roof of the building. Three large legs like tree trunks shooting out from under him while the other four sucked into his body. His body became little more than a ball that had five arms each larger than his legs. Each of these arms ending in a mouth ten feet across and glowing black with ectoplasm. "NOW BEAST FACE YOUR MASTER," lashing out with one of the mouths biting into the upper right wing, tearing a chunk of meat from it, burning himself in the process and releasing blasts of black from the other mouths each hitting the bird in different places.

This was not that creature that had challenged him, but it would do Denoxgo Lihnep decided flying forward burning through the building and slamming into the new threat to his dominion. With barley a strain he lifted him off the structure but not without having large parts of his anatomy torn away as the mouths bit and tore at his flesh even as he burned his attacker.

With a scream that shook the windows surrounding them Visser kicked the blue bird off him and hovered in the sky. "You dare to think you are my equal, MY SUPERIOR, you are nothing a child playing at his fathers legacy, I will see you dead at feat, no I will feel you die in my mouth as he did, I will show you power of no creature in the galaxy can stand against!"

Denoxgo Lihnep just cocked his head, no understanding why the challenger had stopped attacking and not truly caring, if it was giving up it had mad a mistake thinking it could leave here alive, the creature was now nothing more than a prey creature, a food creature to him, and it would be feed upon so that he could live.

Snapping two of his jaws Visser fired flashes of black from the other three mouths and flew at the bird even as it did the same, the pair meeting in the middle. Turning in the air he kicked the flame kissed bird in the head with one of yellow and black legs. Continuing the turn he was soon upside down and kicked his other two legs out and hit on either side of the head in an attempt to shatter the beasts collarbone. His moths launched out and bit into the birds legs trying to gnaw off the taloned limbs and remove one more little threat from the beasts arsenal, but that proved to be nearly impossible as the talons tore off one of the mouths as soon as it tried.

Visser continued to strike, kick and bite at the bird to no avail, he would not go down, not relent, not stop, and he was unable to put out the fires on his body fast enough to deal with him. And there in lied the key to beating him, a plan forming in Visser's mind, despite not having eyes he saw the coastline off in the distance, he might not be able to out power the beast but if he extinguished him he would no longer be as great a threat. Growls rising from the three of his mouths as they shot forward and attacked the birds face biting into the eyes and throat in an attempt to weaken and confuse the beast. With him jerking it was enough for Visser to direct him despite the thrashing around her was doing. With a speed born of desperation he flew to the coast line and plunged into the liquid that made up the ocean. As soon as they hit, the liquid that the giant bird turned to steam instantly and also put out the fire that dominated his body rendering his body a subtle pink-cream color.

Visser's original intention had been to let go as soon as the beast was in, but that proved to be more challenging that originally thought as Denoxgo Lihnep plunged his talons deep into the attacker, even without his flames his strength was still enough to pull him down into the water fully intent on taking the monster down with him.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

(Where am I now,) the thoughts going everywhere as my senses were assaulted by wet and cold and pain. This had happened every time I took this form, I ended up having no clue where I was when it was over I just knew I'd had my tail handed to me.

Water I focused on water, that and the cold had forced the instincts back, it always did, kills the flame and the mind shuts down. I tried to breath, but that didn't work as all I got was water down my mouth. (Ok focus what is going on,) that was one advantage of this body, photographic memory, I don't know why it had it, but it did and I was able to get the entire story of what the bodies real instincts had doing while I was gone. It also ended up explaining why I had a giant ice cube on my foot, whatever this liquid was it had flash frozen Visser Three, but the liquid still being secreted from my body was somehow retarding the effect on me.

(Ok the others are fine, and I am getting out of here before I get frozen,) but that was easier said than done. As it was I was fighting a battle to stay conscious since I'd given up what was left of my oxygen but if I demorphed that would mean I'd have to endure the temperature and if Visser Three hadn't what did that say about my chances. Without thinking I just did it and went back to hawk in a few seconds and kept the sperm whale in my thoughts, I had no idea if it could survive the temperature but it was the only thing I could think of at the moment. After a few second I was a red tail again then started to grow larger, the whole time feeling parts of my body freezing, wings, legs, only to later feel them snap off in the change as I grew larger, but I wasn't sure it would matter, things were starting to go dark.

* * *

**Jazz POV**

"TOBIAS," I was still screaming but I knew it didn't matter I'd lost slight of him just like the others, all we knew was that he was in a life and death struggle with Visser Three, and whatever his fate we couldn't help him.

"We have to go Jazz," Sam pulling me away, her voice growing more insistent.

I knew she was right a few minutes after the Howlers left the inhabitants of the world had come out and stared firing with some find of weapon that freaked Ax and Nikki out, why they weren't shooting during the fight was beyond me. Seeing how they reacted was enough to tell us we needed to go somewhere else, but it didn't stop me from wanting to stay and wait. "One more minute Danny," I pleaded hoping to see him come over the horizon.

"He's a survivor sis, he'll get back to us," my brother coming up next to me and grabbing my side.

I winced, the burn that I'd received from Tobias' was more than making itself known. As far as we could tell in was nothing more than first and second degree burns, thankfully mom had insisted making the suit as fire proof as possible, but it still didn't it from turning into a toaster. To add insult to injury, Tobias' save also rendered the suit useless, turning it into little more melted pile of scrap metal. With a tear in my eyes I nodded my mouth unwilling to say the word and grabbed my hand and flew away with us and turned invisible. A few minutes later he sat down on another roof and the other became visible as Nikki dropped her hologram.

"Any word," running over to Ax as soon as Danny let me go.

(None yet, but that's not surprising what he's doing is insane,) his stalk eyes down cast.

"Then you know what that form was?" Sam asking before I could.

(Regrettably no, if I did I'd have that form in my inventory as well, it was quite impressive.)

"So not what I want to hear right now Ax," panic creeping into my voice.

(Calm down, he will endure he always does,) putting his hand on my shoulder.

"That's what I said," my brothers voice a mix of 'I told you so' and compassion as he walked over to me and tried to put a hand on my shoulder, something I shrugged off before he could even finish putting it on me.

"So we're just leaving him there, who know what kind of danger he's in, we need to get to him before that thing kills him!"

(He will endure Jazz, now be at piece.)

"JUST BECAUSE YOU SAY THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT TRUE!" pushing his hand aside.

"Don't worry about him, he's been through worse," Nikki like Ax having a sickeningly calm outlook on the situation.

"How can you not be worried about him, you said that thing was a killer!"

(Because I know him,) as if that one statement said everything.

Then it hit as I looked at him, at that clam cold exterior, "you don't even care about him do you, he's just a weapon to you. Something you point and tell to kill, everything he said about you being like a brother to him was complete garbage, you…," before I could finish his blade was at my throat.

(You can say many things about me, but never question my loyalty to him,) a very real threat of murder in his thoughts.

"Back off," my brothers eyes and finger glowing green and pointed at Ax.

"No," looking at him quickly, "let him talk why should we believe you, what could you possibly say to make me believe you. I'm not Tobias, you can't just give me some line about the greater good and expect me to believe that your going to help me." The second I said it I regretted it, I knew neither was like that, but it was to late to take back.

I could actually see his tail quiver as it pressed against my throat, and I thought it was over then he pulled it away. (He. Is. My. Brother.) every word a statement in and of itself. Then his stalk eyes lowered and he walked away a few steps, (I only have two people I consider family anymore, one is my wife, he is the other.)

"Oh yes and that proved everything," the words just slipping past my lips before I could stop myself.

He whipped around in a heart beat and once more I thought he was going to bury in tail blade into my skull. (He is my nephew, I fear for his life more than you know,) he tail shaking uncontrollable as he threw his rams out to either side of him, a move I'd expect a human to make.

"First he's your brother now he's you nephew make up your mind," Tucker throwing his hands in the air and walking away from him.

Before anyone could move Ax stuck and flat of the blade landing against the back of Tuckers head, not enough to hurt him but enough to make his flinch and duck down and rub it from the minor pain, (brothers by choice, nephew by birth.)

"That's not true," stepping back not believing what he had said, "he told me about his family, his uncle…."

(His human uncle,) stopping my before I could go on, (is a person I wouldn't hesitate to beat with my tail if given the opportunity.) His tail shock even more at that, (our family history is complicated, but he is my nephew, and I fear for his life far more than or anyone on this world.)

"Your lying he would've told me something like that!" a tear running down my face in frustration.

(He would've told you he's half alien,) something close to a sneer in his thoughts, (that his entire life is the result of The Ellimist's plotting, that he watched his father die in front of him and is now facing the creature responsible for that action!)

"He watched him die," Sam stepping away from me and looking sick.

"He did not," the holes in his story obvious to me, "the only Andalite he ever watched die was one that gave him his power…," realization dawning on me as I remembered the relationships between those individuals.

(Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, my older brother,) his eyes down cast, his tail lowering. I wanted to say something but I couldn't the way he looked prevented my from doing so. (From what I've been able to put together from reports I've found, when my brother was young he assigned to return an abducted human to Earth. During which time, his commander War Prince Alloran-Semitur-Corrass was taken over by a Yeerk that would come to be known as Visser Three. In that short space of time my brother fell in love the woman, Loren, and chose to stay on Earth. To do so my brother chose to become trapped in a human morph, to become what Tobias is a nothlit. In their time together she gave birth to him, then my brother was ripped form his family by The Ellimist, given back the power to morph and placed in a situation that would allow to become a hero to my people. A situation that would one day put in back in contact with his son, albeit for a very short period of time, a time that would end when my brother was killed, eaten alive by the monster he now faces.)

"Tell me your joking," Danny's voice very small.

(I wish I were, the story of my family is coated in blood, he is all I have that connects me to my brother.)

"What about your parents," Tucker asked still rubbed the back of his head.

(I don't speak with them much anymore, they refuse to recognize him as part of our family, they believe to let it be known that Elfangor had a son, especially from a morph that he sued to run away from his responsibilities, would detract from his legacy in the minds of my people.) Before anyone could speck he lifted his hand, (my brother was not a coward, he was young when he made that decision, and I fully support what he did, I've through about it myself from time to time. I believe if my people knew the full story of my brother that it would give them a better understanding of the man he was and not the near supernatural being they have come to make him out to be. He was a normal man, he made mistakes, and he tried to find redemption for his actions, and I believe Tobias never left his thoughts, something I think my people would be better off knowing.)

"He's you nephew," the words still sticking my mind, I just couldn't get around them. "He's part alien, why wouldn't he tell us this, doesn't he trust us?"

"Would you?" my brother coming over to me and taking my hand. "The guys a bird, an alien fighter, a planetary traveler, and who knows what else. All those together are a lot to take in and he didn't tell you any of those till he had to, you think it's strange that he might hold something else in reserve just in case you couldn't handle that?"

"I…well….I knew he was keeping secrets from me….I just, didn't know that was it, why wouldn't he trust me, trust us with that?"

(It's not a matter of trust,) closing all his eyes, (in the short period of time he knew his father they formed a deep bond, and this was before he knew he was his father, I can't even be sure Elfangor knew the boy he spoke with was his son. His death hurt him more than you can imagine,) his main eyes watering, (he often found it difficult to speak of him even to me, it did become easier for him later, but there was still a pain in his voice whenever he would speak of him. I image speaking of it still makes him uncomfortable and knowing him, he didn't wish to burden you with this knowledge.)

"Wow," twin rings forming around my brother and returning him to his normal human appearance, "I had no idea."

(That's the way he wanted it, my brother is private person.)

A part of me didn't want to believe what Ax saying, but I knew he wasn't lying, I wasn't sure how, but I knew he wasn't. "I'm sorry," the words less than a whisper.

(It's alright, you didn't know. It doesn't matter,) whipping his eyes, (I'm only sorry I had to be the one to tell you. Do not be angry with my brother, he…)

"I'm not," cutting him off, "this explains a few things actually, I just wish I had found it out under a better set of circumstances."

"Just when you think you understand a guy," my brother shook his head.

(Few things are ever as they appear in this life,) he took a deep breath filling his lungs and puffing out his chest, (but we need to honor his memory here and now. We have a job to do and we must do it here and now, for him we must finish this. The sooner that happens the sooner we will be reunited and can get off this rock.)

"Something with going for," my brother shifting back into his ghost form, "so what's the plan?"

(We still need to disable the portal now it's just a matter of how do we get in there to do it?)

Tucker lifted his beret and scratched his head, "why can't Danny just fly through the walls it wouldn't be that much of a problem would it"

(Except we need him to deal with the Howlers,) his blue arms folding over his chest, (when they come back, and make no mistake they will come back. As of now it's down to three of us to fight and we can't waste any of them when next confrontation occurs.)

"Come on we kicked their butts they aren't coming back," he argued with the alien.

(I know them they will come back, they may be one down but they will come back and we'll need to deal with them.)

"All the more reason for Danny to go their down one he can just fly in blow it up and we'll go home."

"He's right Tuck," my brother patting his friends shoulder to stop the argument. "We don't know what we're dealing with, we have no idea if blowing this thing up will actually stop this. The only thing we really know is that we have to win this fight and I can do that better if I'm fighting."

"Jazz," moving over to me and putting both hands on my shoulders and snapping his fingers in front of my face, "I know your tired and your worried, but I need you come back to us." I had been a little deep in thought about what ax had told us not to mention scared but I wasn't aware it had been that obvious at the moment. "Right now you and Tucker have the least fire power so we need you to hold back and stay out of the fighting." He looked over at Sam and Ax, "Right now we're the best bet we have for winning this, we know Tobias took out one Howler, and right now I'm hoping he brought that thing down, so it's down to four Howlers and Desiree and she can either help us or hurt us depending what we say around her. Remember whatever we wish for she has to do, we see her, wish the Howlers into the Ghost Zone or just something to get them out of the way." Moving over to Nikki, "I'm going to ask a lot but can you get into the compound alone?"

She closed her eyes and appeared to be deep in thought, "yes," opening her eyes, "I've run the numbers, the odd of my success are very good."

(But can you do it and get out in one piece?)

"More often that not no, but there's a ninety eight point seven percent chance I'll be repairable when everything is said and done."

"Can't get better odds in Vegas," a grin forming over his face, "so what does everybody say." I was really kind of amazed by the change coming over my brother. I've known for a while that he was responsible, but I hadn't really seen it since I told him that I knew, and now here he was, standing up taking charge and somehow getting us to follow him into a crazy situation we might not be able to walk away from.

"I'm with you bro, what little help I still am," rubbing my still tender shoulder.

(Better than what I was planning,) nodding his head.

"I've been a party to worse human plans, but I make no promises."

Sam pulled out her staff and checked the calibration, "what Nikki said, you need me you got me."

Waving his hands in the air, "as long as I'm done getting shot at you can do whatever you want."

"And a glowing endorsement from Tucker," shaking his head and shifting his white hair.

"So now the only question is how long do we wait?"

"What you expect me to think of everything here Sam I'm lucky to maintain a C average."

* * *

**DP Style**

It took them a little over an hour to hammer out all the details of the plan and get into position. In that time things didn't go well for the inhabitants of the city. Without Visser to guide them the remaining Howlers ran amuck trying to fulfill their objective of eliminating The Ellimist's team, but their methods left much to be desired. Despite the length of time they'd been dead they still a rather simple outlook on life, it wasn't that different from when they had been alive, have fun and do as master instructed, beyond that they really didn't care. And now that their default commander was gone they did what came naturally, and in this case that meant killing everything in their path that they thought might be their quarry, and since three of them were capable of changing their appearance, that meant killing everything that moved.

Desiree was the sole exception to her team, where the Howlers rampaged with out a leader she still plotted against him not knowing that Visser was no longer part of the equation. Her plan hadn't changed she wanted to locate the humans and find a way of getting them to wish her free of this nightmare so she could just go home and forget she was a party to this whole mess. Of course that meant having to find them first and to stay away from the Howlers so they didn't stop her.

While they were doing this the team that still drew breath was getting into position. Nikki had managed to refine her hologram with the image of one of the people that had shot at her so with luck she could bypass the security without much trouble. Tucker and Jazz took position on a roof several streets away that had plenty of cover to hopefully protect them from the more inviting sight of Danny, Sam, and Ax who were a few roof tops away from where they had been in the hopes of drawing the Howlers back out and with any luck draw the guards back out and get them to start firing again. If they could do that the odds of Nikki being able to destroy all the software for the Ghost Portal, and if possible the portal itself.

"Ok guys check in team one, go," Danny's voice coming out of the Fenton Phones of the other three humans as well as being picked up by Nikki's internal communications array.

"Team two's a go man," Tuckers voice ringing out as he looked over at Jazz.

"I'm ready as well," Nikki's voice hitting the others.

"There is no way we can be lucky enough for this to work," Jazz's voice reach them.

"This'll work sis trust me."

"And if it doesn't you can push him off a building."

"SAM DON'T GIVE HER IDEAS," Tucker and Jazz had to tear off the receivers to stop the static from hurting their ears.

The redhead just looked at the boy, "we are so dead aren't we?"

"Knowing Danny who knows he's pulled things like this off before," shrugging and placing the ear piece back in place and thing a few buttons on the side of the green and silver device trying to turn to keep it from sending out her voice for a few moments.

"Funny from what I've seen he powers his way through everything and doesn't really think long term," doing the same.

"Ok that's, a lot closer to the truth than I want to admit."

"Great so we are dead."

"Knock it off guys," Danny's voice ringing through the Fenton Phones on Jazz's head.

"I don't know how to turn these off do I?" lifting her eyebrow at the boy.

Giving her a goofy grin, "I'm going to say no."

"Hate to interrupt," Sam cutting in, "but Ax wanted me to ask if your sure this is going to work Jazz?"

"My brothers plan or mine?"

"Yours."

"In theory yes," thinking back to an idea she had had that should even the odds for the others. "The Fenton Foamer is just a tool, the foam does all the work, the so it should work regardless of how it's applied, that includes covering Ax in it. I can't be sure how effective it's going to be, but it should make him a little harder for the Howlers to deal with."

"He's says if your sure, but he still doesn't like the idea of opening something that's going to explode in his face," a slight giggle in the goth's voice, something both members of team two thought was very un-Sam like.

The boy in the glasses mouthed to Jazz, "I really wish I had recorded that, we're talking serious black mail."

Mouthing back to him, "not getting in the middle of this." Then speaking in her normal voice, "he has to take that up with my dad, he's the one that decided it needed to be under that much pressure I think he wanted to convert them into grenades but mom stopped him."

"Yeah that makes me feel so much better about this plan," masking her fear of the impending moment with a nervous laugh.

"I'm just going to go now ok," Nikki interrupting the conversation growing impertinent with the pace of the plan.

"Ax says good luck Nikki," Sam interpreting for the mouth less alien.

"Hopefully I won't need it, and tell him to stop stalling," walking forward towards the building with her new hologram up, hoping she was right about the recalibration not being detectable by the Hagseplagen detection grid. In her life she'd been a party to many strange events, some she was proud of some she wasn't but walking around in a room full of alien calamari to stop ghosts from escaping into the living world was beyond a doubt one of the strangest. Just like on earth the doors slid open when she approached, only where human doors slide in two directions these split in three one segment left, one segment right, and the third segment down in an upside down 'Y' formation. Despite the calm her form showed, or hope she showed, she couldn't help being nervous, she had one of the more dangerous jobs and she wasn't sure her programming would let her get far enough if the inhabitants resisted. She followed her internal blue print for a few minutes without encountering any obstacles and found where the spot that she had been searching for and held her position, changing her hologram so she couldn't be seen, and waited. A few moments later the doors opened and what she assumed were guards rushed out carrying weapons that looked more likes lengths of pipe than human weapons rushed out.

"I'd say the shows begun," staying put for a few more moments just to be sure she didn't walk into another surge of aliens.

* * *

**DP Style**

The original plan had simply been for Danny, Sam and Ax to be seen by the people in the neighboring building and make them come running so Nikki could have a little piece and quite. While that had worked for the first few moments, it also attracted the Howlers who came flying in and quickly turned it into a three way contest for supremacy of the area.

(Good plan bad execution,) Ax growled punching the Howler in the face with one of his claws having returned to the morph he had used earlier, green foam spraying everywhere from the impact, (but at least your sister was right about the foam.)

"Well I'm glad somebody's happy," Sam ducking down sweeping the legs out from under a Howler with her staff. "I really wish Tucker hadn't used all his anti ghost spray."

"Well if you'd put on the Specter Deflector when I handed it to you," the half ghost punching his own Howler in the face with the Ghost Gloves and knocking it to threw the air only to watch it right itself and come back at him after a few feet.

Blocking a blast with her staff, "how many times do I have to say you were right?" With a grunt she forced her weapon into the ground and pole-vaulted over the ghost. The Howler spun in it's pivot but missed her as she squatted down, and spun her weapon hitting it's legs with each end of her staff. "Then again it's not like I need it."

"I still can't believe I didn't know you could do that," dodging a blast from the Howler and flying into it's fist, the glowing claws sending him for a loop before stopping upside down and releasing a volley of same green blasts of ectoplasm driving the Howler back a few aerial paces.

"Girl has to have a few secrets in her life," side stepping her opponent as it flew at her, and banging it in the back of the head with the staff and dropping it to the ground and watching it fall through the ground. "well this isn't good."

"Claws in man," wincing slightly from the wound the Howler had given him and dropping down and laying an upper cut into the stomach of the Howler before grabbing it's leg and flinging it down just s the other Howler emerged from the ground behind Sam and sending the two into a heap on the roof that landed at Ax's feet.

"Better lucky than good," the goth watching Ax slam his own opponents into the pair before him, each of their heads in the grips of one of his claws.

"Story of my life, I do all the work everybody else gets the credit," floating down next to her.

(This isn't over yet,) stomping one of his claws into the ground as the Howlers vanished through the roof. (What does it take to stop this guys?)

"Don't look at me, we've usually gotten rid of them by now."

"But you've also usually trapped them into a thermos by now Danny."

"Well I'd do that if they'd stay put long enough, seems like every time we knock one down it just disappears of us and comes back later."

(A farley accurate description at the moment.)

* * *

**Jazz POV**

Tucker looked over at me as he lowered the binoculars Sam had brought for some reason, "they're in one piece but I don't think they won yet."

"You were expecting them to," I was slightly hugging my knees in the shadow of the building, I didn't mean to sound so bitter, but I was worried. I knew my brother could handle himself in a fight, and I from what I'd seen Sam could hold her own as well, and Ax had given me his word he'd bring them back to me alive. No, the person I was worried about was Tobias, I knew that was stupid on an intellectual level, in the short time that I'd known him I'd seen him tear through anything that tried to take him on. Add that to all the stories I'd heard about his past and I doubted anything could really stop him when he got going, especially after what I'd seen his flames do to that Howler. But all those things didn't matter, I couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong with him, that my last memory of him would be him as that alien phoenix and trying to tear apart Visser Three. The pain radiating from my back was a sharp reminder of the pain in my heart, and the panic that was running rampant inside my body.

"You gunna be ok," Tuckers hand on my shoulder scaring me a little. I'd been so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I hadn't even heard him come over. I flinched a little under his hand, the pain growing worse as time went by and pulled away quickly, thankfully I think he understood me reasoning.

For a second I considered lying to him, I didn't see a reason to burden him with my problems, but stopped, lying to him wouldn't help either of us. "I'm not sure," holding my knees a little closer to me, a shiver running through my body that I could seem to gain any control over.

"We're going to get out of here don't worry, a half hour at most and we'll be gone from this place and back home, guaranteed." He gave me a goofy smile and gently hovered his hand over my shoulder not repeating his previous mistake. He didn't get it, and I really wasn't sure I wanted to explain it to him, I didn't care, about going home, I'd stay here on this world forever if it meant I could know he was ok and hold him in my arms again, or to be held in his.

"Just go away," I whimpered in a voice that was far away and at the same time held the threat of death if he didn't.

"Ok," his voice high and squeaky as he moved away and put the binoculars back to his face and scanned the roof tops to see how Danny and the others were doing.

I pulled my legs closer to my body and could fell fresh tears starting to drain down my cheeks and unlike the other streams I didn't bother stopping these. I'd been scared before, terrified that I wouldn't see the next day, but nothing like this, I wasn't worried for myself, I was scared I'd never see someone I loved again. A few seconds after the tear erupted I could feel and hear myself silently sob into my knees. I wanted to be strong for him, for my brother for everyone, but I just could feel it any more, I just wanted to know he was ok, that that thing hadn't killed him, that tomorrow I'd be able to wake up and see him outside my window. That he'd still make me laugh, and feel warm all over when he looked at me, and make me long to be in the sky next to him and understand how he lived.

"I just want you back," I whimpered between silent sobs, "I just wish I knew what happened to you Tobias."

"DON'T," the voice pulling me from my misery and forcing my eyes and that of Tucker on a green woman in a harem outfit that I recognized as the ghost from earth that had been sent here. Lifting her hand, each finger lighting up from the inside with power, "so you have wished it so shall it be," the energy arcing from her fingers and hitting me. The world seemed to go far away but I could see Tucker pull out a Fenton Thermos and his small weapon and fire it at her, but the world went black before I saw what the end result of his move had been.

* * *

**DP Style**

Tucker watched in horror as Desiree lifted her hand ands granted Jazz's wish, one he hadn't heard. Acting on instinct he pulled the anti ghost weapon and thermos and fired them at her hoping to suck her in before she could grant the wish, or pull her in before it could tale effect.

The beams swirled around the ancient specter and pulled her to him. As she was pulled she screamed, "NO WAIT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND," and clawed the ground trying to slow her progress to the canister she'd been locked in so many times before.

"Save it lady," his eyes never leaving her, a hint of anger coming over him as he remembered the time she'd used him and pitted him against his best friend. A few seconds later she was pulled into the thermos, her screams silenced as he closed the lid and ran over to her, hoping this was over without her getting hurt so he could avoid telling Danny he'd let his sister get hurt.

"Come on Jazz wake up," gently shaking her shoulder and trying to get her up, hoping the pain from having her burn touched would bring her out of it fast. After a second it became clear to him that he was going to have to try something a little more forceful and shook her harder, again earning nothing. "Come on Jazz time to wake up, you don't want your brother to kill me do you?"

Trying to calm down he tried to think back to what little first aid he'd been taught over the years. With shaking hands he checked her plus on her neck and hands and couldn't find anything and panicked, backing up a few feet. He was ready to call her brother when he noticed the rise and fall of her chest. "Right mental note, never try anything you see on TV again," swallowing and crawling over to her to make sure she was really breathing and not a figment of her imagination. "Ok," a degree of forced calm coming over her, "she is breathing, so she is alive, so Danny won't kill me right away," unsure if what he was saying was a joke or a prediction of the inevitable.

After a few minutes and no changes he turned on his communicator, "Um Danny," doing his best to sound nonchalant.

"Yeah Tuck."

"Um," not sure where to start, "I found Desiree and put her in the thermos you left me."

"That's great Tuck, two down five to go."

"What aren't you telling us," an accusation in Sam's voice, like always she saw right though him despite his forced calm.

"Um," a cold sweat breaking out on his body, "Jazz kind made a wish," bracing himself for Danny's screams.

"So if you captured her, her spell should be broken, just like all the other times she's shown up."

"Yeah, should be," swallowing his mouth suddenly dry as he realized he had said to much.

"WHAT!"

"Ican'tgetherupIdon'tknowwhat'swrongwithher," the words coming out in one breath.

"SHE WHAT,"

"I think we have other problems here Danny," Sam's voice holding a hint of fear and sound of screaming metal filled the comm-link.

"IF I LIVE THROUGH THIS YOU'RE A DEAD MAN TUCKER FOLEY," Danny's threat being met with complete belief from his sisters caretaker.

"Oh come on girl wake up," slapping her face gently and trying to get her up before Danny could get his hands on him.

Several roofs away the others were having their own problems as the Howlers reappeared ready to claim victory for their master.

With a groan Ax tore one of the Howlers off his back and pushed it to the ground and slammed his other claw into it's head, cracking the roof under them both. (I've had easier times fighting off a battalion of Hork-Bajir controllers,) raising his weapons and firing at the Howler trying to sneak up on Sam, each beam hitting it in the back, alerting Sam to it presence.

"Have to take your word for that Ax," the black clad girl springing into a black flip over the downed ghost and putting it between her and the one try to take her head on and watched them collide with each other. "But I do see your point, these guys are a lot tougher than the normal breed I'm use to seeing," wiping a few beads of sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.

(And it doesn't help that your friend has lost his mind,) blocking a blast of black ectoplasm that radiated from the Howler's eyes with his large claws. Moving with the grace the body was blessed with he darted forward while deflecting the blast from his opponent and jumped nearly thirty feet in the air before diving down head first on the Howler, or more precisely where the Howler had been, the blue ghost having already moved. With a growl he pulled his head free, a chunk of the buildings material now in his mouth, the rubble soon disappearing down his gullet as he swallowed in all down. Turning his attention back to the Howler he punched at it with his large claws, not surprised when he missed, the move merely putting the monster in position as he continued with the turn kicking the beast in the face with his think legs, legs that had been designed to shatter stones to extract the creatures that hid in them and propel the creature skyward to catch the birds that also made up part of their diet. The impact sent the alien ghost rocketing away from Ax and through the buildings roof, this time without benefit of going intangible first.

"What do you expect he's worried about his sister and that thing won't leave him alone," deflecting a small blast of ectoplasm with her staff and sending at the other Howler that was after her. A second later she charged in and pulled the second rod from her back having liberated the Jack-O-Nine tails from Tucker and letting the cable extend. With a grunt she leapt into the air and lashed the weapon forward doing nothing but hitting the surface of the ground as the Howlers stepped back. The second she landed she struck again, aiming lower this time, the weapon ensnaring one of the blue ghost's feet in the mass of cords and clamps at the end of the weapon. With a precision she wasn't aware she still had she jerked the whip back adding strength with the other hand and pulled the Howlers legs out from under it, the nature of the weapon causing it pain as it tried to free itself from the metals hold.

(I understand that,) aiming his thought more at the boy in the sky, (but we most remain focused on our common objective, rash actions help no one.)

Hanging above them Danny only wanted to get to Jazz and see how bad it was, "GET AWAY FROM ME," his hand glowing with green ectoplasm, one of his gloves long since discarded so he could use all his weapons and still have the additional hitting power the glove provided. A snarl escaped his lips that was more animal than human as he fired point blank into the Howler's face sending it back through the air but not to the ground as it regained a measure of control. Danny didn't wait for it to recover and started to his sister in the aerial equivalent of a mad dash, only to once more be caught by the ghost before he could get very far, the blue beast grabbing him by the neck and not able to bring his claws to bear due to the position they were in while hanging in the sky.

"What do I have to do to get rid of you," hitting it in the face with the ghost glove and doing little to actually stop it but making it let him go. "Fine have it your way," tackling the ghost and forcing it back with all his might to where the energy beams from the populace they ripping through the sky. Thankfully they thus far hadn't been able to hit them, or anything near them for that matter, despite the power the weapons possess those carrying them were terrible marksmen. Whether it was because they were just badly trained, or because they couldn't see very well was something Danny didn't know but he had every intention of using them.

Steering the monster proved to be easier than running from it and they were both quickly where they needed to be, the beam lacing through the oddly colored sky. "Lets see what this does to you ," forcing the Howler's back into one of the on coming energy streams. The moment it was hit it's mouth opened in a silent scream and struggled against Danny's grasp throwing him off course. It bit and clawed at the halfa the wanting to escape the attack and failing, doing little more than making him fly further into the barrage of weapons fire.

"This is not good," the black and white half ghost doing his best to make his opponent let him go and failing miserably. Before he could stop it the Howler pulled him through the building, courtesy of a window that was much thinker than a human one, in an attempt to escape and pulling him further from the sister.

Snarling and snapping it's jaws, glad to be free from the fire of the worlds inhabitants the Howler resumed his attack on Danny, not caring that it was in the same building that it had escaped from. It's claws igniting it attacked slashing at the half ghost, just missing as he flew up through the ceiling and out of the way of the claws. Not willing to let it's prey escape it took fight after him.

Somehow Danny wasn't surprised when he looked down and saw he was being followed and shifted direction and flew off down a hall. "What about back off don't you understand man," firing off a few blasts of ectoplasm at the ghost, and growling in frustration as it dodged each of the ectoplasm discharges.

"Danny," Nikki's voice ringing out of the headset, "tell me one of you is in the building."

"I'm here but I don't want to be and I have a Howler on my tail, why what else is going wrong?"

"I've managed to erase the software but I can't destroy the portal, there are people guarding it and my programming prevents me from hurting them."

"Yeah I got that," rolling his eyes really starting to hate that rule, "I have no idea where I am here so if you need me I'm going to need help."

"According to the blue prints you need to be three floors up and seventy yards northwest of your current location, and be warmed there are several armed guards around the area, and according to the readings I've been taking, their weapons can hurt ghosts as well and living matter."

"Gee thanks, I hadn't figured that out yet," sarcasm dripping off his tongue as he banked right to avoid a blast of black ectoplasm. "You want me you have to catch me," he yelled back pouring on the speed to were Nikki was and shooting through floors doing his best to head straight to her all the while staying a few feet ahead of his pursuer who was leaving a trail of scorch marks as it released several salvos of ectoplasm.

"Um…Danny," Nikki's voice startling him and almost making him go tangible and visible and slam head first into a wall.

"WHAT!" making several of the inhabitants of the building jump and look around in surprise.

"You realize your going the wrong way right?"

"What you said go up and north."

"Yeah problem is your going south."

The new knowledge making him slap his forehead, "what do I look like a compasses?"

"No you look like a ghost, look I've locked onto your transmitter and overlaid it with buildings blueprints, I can guide you where you need to be but hurry up."

"Great another bossy girl," rolling his eyes, a moment later he felt a pang of guilt. "The sooner I'm out of here and with Jazz again the better." Now knowing where to go Danny pushed himself as hard as he could to get where he was going, but the going was difficult with the Howler on his tail. One floor a few feet from where he needed to go in order to get to the portal the Howler finally caught up to him and managed to connect with it's ectoplasm blast, the black beam hitting him in the black and send him sliding across the floor.

Growling in frustration Danny jumped to his feet and brought his hand together and spun releasing a surge of green as he turned, hitting everything in his path, including the walls and the Howler and sending it to the ground. "All I want to do is see my sister and go home," his eyes ablaze with green fire, "and since your not going to let me do either of those we're going to have to settle this your way," his free hand igniting in green flame.

In response the Howler just lifted his lips and ignited it's claws and slashed at the air in front of Danny leaving four lines of black flying towards him. With practiced ease the half ghost took to the sky and sailed over the attacks and released a blast of his own from his hand. Thrusting his other hand out and releasing blasts from it's other claws the Howler deflected the attack and shot forward ready to impale the ghost boy with it's other hand. Arcing and turning in the air Danny spun and landed on the ceiling and pushed off avoiding the attack by flying over the blue ghost, just avoiding the Howlers turn on it's pivot point. Turning into another midair spin Danny landed on his feet and fired off another blast of ectoplasm at the hunter and jumped forwards augmenting his speed with his ghost flight. Just like he planned the ghost cut through the green blast with it's black one, however it was ready as Danny flew through the connecting energy and punched the Howler in the face with the Ghost Glove sending it into the ceiling and cracking it and making the Howler drop from it's spot in the air.

"No done yet," running his fingers threw his white hair and grabbing then ghost as it fell and did a mid air spinning toss sending it back to the same spot in the ceiling cracking it some more and again making the blue beast fall. "Third times the charm," surging up as fast as he could and upper cutting the ghost with the metal glove and fracturing the ceiling at it hit it for a third time, this time shattering the barrier and sending it up to the next floor, or at least it's head and part of it's shoulders where it released a scream of pain and flashes of light escaped the cracks between it's body and the hole. Somehow not feeling he should end it that way Danny sucker punched the ghost in the gut one time with the Ghost Glove for good measure.

With the blue ghost temporarily occupied Danny went intangible and invisible and flew up to the next level in the hopes that the two precautions would keep him from getting shot at like the Howler. Upstairs Nikki had been right about their being guards, the half ghost could only count ten but he had a feeling there were more just waiting for the chance to start blasting if they were needed. At the moment however Danny wasn't interested in either the ghost or the squids, he was interested in what laid beyond them both, the portal to the Ghost Zone.

It wasn't exactly like the one in his basement but there were enough similarities that he could recognize it few only a glance. Same glowing lights, same near silent hum, same feeling that it was just waiting to release something from with in it, the only real difference was that it had ten sides and was purple color that bordered on painful to look at it was so bright.

For a moment he just floated in the air, not sure how to handle the situation, something that was answered for him as the Howler pulled itself free of the ground and slashed at the sky sending waves of black ectoplasm at every creature in the room with a pulse and knocking them all unconscious and moved in to kill them with it's claws.

"What does it take to put you down man," punching the ghost in the face with the metal glove and preventing it from carving up the living creature. "You want to hit somebody hit me, leave them out of this."

The Howler snarled at him and slashed, the black lines connecting as it followed up with a full blast from it's hand that sent the half ghost into the wall. Before Danny could counter the Howler shot forward and kicked Danny in the side sending him sprawling across the room. With a surge of speed the Howler was on him it's arm raised ready to imbed it's claws into his skull.

With a sound almost as inhuman as those he found himself around Danny jumped towards his attacker and grabbed it around the leg with his Ghost Glove while punching into what should have been a human scrotum with his blazing green hand. It might not have done the damage it would've on a human but it threw the alien ghost off balance enough for Danny to spin the Howler around and send it flying into the portal.

Somehow he wasn't surprised when it stopped before hitting the gateway to the Ghost Zone, "you just love making this hard don't you?" he rasped trying to catch his breath and knowing that was an option The Howler barked something Danny didn't understand or care about as he flew down, grabbed two of the guns on the ground and threw them at the blue ghost. The Howler dodged the blasts and made a sound close to laughter, only to be silenced as Danny fired a blast of ectoplasm at the weapons making the first explode that caught the second in it's wake and set it off as well. The twin blasts caught the portal in an oddly colored purple-pink fire ball that caused a chain reaction making each section explode in each direction of the ring. A scream of anger and pain erupted from the Howler as it was caught in the blast and sending it for a loop in the sky, purple-pink fire spreading over it's body.

"OH YEAH," thrusting his arms into the air, "and that's the way ghost play," shaking his butt and doing a little victory dance in the air.

"Stop patting yourself on the back," Nikki's voice cutting into his celebration, "we have a problem," the floor in front of Danny starting to explode. "This place is fully integrated, taking the portal out like that is causing a chain reacting, in about ten minutes where your standing is going to be nothing more than empty space over a crater."

Covering his face with his normal ghost hand, "ah man, why didn't you shut that off?"

"I did," barking through the head set, "that little stunt undid everything I had set up, we have to go and we have to go now," lights and sirens starting to flash as an automated message started playing in the planets native tongue, a mix of clicks, squawks, and sounds that didn't mean anything to the Earth native.

"Ok where are you?" looking around hoping to see a big silver and cream dog.

"Over here," a giant floating green neon sign next to a window that separated one room from another as her alien hologram disengaged and her human one turned on.

"Well this is simple," shrugging and flying through the wall and grabbing her and taking off through the rest of the walls. "Shouldn't we be warning them about them getting out?"

"Don't worry, this facility has a lot of evacuation drills in case of various emergencies, they'll be out long before the building goes up."

"That's not exactly calming me down her Nikki, who knows how many people are going to get hurt if this things goes up."

She growled something under her breath that didn't sound like an Earth language, then louder, "STOP," his movement halting just before he hit the exterior wall.

"What! Why!" looking around in a panic incase something was coming after them.

"Do no harm and let no harm come are two different things," running over to the first computer she could reach. "Give me a few seconds to see what I can do, if you want to check on your sister go, I'll be ok from here."

"Make it fast," grabbing a glance out the window to where hoped Jazz still was.

"I always do," tapping on the hologram that hovered over the pyramid shaped computer with a speed that defied his ability to follow, her own hologram dropping to increase her speed. The image before her shifted and changed so fast he thought he'd have a seizure if he looked at it for to long, then as soon as it started she stopped and walked over to him, her hologram coming back up.

"That it?"

Shrugging her shoulders, "I have no idea, I think I rerouted enough systems but I can't be sure with this system, the redundancies in it are ridiculous and I'm not sure they won't end up triggering each other regardless of what I do."

"So get as far away from here as we can?"

"Most defiantly," nodding her head and taking his hand.

"Good enough for me," flying her out the window and making a run for Sam to warn her and Ax then to find his sister, something that didn't end up happening as the world slowed down and stopped. Before any of them could react the world began to blur and turn bringing everything closer together and distorting it before everything simply vanished in a mass of color that had once been a planet, then went dark. Before their eyes could adjust a little appeared above them illuminating the world that was now little more than a wooden floor where Sam and a morphed Ax now stood along with Tucker kneeling next to Jazz who was still unconscious, a floating Danny and Nikki and a large whale that hovered above them all.

"Ok that was weird," the goths weapon shutting down as she looked at the others.

(I think we won,) Ax's body twisting and morphing back to his real Andalite body, (and that is you up there right Tobias,) looking up with his newly sprouted stalk eyes.

(No it's another talking whale bro,) his body losing weight quickly as wings sported from his sides.

Danny however wasn't as happy as the others after tossing the Ghost Glove to the side he flew over to his sister and knelt beside her and took her hand, "any change," not looking at his friend.

"None, I have no idea what's wrong with her."

(With wh….,) Tobias' worlds trailing off as his morphed finished and he could turning his body and look at all those below him and saw Jazz's prone body. (What happened,) diving down next to the boys.

"She wished for something, Desiree gave it to her and she hasn't woken up since," Tucker giving the short hand, unsure which of the tow he should be more afraid of.

"Where were you," Danny shooting him an accusing stare.

(Short version I fought Visser, he forced me in the water that flash froze him, I managed to get into this body, but the current was to strong to swim against and I couldn't manage to demorph and get into the sky without turning into a frozen hawk pop and losing a couple of body parts.) His eyes never left her while he spoke fear that he had lost her almost over powering him.

"You did well," The Ellimist appearing before them, hover just beyond the wooden floor.

"I WANT MY SISTER BACK," Danny turning around his eyes and hands glowing green with the imitate threat of attack if didn't get what he wanted.

(Danny, remember what happened last time,) Tobias' words angry yet calm at the same time, (take care of Jazz let me talk to him.)

For a tense moment Danny didn't move, the green fire however flared brighter and grew larger and a wave of fear swept over the others, not sure what he'd do. Finally he relented and the fire died down, "get her back Tobias," all the energy gone from his voice, his eyes down cast in defeat. Now kneeling next to Jazz were Sam and Nikki, the android quickly checking her vitals and trying to wake her up, calling on all the medical knowledge at her disposal.

(You have what you wanted,) the red tail looking at the being he had once worked for, Ax coming up behind his nephew in case he needed him.

"I do, the portal is gone, as is the technology to run it, and everything has gone as planned the Hagseplagen won't try and replicate it for hundreds of years."

(Hundreds of years?) disbelief in Ax's thoughts.

Smiling at the blue alien, "as Nikki said they are a slow race compared to your races."

(Can I ask what this was about?) the rage he was feeling evident in his thoughts even if he didn't show it in his body.

"I believe you already know."

(Howlers were swarming on the other side of the portal weren't they,) professionalism sweeping back over Ax. (If the portal had been allowed to open they would have over run this world in moments and then spread outward till they over ran that solar system and then everything else till there was nothing left.)

"Very good Price Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill, you understand what is going on, yet you do not, you see the first layer but there are so many more you do not yet understand."

(Don't Ax,) Tobias stopping his uncle before he could try and figure out what was going on, (there's no way we can figure out what he has planned, we don't see enough of the board, just accept it.)

"Very good Tobias," nodding his head.

(Are the others back where they need to be? The Howlers, Visser Three? Are we going to have to worry about them coming back after us at some point?)

"Each is back where they were prior to being summoned," lifting his hand up, "save Desiree, as according to the rules, since she was captured she goes with you, her fate now lies in your hands."

(Let me guess,) cocking his head, (another side bet?)

The Ellimist gave Tobias a smile that seemed to speak volumes, "we must always keep these games interesting, and even for being like us there are only so many ways."

Tobias just shook his head not wanting to hear it and turned his attention back to the redhead on the ground, (we played your game and won, now fix Jazz,) while the statement wasn't a demand it was close.

He brought his hands together, "I cannot, what happened to her is beyond my ability to change, it must now play out."

(You mean this is part of your plan," his feathers ruffling, (YOU PUT HER IN DANGER BECAUSE OF SOME STUPID PLAN!)

"I'm going to let that go Tobias because of our history together, and as I told you in the past, I merely show the way, everything is still a matter of the choices made by the individual. I cannot help what everyone chooses to do or what will be chosen to be done."

(Then tell me this,) Tobias grabbing a strangle hold on his anger, (in any possible time line, due to any number or choices can she be saved, can she be made normal again?)

"She can," nodding his head a network of colored lines appearing behind him the continued on in all directions incasing them in a web of color, "but the choices between that spot and this are numerous and complicated, and the odds of you falling off that path are great."

"DON'T SAY THAT," Danny spinning and looking at the being that had caused this entire problem.

"Calm down," Nikki's hand on his shoulder, "she's fine, at physically, whatever happened to her is beyond the realm of science."

"I am sorry for this I am, but it is beyond my control, her fate now lies in each of your hands and in your choices, make them wisely." Waving his hand, "good luck with your lives."

(I'll contact you soon brother, somehow,) getting the words out before Ax found himself back where he had started. However where Ax found himself right when and where he had been when first abducted the others found themselves in other locations. Nikki likewise found herself in her home, or more specifically the sub basement surrounded by those that had once been her creators as well as her brothers and sister Chee. Those of human origin on the other hand were now in the command center above Danny's home, each of the four surrounding the prone Jazz, unsure what to do next.

* * *

**Authors notes**

Yep that's where I'm ending it, mostly because the next chapter, well has a slightly different feel to it and I think it's unfair to lump them both together despite being connected. Yes I put Visser in the story and I barely use him, consider that a warm up, a sign of things to come, and giving both sides some things to think about. Tobias' new morph- I know this kind of came out of left field but I did foreshadow it a little in other chapters, I did saw he had a few bodies from his time with The Ellimist and I did say they were heavy 'fire power' bodies. Looking back I am a little disappointed in the fights, but I can only show horn so many moments of combat into the story, but with luck they worked well. And yes I knew the Stuff with Sam seems to come out of left field, but to me it makes since given what I've seen of her parents. I can just see them wanting to turn her into a ballerina to try and attract guys to her and see her to and counter that idea with one of her own, that and there have been moments in the series that seemed to indicate that she's a little better at this than is let on (when she fought off the nighmarica or what ever her name was in the second desree ep).

Actually there was suppose to be a chapter between this this one and chapter 7, it was a quick one but the more I looked at it the less I liked it, it turned Dash from a jerk into a person you wanted to beat with a stick till blood ran out his ears, and it was mostly born of repressed anger on my part and I just can't put it up because I think in the end it'll hurt the story, although I still have plans to put Danny and Tobias up against Dash in a massive abuse of power romp. Yes I know Danny learned his lesson, but Tobias like the rest of his former team on the other hand has very little problem abusing his powers.

Please R&R


	9. Hurry up and wait

Catnip070- yeah I was also kind of thinking of a phoenix when I came up with the body. I wanted something that was basically Tobias but much stronger.

Pata Hikari- Yep Rachel is not quite the girl she once was. And yes the after life is kind of depressing but I'm just writing what I see in the show, ok maybe it's a little worse in this version but still most of it is lifted from what I observed in the show.

Covet Weapon- Thank you for the compliments, and as I've said in the past grammar isn't my strongest point but I try and fix what I can before I post.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

Ax was right, never trust The Ellimist, I worked for the man for five years and I never learned that and because of it I'd slapped in the face yet again. Normally that wasn't a problem, when he did it there was always a greater reason, something he was trying to teach me and get me to do. Even knowing all that I'd still work for him again if I knew I was the only one that was going to be effected, but this time Jazz had been on the other end of his loop holes, and words did not exist for just how much I wanted to kill him right now.

"Oh this is bad," an unmistakable edge in Danny's voice as he held his sisters hand and stroked her hair.

"We'll figure something out Danny," Sam kneeling next to him but keeping her distance, no one wanted to say it but we were all worried he'd snap, and none of us wanted to be the target of his anger. Sam herself had changed out of the jump suit back into her normal clothing, apparently she had a spare set in Danny's room, why I didn't know and I didn't really care at the moment.

"Can we do anything?" Danny's eyes finally looking away from his sister to me, they had a stillness to them that made even me nervous.

I closed me eyes not wanting to meet his gaze, (I'm not sure, he did say we could bring her out of this, but we have to be careful right now we can't rush into any action without known how it may effect the future.)

"FOR ONCE CAN YOU GIVE US A STRAIGHT ANSEWER!" Tucker barked from the other side of the room, guilt written all over his face.

(I don't know what to do here,) a feeling of helplessness sweeping over me as I looked at the prone redhead, (I've never known what to do. I stumble through things and sometimes I get lucky, right now I'm as lost as the rest of you but all I know is panicking is the last thing we need to do right now.)

Between clenched teeth the dark haired boy managed to spit, "my sister is in a coma, what do you WANT me to do!"

"Danny," the goth putting her hand on his shoulder then looking at Tucker, "keep your voices down, just because Danny's parents aren't here yet doesn't mean you won't show up at some point."

"Well let them come, maybe they can do something, like I don't know take her to the HOSPITAL!" his eyes glowing green.

(Nikki already checked her, if there was anything wrong with her she would've found it. Whatever happened to her it's not normal and we can't approach it like it is.)

"In case you hadn't noticed 'Mr. I want a cracker' nothing is normal here," Tucker barked from his spot in the back.

For a second I wanted to call him on the parrot thing, but left it alone, now was not the time to get into things like species relation. (Exactly my point, nothing is normal here, you said this happened because of a ghost, so maybe we should start there.)

"Oh yeah lets go look for her in the Ghost Zone, you do realize we could look forever and never find her," waving his hands in the air.

The dark haired girl crossed her arms, "you do know he said Desiree was still in the thermos right?"

He just kind of looked at her dumbly, "I…um…well…of course I knew that, you think I'm stupid or something?"

She just gave me a look and I nodded not needing to say the words.

"Your making fun of me again aren't you bird brain," pointing a finger at me.

(Bird brain?) I wasn't so much angry as I was disappointed at the comment, (if your going to insult me get better material than that.)

"Knock it off," Danny shooting everyone in the room a look that could kill, "if it'll help Jazz do it and stop arguing."

Sam moved over and picked up the green and chrome thermos and looked at it, "so any idea how to talk to her without releasing her and there by having to fight her?"

Danny growled something under his breath even I couldn't hear and stormed over to her and ripped it out of her hand, his eyes ablaze. "We don't have time to mess around we do this we go straight to the point," twin rings forming around his body and shifting his into his ghost form.

I practically flew over to him, (man calm down we can't rush this we don't know what'll happen.)

"Yeah I'm going to beat her till she gives up my sister," his finger hitting the button on the side and releasing the green harem girl into the sky in a flash of light.

"Freedom," thrusting her arms into the air, her celebration halted as she saw the four of us watching her, "this can't be good for me."

"That depends on the next words out of your mouth," Danny rose off the floor to meet her, hand and eyes glowing so bright it was almost painful to look at him.

"Or I could just leave," zipping back near the wall and flying back as she touched it and dropped to the ground as green sparks leapt across her body for a few seconds.

Danny flew over her and looked down, giving my a not so good look at him, almost his entire face was obscured by the light coming off his eyes. "The Ghost Shields on, which means you can't get in or out unless I say so, give me what I want and we'll talk, other wise…."

"….I'll be sent back to the Ghost Zone," finishing his thought for him as she pushed some of her hair to the side, revealing both her eyes.

"Try I'll use you as target practice for every one of my parents inventions," raising his hand to her, threatening to shoot her.

"Never ever trust a man," She growled and was nearly shoot in the face by Danny, only averted as I flapped over to her and stood on her chest, hoping he wasn't going to end up shoot me to get to her.

(This isn't going to get Jazz back,) my thoughts going everywhere as I stared him down and hoping he didn't call my bluff. Under my feet I could feel Desiree shake a little, but I wasn't sure if it was in fear or anger.

With the unmistakable sound of contempt she spat, "another man."

(Yeah I'm a male what's your point,) my eyes not leaving the ghost boy, (I'm also the one keeping him from turning you inside out.)

"Stay out of this bird," his fire all the more intense to my sensitive eyes.

(I care about her too Danny,) narrowing my eyes, (getting Jazz back is all I care about right now, but we have to be smart about this, you can't hurt the only source of information we have right now.) We stared each other down for a few moments, when it became obvious that he wasn't going to be the one to end this I choose to. I turned from him and faced the ghost face to face, (please,) doing my best to keep my thoughts calm, (whatever you did to her, to Jazz, I'm asking you, please undo it.)

For a second she just looked at me then started laughing, "you have to be joking why on earth would I help you? I'm a ghost I don't answer to anyone let alone a bird that can talk. You think I'll help you because you ask nicely you're a man, a creature that by nature will lie at every opportunity, there's nothing you can say or do that'll convince me to help you."

(Your right, there's nothing I can do to do or say that can convince you to help me and I'm not asking you too.) I looked over to Jazz, (I don't care about myself, I care about her, she's innocent in all this. You want to hate men and torture us, fine, from what I've heard you have a good reason to hate men,) shifting my vision back to her, (the man you loved lied to you, betrayed your trust, and doomed you to this life of servitude. You got a raw deal and I'm sorry about it, but don't hurt her because your mad at me, mad at us. You more than know how badly it hurts when your dreams are torn away but an unkind act of fate. She has dreams for the future, your telling me your going to take them from her like they were taken from you?)

I wasn't sure what she'd say next, but somewhere in the middle of my words she went silent, her greens eyes slowly tracing over my body, trying to read me. Closing her eyes, "she wished to know about some boy named Tobias, wanted to know what had happened to him, and I fulfilled it."

(She wanted to know what happened to me,) ruffling my feathers a little at that.

"If you are he, then yes."

"He's fine so get him up," the air around us growing hot with burning ectoplasm as Danny hovered closer reasserting his presence and the promise of pain if he didn't get what he wanted.

"I cannot," looking at me instead of at the ghost boy, "my powers are limited to wishes, I have little power myself."

"Then I wish my sister was fine," the words escaping his lips before anyone could move to stop him. I was ready to fly in case the ghost genie moved to perform her magic, but she didn't, she just stayed under me and closed her eyes.

After a moment Danny barked, "WELL WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU WISH I OBEY?"

"I cannot do as you ask," a tear escaping the corner of one of her eyes, "once wished my spells can not be broken by the wish of another, she alone can undo what has been done."

(What has been done Desiree,) an eerie calm in my words that spooked even me.

"I don't know, my magic is unpredictable and I have no control of it, it always reflects the original wish but it's outcome is rarely what's intended by the recipient. Without examining her, I can't be sure what's been done to her, or if can even be reversed."

(Will you let her Danny,) looking over my shoulder to the white haired boy. He growled something primal but slowly nodded, his glow losing some of it's luster.

I flapped off her and watched her lift off the floor and glided over to the redhead and slowly moved her green hands over Jazz's body from head to toe and back again several times. After a moment she furrowed her brow and sighed, "this is not good."

(Define not good,) hopping over to her.

"She's trapped in a perpetual dream state from which she will never emerge," a lock of hair falling over her face.

"Huh?" a blank look on Tuckers face.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'NEVER EMERGE'," Danny ready to pounce on her, only stopped as Sam put a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Due to the wording of her wish she is reliving his life, as if she were him" looking at me, "more importantly she is living it the same way he did."

"You mean she's living his life in real time?" Tucker asked translating for us.

"If that means every hour we experience here is the same as an hour of her dream then yes," nodding her head, shifting her hair. "In any case she can never awake because the one she is attached too will always be making new memories, to add to those she needs to experience."

"So we just have to kill him," Danny giving me a look that made my blood run cold.

She shook her head, "that will do no good, even in death he will make new memories, freeing her is hopeless."

(Wait a minute,) looking at her, (you mean she thinks she's me?)

"She does not think she is you, she is you, your life is now hers, everything you did she is now doing, in her mind she is you."

(So if I said 'I wish Jazz was no longer under your spell' then I'd be true and you'd have to grant that wish?)

She closed her eyes at that and appeared to be deep in thought, "perhaps, yes that might work, but it would still take many years to get to that point in her dreams."

(Maybe not,) looking at Jazz.

"You have an idea Tobias?" Sam asked still holding Danny back.

(Maybe, I don't know,) my attention on Jazz, (where in my life is she? Did it start when I was born or at another time?)

"I'm not sure," waving her hand over Jazz's head and closing her eyes, "your not as old as you are now, and your human, your alone running down a street, it's dark…"

(….and I'm scared out of my mind,) a chill running down my spine, having a good idea what she was reliving. (Is there anyway I can see what she's living though without getting pulled into it?)

"Yes, but you must be specific in your wording or I can't be sure what will happen."

(Alright,) ruffling my feathers, (I wish,) trying to think of the right way to phrase it, (to see what she's experiencing in her dreams through a TV, that allows us to hear her thoughts as well and hear what's going on around her, a TV that no one save those in this room right now can see or hear till Jazz is awake.)

"So you have wished it so shall it be," he hand glowing in as power seemed to be generating from within the hand till it fired outward and made a small hand held TV appear in front of me.

(This isn't going to kill me or anything right?) looking at the small black rectangle.

"It should be exactly what you wished for but I can't be sure."

(Great,) starting to morph into my human body so I could handle the TV. A few seconds later everything was in place and flipped on the screen, a new wave of fear running through me as I looked at what I had hopped she wasn't experiencing.

"I take from the look on your face, you know what she's experiencing," Sam asked still holding Danny back.

"Yeah I do," closing my eyes and wanting to throw the screen into the wall. I looked directly at Danny, "this is good and bad," not sure I was imparting the full gravity to him.

"Meaning?" the glow disappearing from his eyes.

"If this works the way I hope it will Jazz will be awake in a few days, unfortunately those might be the worst days of her life."

"What is she experiencing?" a real threat of death in his words.

"Apparently when she asked to know what happened to me, Desiree's power had a rather nasty interpretation of that, it skipped most of the ordinary horrors of my life and jumped straight to the insane horrors of my life."

"Where. Is. She?"

I took a breath to calm myself, "she just experienced the night I got my powers, and in order to get her out, we have to wait for her to walk into the gates of hell and…..trap herself within them." I could feel tears welling up at the corners of my eyes as I thought about that night, and what she had just seen, it was sight I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy let alone someone I cared about.

"The night your dad died," Sam asked making me jerk around after I processed what she had said.

"WHAT!" my scream echoing off the walls.

She turned her head and closed her eyes while taking a step back, "Ax told us about your family, "she attempted to smile weakly, "and I thought I had problems with my family." I sighed and growled under my breath and turned away from them, right now this was the last thing I needed. I could feel a wave of guilt start to rise but I forced it down, I'd have time to feel sorry for myself later, right now I needed to focus on Jazz and getting her back to the land of the moving.

"Can we focus on my sister here?"

Danny's words brought me out of my stupor, "right, in a few days we're going to attack the Yeerk pool, it's our first big job, and we'll lose big time, but we all stay alive. However, I end up getting trapped in the cavern and can't demorph, hence why I'm the way I am. In those hours it took me to find a way a out, I will think and say just about everything you can imagine that implies getting out and going home." I looked over at Desiree, "if she thinks the words, can you get her out, if she thinks something like, 'I want to go home, I want to be normal, I wish this had never happened to me, or I want to wake up from this nightmare' can you wake her up?"

She closed her eyes and brought her hands together, "I can't be sure, it depends on which one I hear, but it might be enough to wake her up and return her mind to her body."

"What do you mean her mind," Danny saying it before I could.

"She is him," look at me, "it's possible that if we wake her she will still carry his mind, that the sister you know," looking at Danny, "will be gone and in her stead a second him," looking back to me, "will be born."

"We need a new plan don't we," Tucker asked from the back, fear rising in his voice.

Danny turned, "AND DO WHAT? WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER PLANS!" his body putting off the intense glow again as his anger raged out of control, and anger that was mitigated as Sam took her place beside him again and reasserted a calming influence on him.

"I don't suppose you know any ways around this Desiree," turning my attention back to the legless ghost.

She shook her head, "this has never come up before, very rarely have I been asked to undo my powers, and the effects have always vanished when I've been captured, why that is not the case now is beyond me, so I have no way of knowing how to fix her."

"So we just wait," a forced calm in Sam's voice, "and hope for the best."

"You'd be surprised how many time that's all you can do," laying my hand on Jazz's hair.

Sam let go of Danny and knelt next to me, "there has to be something else we can do?"

"Nothing I can think of," sighing deeply, "other then looking for a loop hole, this is all I got, I'm not saying this is the right answer but at the moment it's better than nothing."

"Yeah you're a lot of help," Danny snarled turning his attention to me, "she needs a guy like you in her life like she need…."

"DANIEL THOMAS FENTON, JASMINE ELIZABETH FENTON GET DOWN HERE NOW!" Jacks voice rang through the halls of the house like a fire alarm and practically shook everything in the room.

"Middle names this can not be good," Tucker hissed, melting deeper into the shadows in the hopes of avoiding being in the large mans path.

"Actually they aren't those are just what he wanted them to be," Danny hissed quickly as the fire died away from his body and he dropped to the ground as he changed into his human form. "This is very bad, we are totally screwed here."

"The fact that you skipped school, you have a free ghost in the Op's center, or Jazz being in dream land?" The sarcasm in Sam's voice was refreshing in the wake of all the doom and gloom that had filled the air moment later, but I could've done without all the tension that replaced it as Danny stated pacing like a man possessed.

"What we do," looking at his prone sister, "I can overshadow her, but then I won't be down there or maybe…"

"YOU HAVE TILL THE COUNT OF TEN," their mom's voice now hitting our ears with the same intensity and promise of pain as their father's had.

"Sacrifice yourself," getting up and grabbing him.

"What?"

"You heard me sacrifice yourself, make it seem like you're the only one home, maybe if they don't know she's here we can get around this."

"So you want me to take the heat for all this?"

"If you have a better idea I'd love to hear it," pushing him to the door.

"I really don't like this idea," he hissed walking down the stairs.

"We're short on time Danny," Sam hissed on my right, "just do it we'll figure something out."

* * *

**DP Style**

"The things I do for family," the dark haired boy whispered looking up the stairs to where Sam and Tobias stood before turning and facing the firing squad that were his parents. Every step seemed like a mile as a thousand ideas ran through his head, what if he couldn't pull this off, what if they already knew about Desiree being in the house, what if they demanded to see Jazz, what if he had a heart attack on the floor and fell on top of them. Finally they came into sharp focus, each one at the foot of the stairs, their arms crossed, twin scowls on their faces, made even worse since both their hoods were down and he could look into both of their eyes.

"Where. Is. Your. Sister." his mom's words making him want to wet himself.

In a tiny squeaky voice, "don't' know."

"Don't lie to me Daniel," the elder red heads words almost making him jump back and fall down the stairs. "We both know you skipped a full day of school along with your friends, now I don't know what you did but it better have been good," tilting her head up, "AND THE LONGER YOU WAIT THE WORSE IT'S GOING TO BE FOR BOTH OF YOU YOUNG LADY."

"Mom, she isn't here," doing his best to shift the blame onto him and keep them away from the upper levels of the house. "It's just me her, no one else….nope just your son all alone in the great big house."

"WAIT STOP," Tucker's voice coming from the second floor along with what sounded like him falling to the ground.

"No one else here huh," his fathers eyes narrowing, his face growing a brighter red. At that moment Danny was extremely glad his dad had never hurt him, because at that moment if he did, he was pretty sure he'd have been thrown through a wall.

"Ok yes Tucker's here," doing his best to cover his butt and hoping that was the only new surprise he had to deal with.

"GET DOWN HERE MR. FOLEY," the redhead barked.

"Yes ma'am," he whimpered sounding very far away despite the distance and appeared at the top of the stairs rubbing the back of his head and slowly walking down.

"Where. Is. My. Daughter." each word was like a knife had stabbed Danny in the chest.

"I….that is to say…..well," the ghost boys mind going dead as he looked into the eyes of his parents.

"Not here, nope not here at all Danny and I have been here all day and at no point in time did we see Jazz." At that the woman gave him a death glare, "I'm going to shut up now."

"Jack," looking to her husband.

"Can I get the Fenton Anti Creep Stick," losing his air of authority, returning to the slightly goofy man that he was.

"Count Jack," her words more an order than a request.

"Oh right," blushing a little then barking up the stairs, "ONE!"

"Um...Mom."

"TWO!"

"What is it," giving him a penetrating stare that just dared him to do anything but tell the truth.

"THREE!"

"Jazz is….um," scratching the back of his head and looking away from her.

"FOUR!"

" 'Jazz is…um' what."

"FIVE!"

"Well she's"

"SIX!"

"Spit it out Daniel."

"SEVEN!"

"Does it have something to do with that boy she's seeing?"

"EIGHT!"

"Um…well"

"NINE!"

"I'm coming," Jazz's voice filling the air and making the two boys spun around and seeing the teenage redhead walking down the stairs pulling her black shirt down with one hand and readjusting her light blue headband with the other.

"I…um…well…sis your up and… here," the half ghost's body growing pale, not completely understanding how his sister could be standing in front of him.

"And where were you young lady," the elder redhead's arms folding over her chest and daring her to try and lie to her.

Jazz walked past her brother and waved her finger at her mother and pulled her away from her husband. A few feet away she leaned in close and the two traded quick heated whispers with the occasional hand gesture, both their faces grow red, Maddie's in anger, Jazz's in embarrassment and after a few moments the elder redhead grew silent and given her face it was clear what ever her daughter had said it was embarrassing to hear.

"Well do I get to stick them into the Fenton Stockades or not," the large orange clad man barked, the air of disappointment drifting over him.

"No Jack you don't," looking at her husband.

"Why, you promised I could finally try them out on someone else," he whined, given the one hundred and eighty degree mental turn around it was quite a sight.

She laid a soothing hand on his should to silence him, "Jazz was sick and Danny had to take her home," her words cool and calm.

"SHE'S PREGNANT I'LL KILL THAT BOY," a gun unfolding from his arm as he tried to turn and run out of the house.

"JACK," the word stopping him but not but not getting rid of the wild look in his eyes. "I didn't say she was pregnant," walking over to him and whispering in her ear.

The anger drained from his face, "eewe," looking at his wife, "why did you have to tell me that?"

"Because you can't kill him for something he didn't do," soothing her husband.

"Fine," Crossing his arms and pouting like a little boy.

Ignoring her husband Maddie took her daughter hands, "now how are you feeling,"

"I've been better, but I've been worse," giving her a weak smile, "I was told this might be contagious so you might want to check into a hotel for a few days while I ride this out. You remember what happened last time the two of you were sick don't you."

"Rotten ghost flu," the large man barked regaining his energy," that's what you have now isn't it?"

His daughter just sighed, "they're not sure what I have but they're pretty sure it'll clear itself up in a few days, but all the same I don't want you getting this. If I'm sick it's no big deal, I can miss a few days of school without having any problems, but if your sick the city is defenseless from ghosts, for their sake you need to stay healthy."

"SHE RIGHT," wrapping an orange arm around her, "for the sake of the city we must remain healthy and alert."

"Jack," the short haired redhead scoffed while carefully eyeing her daughter, "we can't leave our daughter alone when she's sick, we have to stay and nurse her back to health."

"NO NO, I'm not that bad off," pulling away from him, "I'm going to be sick for a few days at least, and what I have is in no way life threatening but it is contagious and I don't want anyone else exposed to it, just being here is putting you at risk of picking it up. Please I'm asking you as a daughter and future member of the medical profession just go to a hotel for a few days while I heal while up," looking at them with pleading eyes.

"Now we can't do that dear, you know that," slowly caressing her daughters face, "your sick, and while I know you're a big girl I couldn't live with myself if I knew you were suffering, but I will meet you half way. Your dad and I will spend a few nights sleeping in the RV so we can be close by."

"And make sure no no-good punks try and slip in," Jacks words coming out of left field.

"Daddy," fluttering her eyes at the orange clad man, her voice taking on a sweet and fluttery tone, "Tobias isn't that bad, you just need to give him a chance, and I wouldn't invite him over for this, I don't want him getting sick anymore than I do you," punctuating the statement with big puppy dog eyes.

"That's enough Jack, you did say you'd give the boy a chance at least," looking up at her husband, "now go take Danny and Tucker and pack our bags."

"What why me," the youngest Fenton asked.

"Yeah why us," his father echoed.

"Because I want to talk to my daughter privately for a few moments," shooing them out. "Now your sure this is what you want dear," putting her hand under her daughters chin.

"Not really, but I don't want you getting this," pulling away from her mother and covering her mouth with a cloth she pulled from her back pocket. "It's only going to be a few days mom, and I really don't want to be a pain for either of you. Besides if I need you your just a few feet away."

"And you want to stay here with Danny," a hint of disbelief in her voice as she cocked her head.

"Want Danny here no," folding her arms, "but he's been with me all day, if he hasn't caught it yet he probably has enough of it on him to make one of you get it."

"If your sure about this," resisting the urge to pull her daughter close, her maternal instincts on over drive.

"I am mom, trust me, I wouldn't wish what I have on anyone, especially not you guys," tears welling up in here eyes.

"But why didn't you tell us you were sick?"

"The last time school called you because I was sick you and dad kicked in the doors and shot us three lockers, I thought it was for the best to handle this a little more discreetly. In retrospect maybe I should've seen the nurse or told someone I was leaving, but I knew if I did they'd call you, and I just wanted to avoid that. And yes I'm sorry I took Danny and his friends out with me, but they were worried about me and I just couldn't say no to them after they showed that much concern. Looking back I think Tucker just wanted to cut class, but Danny really was worried about me. So I thought I should just stay quite till you came home, after all you always want us to do more things together."

"CLEAR THE WAY," Jack interrupting what was close to becoming a toughing mother daughter moment as he stomped down the stairs with several suitcases under each arm.

Jazz jumped back then move a lock of hair from her face, "that was fast," watching him barrel through the room.

"Always keep a few bags packed incase you need to go some where in a hurry," giving her a big goofy smile.

Maddie fell in step behind her husband and opened to the door for him and turned around as he lumbered outside, "or you sure you want us to do this dear?"

"Go mom, I'll be fine," covering her mouth.

"Love you Jazzy pant," the dark haired man barked for outside, the name making her want to caver her face in embarrassment.

"We do love you dear, feel better soon, we'll check on you in a few hours," her mothers tone carrying the full weight of her concern.

"I love you to mom, if I need anything you'll…."her eyes going large as she looked down the hall, "loveyougottagobye," bolting done the hall.

Maddie watched her daughter run down the hall and shook her head then turned her attention to her son. "Make sure your sister gets plenty of liquids Danny, and keep her bed as much as you can. If you want me to go out and get anything just call using the Fenton comm," walking over to her husband. "And I don't care how good your reasons were," turning and leveling a finger at her, "if I ever catch you skipping school again I will ground you till you thirty."

"Yes mom, never again," watching the woman in the blue suit walk out the door behind his father.

"I'll call Sam and Tuckers parents and try and smooth things out for them, but you should send them home at some point, their parents do need to deal with what they did."

"I'll tell Tucker but what makes you think Sam is here?"

She just rolled her eyes a little, "I may be old Danny but I know you, if the two of you left so did she," taking a hold of his hands. "Ok I love you both, make sure your sister knows that," waked out the door and walked to the RV Danny following her travels with his eyes as she passed the window.

After a few seconds the half ghost sighed in relief and flew after the girl that claimed to be his sister, Tucker on his heals. "You," he barked as he saw her leaning against the hall wall running her fingers against her shirt then blowing on them.

"I take it they bought it?" smiling and walking over to him.

"I can't believe you," throwing his arms back, "do you have any idea how crazy that was?"

"What are so freaked out about," Tucker asked, "your sister's fine."

Danny and Jazz spoke in unison, "not my sister."

"Not his sister," folding her arms over her chest.

"Tobias," half whispered not believing it.

"The same," cocking her head to the side slightly.

"So that's why Sam threw me out of the op center."

"Yeah somehow I doubted Jazz would want you to see certain parts of her anatomy," glaring at him.

"What happened to I don't acquire people unless it's a matter of life and death?" the dark hair boy growled still hovering above the ground.

"At the moment I didn't see a lot options and I figured a live Jazz was better than one laying on the ground and it's not like that didn't work."

"And what if you end up expelling her? I can't explain why I have two sisters to people."

"We'll cross that bridge if we come to it, right now we just have to worry about keepping this deception up a for a few days."

"And what exactly did you tell my parents, they never back off that fast?"

"I…well she went to class, felt sick, and had a rather nasty case of diarrhea in the restroom then left, with you in tow to go to the hospital where they told her it was nothing more than either a nasty case of food poisoning or a stomach virus that'll last for a few days then pass on it's own."

"You really expected that to work?" neither boy believing what the transformed boy had said.

"The classics always work," running her fingers through her hair, "always make sure what your saying is believable and yet gross enough to make sure no one asks questions about it later."

"You've put to much thought into this," a slightly disgusted look on Danny's face.

"Yet the boy has a point," a slight grin on Tuckers face.

"Don't encourage him Tuck," his friend growled.

"Actually I didn't put to much thought into it," running her fingers through her long hair and enjoying the feel of a new body and feeling just a little strange being in her body. "Back in the old days during my time with the others, I use to spend time with them practicing the fine art of BSing. While I didn't really need it, the others would get caught by their parents or somebody else at inopportune moments and they would have to lie their tails off in order to get out of it, so we practiced on each other to prepare for it. Something you might want to consider doing yourself someday because you two are some of the worst liars I have ever run across."

"If I could kill you right now I would, but you're the only one that knows how to get my sister back at the moment and that is the only thing saving your feathers."

"Yeah yeah save it for later we need to go up and check on her," walking past him and running her fingers under his chin in mock attraction, "we get her back you can tear everyone of my feathers out and make yourself a pillow I don't care, till she's back I don't want to hear anything about you kicking my butt." With a speed born of concern Tobias bolted up the stairs to the second floor the others right behind him. It only took them a few seconds to get to the op center where Sam sat on the floor doing her best to obstruct Jazz who was now covered in an emergency blanket.

"Tell me they bought it," Sam rising to her feet.

"Hook, line and sinker," the boy/girl looking back, "well almost, they're camping out down stairs in the RV for a few days so we bought ourselves a little time, tell me you stashed Desiree someplace good?"

"I convinced her to back in the thermos," scratching the back of her head, "it's really weird, when she's not trying to hurt us she's really reasonable, you ask nicely and she will pretty much do anything you can think of."

"Really," Tuckers interest peeked as new thoughts run through his mind and he started to rub his hands together.

"Don't even think it," she growled at him and picked up the thermos, "she also said not to disturb her until we needed her to help get Jazz out."

"Sounds reasonable," the fake Jazz nodding her head as she demorphed, feathers running over her body as her clothing sucked into it and he returned to his hawk form.

Danny held the bridge of his nose while he knelt next to Jazz, "you took my sisters clothes off," a hint of disbelief in his words as he shot Tobias an accusing glare.

"Actually that would be me," Sam's hand going up, "he just put them on and no we didn't take everything off, she still has underwear off, and if you think it Tuck everyone in this room will beat the crap out of you so don't even try," Sam not breaking stride as she warned the boy.

He got a hurt look on his face but also a guilty one, "how dare you accuse me of that, she's like a sister to me."

"Well she is a sister to me so keep her out of your filthy mind," his eyes glowing green to make sure he remembered who he was dealing with.

"I hate being the only one without any powers," folding his arms and scowling.

The four spent the next few hours sitting around the op center watching Jazz and the small TV that was connected to Jazz's dreams and Tobias' past. However they didn't see much it that time since it was late by that point and Tobias was sleeping, the energy to do anything having left him after seeing Elfangor killed. In time they pulled together enough courage to call Sam and Tuckers parents, who luckily already been contacted by the Fenton's so they didn't have to sell the story to much. Some quick talking on their parts managed to convince them that it was for the best if the pair stayed where they were where at least for the night to make sure they didn't have anything and risk infecting their respective families.

Those hours however were long and boring for the most part since all they could do was wait, tension formed in the air around them as they each tried to deal with what had happened in their own way. Tucker played with his PDA, but couldn't get very excited no matter what he did or where he went. Sam sighed and held Danny who had finally calmed down, and was on the border between depression, rage and having a nervous breakdown. Tobias on the other hand stayed close to Jazz and watched the TV that showed his life story and getting slightly lost in memories of a time gone by.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

My life was a nightmare, but it was my own, a hell I had done my best to keep private, even when I told Jazz and the others about I had lied a bit. Not full out lying, but I had bent the truth here and there, softened a corners you might say to make the truth easier for them to take, and now she was seeing the reality behind what had made me me.

When the others didn't look I nuzzled her a little, hoping that somehow she could feel it and know I was here for her, that I wasn't giving up on here. (Be strong Jazz,) keeping my thoughts on a tight beam, (you will get through this because I did, I know it'll seem dark for a long time, and you'll fear that this will be your end, but be strong. Your surrounded by people that love you, people that will do anything to get you back and we won't stop till your back with us, remember that.)

Time passed slowly for us, the others drifted in and out of consciousness, something that was probably for the best, they'd had a long day and they needed to sleep. I and the other hand was totally fine, this wasn't the first time I'd spent a few days awake, or been in a fight for my life, granted it had been a while and I wasn't quite in the shape I had been during the war, but I was still in better shape than the others. Truth was someone needed to act as a sentry for them in case the Fenton's tried to check on us, and better me than them at this point.

Finally dawn came, well it didn't I had to pull myself from the screen long enough to grab Jazz's alarm clock so they could get up and go to school. When the alarm went off each one awoke with a start slowly, thankfully a few hours sleep had done them good. Tucker seemed to mellow out a little, Danny was still tense but it was obvious that a sliver of hope had crept into body after spending the night in Sam's arms, and the goth herself even seemed to have a little perk to her, or as much as she could ever muster.

"How long have you been up?" Danny yawned rubbing the sleep from his eyes and fumbling around with the alarm.

(Up indicates I went to sleep at some point,) turning my attention back to the screen, glad my young self had finally gotten up and I no longer had to watch myself sleep.

"Your kidding," Sam asked behind me.

"Why did you set an alarm," Danny whined, given the sound of his voice I doubted he was fully awake yet.

(I don't joke at times like these,) stretching my wings a little, unaware of just how stiff they had become over the long hours of not moving.

"Man chill, are you always this bad in the morning," I could hear a pop coming from Tuckers body as he stretched.

I sighed mentally, (I'm fine, just reliving old times is hard for me.)

"Understandable," Sam moving over to me with such stealth that it almost surprised me and put a hand on my shoulder, "but are you sure you don't need to sleep?"

I looked up at her, (I should have at least another twenty four hours in me before I need any Z's, and even then I can handle this pretty well.)

"Hope your right," running a finger down my back.

"So where is she," Danny floating up to the other side of me, given the proximity of Sam I had a quick moment of fearing for my life, but I now knew he was fully awake.

(She woke a little over an hour ago, she already tried out morphing my cat, and is running over to see Jake as we speak.)

"So how many days is this going to go on?" Tucker was still keeping his distance from Danny and stayed in the corner.

(I think this was a Saturday morning and I don't go to the pool till Monday night, so we have a few days to kill. Speaking of which you do have school today, so you might want to change and shower, and probably a few other things.)

"My sister is essentially in a coma, you really think I'm going to school, I'll just tell my parents I have the same thing she has, at this point they probably don't want us at school."

(Yeah that might fly for one day, but not much more, you forget, you suck at lying, and your parents are going to check on you, I can play Jazz and pull it off till the weekend, you can't.)

"You forget one tiny little thing, there is no way I'm going to leave you alone with my unconscious sister especially now that you can take her form."

(Ok first off I don't abuse my human bodies so put those thought out of your mind that's not happening, PERIOD!) I glared at him not believing that he would accuse me of something like that, Marco maybe, not me, I respected her to much to do that. (Second, you really think you your sister would want you hanging around here watching her? No she would want you to go to school, get an education, basically all the things she's trying to make me do, so get up and get your tails to school and take your bloody punishment from the powers that be.)

"You expect us to go to school while she's hurt," Sam saying it calmer than Danny had.

(We went to school while our world fell apart, we went when we didn't know what had happened to each other, and your going now. Nothing's going to change over the next few days so it's best if you at least get your mind off this for a few hours, if anything happens I'll contact you, till then all we can do is wait, and if we stay together much longer we're going to end up killing each other.)

"Oh that's ridiculous," Jazz's brother throw his hands into the air.

"Beside even if we did go we couldn't get back inside the house after words."

(Tucker your best friend flies through walls, getting in unnoticed isn't going to be a problem.)

"Ghost Shield," the three speaking in unison.

(I can turn it off for a few seconds while you come and go.)

Sam glared at me playfully and poked me in the back ,"we're not going anywhere Tobias so stop trying to get rid of us."

(Just trying to do what I hope she….,) my thoughts interrupted as I picked up the sound of knocking on the front door. (Save it we have company,) at that I started to morph Jazz, grateful I hadn't had an allergic reaction to her, at this point that was the last thing I needed to deal with. A few seconds later I was a sixteen year old girl and walking down the stairs, doing my best to have an odd walk, mess with my hair, and make it look like I had just woken up to further the cover story that I'd spread incase someone was at the window.

Somehow I wasn't surprised when I opened the door and found her mother there, although now she wasn't together as I'd usually seen her. The blue jump suit was gone, replaced by yellow pajamas and a gray robe, her hair was slightly askew, and she seemed to still be n the tired side. "How are you dear," she asked smiling, forcing a slight chill through my body, I wasn't use to any adult showing real concern for me and it was throwing my off my game a little.

"I spent half the night in the bathroom," racking my fingers through my hair, trying to smooth it out.

"I sorry, are you sure the medicines working?" slightly waving towards me, a look of concern in her eyes.

"Doctor said it would just have to run it's course," holding my stomach a little a wobbling a little in place.

"I wish there was something I could do," leaning in and moving some of my hair from my face.

"I don't suppose you have something in the basement that can transfer this to Danny?" I joked trying to play the older sister card.

"Not unless your fathers been keeping secrets again," shaking her head, "so I take it Danny's fine?"

I did my best to repress a smile as a window of opportunity opened itself in front of me, "those three are fine as far as I can tell, because the bathroom was always free. If they do have it there's going to be a lot of disgusting laundry to do and I don't want to know where he's storing it."

"To much information dear," chuckling a little in spite of herself .

"Sorry mom, you feel the way I feel and you kind of lose perception on to far," leaning further against the door frame.

"You really are bad aren't you dear," stroking my cheek with the back of her hand.

"Not so bad I won't live to see tomorrow, but it you could buy a few candles, maybe some air freshener it would really be helpful."

Her smile perked up a little, "I think I can manage that," then she leant further into the house, "DANNY, SAM, TUCKER JAZZ SAYS YOUR FINE SO GET DRESSED AND GET OUT HERE YOUR GOING TO SCHOOL."

"Uhg, nice mom," covering my ears to muffle the scream.

"Sorry dear."

"WHAT," Danny suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs and started down them, "what do you mean school we're sick."

"Not according to your sister, and if she says your fine, you have to make up the day you skipped, now hop to it you want the three of you ready to go in ten minutes."

"What…but…we…mom," throwing his hands back, the look on the woman's face telling him he wasn't going to win the argument. Sighing he bowed his head in defeat then looked at me and hissed, "you suck."

"DANIEL!" his mothers voice making him jump half a foot into the air, "how dare you say that to your sister?"

"I…mom…she."

"I don't care Danny, apologize to your sister then get going we'll talk about your punishment on your way to school."

Between clenched teeth he growled, "I'm sorry Jazz," and bolted upstairs before anyone could say anything.

"That boy," shaking her head.

"Don't be to hard on him," giving Jazz's mother a weak smile, "he thought I'd keep him out of school for a few days. I love him, but I need some time alone and quite frankly at much as those three helped me, they did get on my nerves after a while."

She sighed a little and relaxed, "three teenagers will do that. So do you want us to get you anything on the way back?"

"What," the question taking me by surprise.

"On the way back from taking Danny to school do you want us get you anything, food, something to drink, something to take your mind off of your problems?"

Well I wasn't expecting those questions, anytime I had been sick with my aunt or uncle they'd basically told me to say in my room and not make a mess in the bathroom if I had to throw up. It was really kind of weird to have someone fawning all over me and wanting to make me comfortable, "no," shaking my head Jazz's hair falling over my shoulders. "Food is the last thing I want," groaning, "at this point I'm working under the philosophy if nothing comes in than nothing can come out."

"Again to much information dear," giggling quietly to herself. "All the same you do need to keep your strength up, so do you want me to get you anything?"

"Don't go to any trouble mom, all I want to do right now is sleep, and wait for things to stop hurting."

"If your sure dear," patting my cheek.

"More than sure, I just want to crawl into bed and wait for this to be over and get back to my normal live," adding a little yawn to my performance to give it a little more believability.

"Alright, go to sleep and tell your brother and his friends to hurry up, your father and I will come check on you later."

"If there's any justice in the world I'll be better by then," squeezing my eyes shut as my stomach involuntarily rumbled, "and on that note," using the unexpected sound, "I have to go," darting down the hall the nearest bathroom and slamming the door behind me. I let out a little moan in a few moments after I entered, doing my best to sound lie I was in pain. I paced in the small chrome room for a few minutes, letting out another moan every few moments till I heard the other come down the stairs trade words with Maddie then shut the door. After that I waited a few more minutes till I heard the roar of the their car tear out of the driveway.

With practiced caution I left the room, ready just in case she'd seen through my deception and was waiting for me. "If I get you back Jazz your credibility with your parents might be shot," shaking my head and walking up stairs to the redhead, hoping everything I had planned turned out all right and I could give her back her normal life.

When I reentered the room I demorphed and hopped over to the TV that was still on and playing my life story, she was now at the point where I had showed Jake that our powers were real by becoming Dude, my old cat. I did wonder what had become of him every now and then, he'd been my only friend for a long time, and I somehow doubted that my jerk of an uncle had taken care of him after I left.

"This is so cool," the sound coming out of the speaker as I increased it by tapping it with my beak. The sound were really my own internal thoughts at the moment of change, the surge of feline power over powering my mind. "I can't believe this is me, that I can do this, that I'm him, I could loose myself in this body forever."

(Close man, real close,) shaking my head at my own stupidity. I watched the images flip and change, Jake morphing, leaving him and heading Cassie's, seeing Rachel and getting a blast of attraction as I saw her and knowing it could never be, learning Cassie could morph clothing, nearly getting caught by the cop, deciding to take it slow with our powers and what to do next, then I saw the hawk.

* * *

**Jazz POV**

I watched Jake and Marco leave, I could tell neither was sure what they wanted to do, not that I blamed them, what we had been asked to do was to big, to much for anyone. At least Rachel had backed me up on everything, or I thought she had, it was hard to tell with her, but it didn't stop her from giving me one of those looks that makes you wonder if they think your insane. I'd been wondering if I was crazy myself, I was a nobody, a few days ago I'd had my head in a toilet, and now here I was trying to talk them into fighting a war that we probably couldn't win.

"You ok," Rachel's words pulling me from my thoughts as I looked at her, lord she was beautiful. Perfect blond hair, perfect slime, perfect eyes, perfect body. I know that sounds stupid but that's all I could think when I looked at her, every inch of her just seemed perfect to me.

"I think so," looking into those blue eyes as butterflies erupted in my stomach from being this close to one of the most gorgeous girls in school.

"They'll come around," giving me a weak smile, "I know my cousin, he'll help us one way or another, Marco on the other hand I can't be sure of but I doubt he'll let Jake do this alone."

"That's a guarantee," Cassie chiming in as she checked on a raccoon that was banged in a cage, "Marco's many things, but he's Jakes best friend, there's no way he'd let him walk into this alone. Sure he'll wine and moan the whole way but he'll be beside him."

"And of course we'll have to hear about it," Rachel laughed throwing her hair back in the process and letting me see a cage up till now I'd missed.

"What is that," ignoring both the girls and walking over to it, a feint tingle running over my body as I looked at it.

Cassie gave a quick look in my direction, "buteo jamaicensis or more simply put a red tail hawk, poor thing has a broken wing but we'll have him sky bound soon enough."

"He's amazing," looking the large bird over. He has dark brown over his upper body with hints of white-light brown feathers on his breast with a sprinkle of dark brown spots here and there. His tail was held together but had a rust red color to it that looked spectacular. Then he looked up at me, our eyes meeting, the deep gold of the orbs seeming to be looking right through me and making me almost light headed.

"I like the claws on that one," the voice making my jump unaware that Rachel had slipped up next to me. Up till then I'd hadn't even looked at his feet, but it was true then were nice. Four toes on each foot, three in the front one in the back, each ending in wicked looking talon. I grew lost in those feet for a second pulled out of it as the bird screamed in my face and puffed himself up making me jump back and collide with Rachel knocking us both to the ground.

"Smooth," she teased untangling herself from me.

"Sorry," my face growing hot as a I blushed like my life depended on it.

On the other side of the barn Cassie was doing her best to surprise a giggle, "sorry should've waned you, he has a bit of an attitude."

"No kidding," Rachel growled smoothing out her hair back to near runway perfection.

"You," the words sticking in my mouth, "think I can touch it?"

"Excuse me?" looking over at me.

"You think I can touch him, for just a minute," doing my best not to sound like I was groveling.

She looked at me quizzically for a few moments till understanding dawned on her, "whoa, whoa your not thinking, the want to acquire him?"

"Yeah," looking up at the bird as he looked at me with a stare that made me want to hide.

"A bird, oh yeah that's going to be useful," the blond rolled her eyes as she spat sarcastically, "especially since you can't, I don't know, FLY," throwing her arms out.

"But he should be able to," Cassie corrected moving over to the cage, "when I became a horse I understood how to move and think like a horse, so following that logic, he should know how to fly if he acquires it."

"And if I can't," I added, "well better we know now than having a bunch of bodies we can't use." She opened her mouth at that to argue but just shut it and shook her head, her hair framing her face as she did so, was there anything this girl could do that wouldn't make her look more attractive.

"Come her baby, it'll be ok," making me look away from the model in training to her best friend who had pulled the hawk from his cage. "That's it boy, nice and calm, yeah you know me, I'm the one that feeds you while you're here, that's it stay calm," slowly stroking his chest with a finger. Hesitantly I walked over to her, doing my best not to spook the large bird, "it's ok," he voice still in the same soothing tone, just come up and touching him on the back," slowly turning the bird over so I could get to it's unprotected backside.

"Nice birdie, good birdie," I whispered as my hand moved closer to the red tailed beauty.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

I watched my younger self move his hand closer to the body that I would soon become all to intimate with, my concentration on the moment becoming almost total, as though I was looking at some holy sight.

"BBBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG"

The sound erupted in the room and nearly made me jump out of my feathers. For a second I didn't know what was going on, then the sound rang out again and again and it hit me, ringing phone. Pulling myself together I morphed Jazz and tried to find the offending piece of machinery in the op center before giving up and running down stairs to find the one that actually looked like a phone.

"Hello," picking up the receiver, not sure who was going to be on the other end and doing my best to sound like I was a little sick.

"You sound better," The voice making my sigh in relief.

"Good to hear your voice to Nikki, but this isn't Jazz."

"I take it things aren't going well Tobias?"

"Mistress of understatements there Nikki," I sighed sitting on the ground and leaning my head into the wall. "Jazz is still unconscious, we're relying on a ghost to wake her up in a few days, and in the mean time I have to play her and convince her parents I'm so sick they shouldn't be in the house not to mention she's now reliving my life."

"You just can't go anywhere without getting people in trouble can you?"

"Don't start," I growled into the phone, "I'm really not in the mode."

"You want me to come down? I could take over being her for you for a few days."

"No, for the moment I think I have everything under control, but be ready to run down here just in case, I'm not sure I can pull this off if they stop believing she's sick."

"Not a problem," a hint of optimism in her voice.

"So why didn't you call sooner," bringing the thought that had been in the back of my mind to the surface.

"Aside from giving all of you some time to yourself?"

"Yeah aside from that," laughing a little.

"We've been comparing notes as to Jazz's condition hoping we could come up with some kind of cure."

"So come up with anything?"

"Plenty of ideas but we don't think any of them will work, ghosts are just an element we aren't familiar enough with to make any kind of accurate guess as to how to reverse their abilities."

"Why does that not surprise me," shaking my head a slight snarl in my voice.

"Sorry, but we're doing what we can."

"I'm not mad at you Nikki," I sighed, "I'm just mad at the situation, I just want her back and I want the life I had before The Ellimist butted his nose into the situation."

"And yet your very existence is based around his butting in," and unsaid 'I told you so' in her voice.

"I know, I know, you don't have to remind me," I sighed leaning further into the wall, "you ever wish your life was simpler?"

"Everyday," she sighed, "but we have to play the cards we're dealt, we may not like them, but we have to accept them and move on."

"You and your cold calculating logical sense," I hissed good naturedly.

"What can I say I can't help the way I was designed," laughing on the other end.

"All the same Nikki I'm glad to hear from you but I need to get back to Jazz, make sure she's ok, at least if I'm with her the time seems to go by a little faster."

"Then I'll leave you to you task but I'll let you know if I come across anything."

"Thanks Nikki, and be ready in case I need someone to relive me if this doesn't go as planned."

"Done and done Tobias, I wish you luck."

"It's what I run on," clicking off the phone and putting it back on the hook and starting to walk back to Jazz before slapping myself in the head. "I should've asked her if she had gotten into contact with Ax," shaking my head and sighing, "ah well, I'll get another chance."

By the time I'd gotten back to Jazz I'd already missed all of the good parts, the first time I morphed my hawk, my first flight which ended with me hitting a beam in the barn, followed by my first attempted flight outside which ended with me doing a nose dive into the ground. It took a few more tries after that but I finally figured out how to fly, unfortunately I'd picked everything up to fast other wise I might have been able to watch me make a fool of myself as I tried to balance human mind with hawk instincts. I shook my head at the memory, amused by how bad I had been and far I had come since that day. Everything after that was pretty boring, and I knew it by heart, fly to Jake's convince him that his brother was infested and at that point I left, no reason for me to relive the nightmare that was my human uncle. I ended up just wondering down stairs and getting something to eat, it might not have been a fresh mouse, but a sandwich still sounded good at that moment.

* * *

**Jazz POV**

I hated this house, it was slightly better than my aunts but I still hated it. If wasn't the flaking and peeling walls or the smell of alcohol and cigarettes that hung in the air, it was the guy living there that I hated. My uncle didn't care about me, never had and I doubted he ever would, as it was I could never figure out why he, why they for that matter, took me in, but both did their best to make me run away.

I was lucky if there was enough food in the house for both of us since so much of his money went to his best friends smoking, drinking and gambling. What food we did generally have was generic, molding over or expired by several weeks if not months. My room was the smallest one in the house if you didn't count closets and bathrooms, but thankfully he let me put up anything I wanted as long as it didn't bother him. And thankfully he let me bring Dude with me, for reason I couldn't understand the cat had never left my side during this whole ordeal, if I'd been him I would have run away after the second move, chances are he could have made a better life on the street than what I gave him.

Even barring all that this could've been a good place to live, after all a lot of people had worse, but it was my uncle that turned the tide against it. He never made any pretence that he didn't want me there, he never came out and said it but it was obvious from the way he talked to me that he didn't want me there, that my time with him every few months took away his real life, whatever that consisted of. Even when he wasn't here I could still feel the air of tension and hated that hung to the walls like paint, screaming at me to go and never come back. So often I'd thought about listening to those unspoken voices, to go and never look back and make a life for myself anywhere else. I think the only thing that stopped me was the fear of what would happen to Dude if I did that, I had no allusions that living on the street would be hard and I might not make it, but I didn't really want to subject my cat to that life as well.

"I could fly away," the words escaping under my breath as I looked out the grimy window. "Yeah I could," flopping down in a chair as Dude stuck his head out and from around the corner and trotted over to me and leapt into my lap and started nuzzling me, my hands unconsciously moving to scratch the back of his head. "I could disappear now and they'd never find me," talking to the cat as much as myself, I only have one thing holding me back now, and it's a big thing buddy." Sighing deeply as I thought about what was coming, "I may not come back from this," tears welling up in my eyes, "if I don't run away and never come back here, find yourself a good home with people that love you fur ball, you can still have a good life, I'm not sure I can have any kind of life now."

* * *

**Tobias POV**

I turned the TV off for most of the day after lunch, I was all for keeping an eye on Jazz but there where parts of my life I prefer to leave buried and that was one of them. I had to spend about an hour talking to Jazz's mother on the phone and I was beginning to question whether or not I could keep this up till Jazz got better, I didn't have much experience with mothers, what time I can remember with mine she didn't know who I was, so I couldn't be sure but I had a feeling she was staring to see through my depiction, or at least the part where Jazz was sick. I also managed to grab a few hours of sleep here and there, I know I told the others I could go a few days without it, but I didn't really see a point in staying up if I didn't need to, and it wasn't like I was missing anything I really wanted to see.

Time pasted and I finally got a call from Danny as soon as school ended telling me to shut down the ghost shield so he could phase through the walls and see his sister, that and tear my feathers off for betraying him. I basically laughed that one off, the kid was growing on me, I hated to admit it but he was and I knew he was stressed about his sister which made me like him more. I didn't really see a reason to tell him I'd shut it down after they'd left, with Desiree in the thermos and his folks outside the shield seemed like a needless redundancy.

"Any change," the question becoming old in my ears as he became solid and landed next to his sister.

(Nope,) stretching my wings a few feet away on top of a consol.

"Learn anything?"

(I could ask you the same question,) flapping over to him.

He glared at me for that, "of course not all I could think about was Jazz."

(Your telling me you never thought about anything else during the day,) doing my best to give him a knowing look with my hawk head.

He narrowed his eyes a little and growled something that didn't have words to it, finally he sighed, "once or twice."

(See,) in an 'I told you so' tone, (more than you would've had you stayed here.) I looked over at the dreaming redhead, (she wants you to have a normal life Danny, granted you can never have that as long as you fight, but you can still lead something close to it.) I looked up at him, our eyes meeting, (we both know that she wants you to lead a normal life and you can't do that if your huddling around her hoping she'll get up at some point and everything will be made better. At least for a for moment of the day you need to get out and be free for a while and not think about what might happen and just have that semi normal existence she wants you to have.)

"And where does that leave you?" turning what I had just said back on me.

(Don't get cute, I was posing those questions before you could fly.)

"Then you should already know the answer then," giving me a smile, whatever had happened to him during the day it had lifted his spirits.

For a second I considered arguing the point the point with him then just shrugged, at this point it would be a little hypocritical of me to refuse considering it was what I had done. (Suns still up, wind still blows, and it's been to long time since I ran down a mouse. I'll give you a few hours but don't get comfortable at some point you need to face your folks last I checked they had something planned for you.)

"Yeah this is it for the moment, I have to scrub every bathroom in the house till it shines and wait on Jazz hand and foot."

(Ah the fates are kind,) morphing into a lizard and crawling up a wall.

"Not really, the bathrooms are already kind of dirty but at least their not half as bad as they would've been if what you had told them was true."

(Careful what you say I can make them that bad,) looking down at him with my weird lizard vision before slipping through a ventilation duct into the metal maze before coming out on the roof demorphing and flying away from the house. I stayed in the sky for a few hours, the winds lifting my spirits as easily as they lifted my body, the feel of the breeze against my feathers was exactly what I needed to help me clam down and release the stress I hadn't been aware I was carrying. I never did make it to the park to track down any mice, but that wasn't a loss, I wasn't really that hungry to begin with but it would have been nice to remind the vermin who was in charge of the area.

In the end I came back to the Fenton's feeling better than I had when I left and found Danny trying to do homework while he watched over his sister. (This is why I live in a tree,) my thoughts making him jump slightly from his spot on the ground, (keeps me from having to do menial paper works that the powers that be say will one day come in handy.)

"Yeah well I'm not willing to give up TV and microwaves," he growled looking up and scanning the room trying to find me.

(You should,) dropping out of the vent and demorphing, (it's freeing not having to worry about others having to amuse you and as for the uncooked food, well you get use to it.)

"Yeah you say freeing I say primitive," rolling his eyes.

(So how's our girl?) walking over to her.

"Same as when you left her, but last I checked she was flying and spying on what looked like a big get together for school."

(That would be the sharing, to those looking in it's a coed boy scouts girl scouts set up, in reality a Yeerk recruitment center.)

"So we can get her out soon then," looking hopeful.

(This happened on Saturday night, the attack on the pool happened Monday night, if things go according to plan she should be out in about forty-eight hours.)

"In other words Saturday night," sighing to himself and slumping against the wall.

(As I said that's assuming this works,) looking over at him, (look I talked to Nikki she said she'll still working on things on her end…,"

"… if we come up empty," cutting me off.

I glared at him but kept going, (she won't the girl does not know the meaning of the words quite.)

"My sisters life are in the hands of a bird and dog, when did my life get this screwed up," shaking his head.

(Oh yes,) I sarcastically growled, (because your life was completely normal before I came to town,) spreading my wings wide.

"You know what I mean," looking away from me.

(Yeah I do,) hopping over to him, (we're going to get her back man, just keep telling yourself that and maybe it'll come true.)

"Maybe?"

(In this world nothing is definite,) doing my best to come off light hearted and most likely failing.

"Well your just full of good news aren't you," rolling his eyes and turning his attention back to his homework.

(Hey I could lie to you but that wouldn't do any of us any good,) looking back at his sister. (So what did the others get as punishment?)

"Don't know haven't talked to them yet," not bothering to look up from the book. I could sense that he didn't want to talk after that and left him alone for a while but finally I couldn't take him being in the room considering he kept growling under his breath while he looked at the book and tried to write things down.

(What are you doing that's so hard?)

He looked up and me and snapped, "biology paper."

(Can you be a little more specific?) cocking my head to the side. (I might live in a tree but I did go to school once upon a time and biology covers a lot of ground.)

"I have to write a paper that compares and contrasts two different biological specimens along with how they relate to each other in the wild," burying his nose back in the book, "and I have to use at least one book source."

(Like what comparing two different dogs?)

"That'd be easy, they can't be related, like a tree and a fish or an ameba and a spider or a grass hopper and a snake."

(Danny you realize what you just said right?) looking at him in disbelief.

"Yeah I just told you what I'm trying to do and you keep interrupting me."

(Danny you just said you could compare two animals,) shaking my head, this boy could be as sharp as a bag of hammers.

"So?"

(HELLO,) spreading my wings, (walking zoo here, database of animals from no legs to eight and a few in between, not to mention extraterrestrials.)

"Yeah expert," rolling his eyes, "just because you become them doesn't mean you anything about them."

(Try me, I learned a long time ago that if your going to be an animal make sure you under stand something about it. I may not be an expert but I know more than most,) bobbing my head up and down.

"Fine I'm working with a flea and a beaver, I don't suppose you know anything about them?"

(I know a flea is only concerned with food, it's heart is little more than a valve, that when it jumps you feel like your going to be sick which is really hard considering you only have this little tube for a mouth.)

"You've been a flea…"

(…and a beaver, and a bullfrog,) adding more animals to the mix, (and a rabbit, and a snake, a shark. Have you not been paying attention here man I've gone over this before.)

"Ok so maybe I haven't been paying attention," getting red in the face. "Um…I don't suppose," scratching the back of her head, "you could maybe….um….,"

(Yeah just stop,) hopping over to his side, (I'm not going to make you say the words, just start asking and I'll try to fill in the blanks to the questions.) I looked over and almost wanted to scream, the dark haired boy had a paper full of doodles on the page. (Tell me this isn't what you have done so far,) I whimpered looking up at him.

"Sorry," a loop sided grin on his face.

(Well this is going to take a while,) a wave of depression washing over me.

Not only did it take a few hours to write the paper and get it typed out it turns out it was due the next day, nothing quite like leaving everything to the last moment. I couldn't say if what we ended up with was going to be an 'A' paper but at least it was done and it got us both away from Jazz for a while. After that we got to work on the fixtures in the bathroom, it seemed only fair that I help since it was my lie that got us into this. By the time it was done we were both wiped out and he hit the hay for the night, myself, I stayed up for a few more hours, my nerves not letting my sleep. I couldn't really watch the TV that was hooked up to Jazz since I was asleep at this point in my past so I watched the normal TV and did my best to take my mind of what was going on and lose myself in the works of fiction that flickered across the screen. At some point I fell asleep on Jazz's bed and was greeted by the sounds of yelling.

"MOM REALLY I'LL GET HER!"

(What,) shaking my head as the sounds started making sense.

In a voice that was calmer and quieter, "I want to see your sister Danny."

"REALLY SHE'S STILL SICK," the meaning behind his words coming together and lighting a fire under my tail.

Hopping off the bed I morphed Jazz as fast as I could and finished sucking my feathers into my body and were replaced by clothing. "Something up mom," I asked as the older redhead walked into the room.

"Yes, you not at school," folding her arms over her chest.

Matter-of-factly I replied, "I'm sick."

"Don't play that card with me, I've looked in the bathroom, you might've cleaned in there but I'd still be able to smell if you were as sick as you say you were. Look," her tone calm and understanding, "I don't doubt that you were sick, but it's obvious that you aren't now so you have to go to school, end of discussion, now move it you two," pointing at the door.

I could've argued the point but somehow I doubted that I would win the debate and headed to the door, and grabbed her backpack with Danny on my heals, "so this is bad isn't it?" he asked in a low tone.

"Oh yeah," whispering back, "I'm going to need a phone and very quickly."

"I don't have a cell phone and Jazz doesn't believe in them anymore."

"Better and better," walking out the door, "I need one and need one fast because need to explain some things to them."

"Tucker," snapping his fingers, "he's a tech freak if he doesn't have a phone the world has ended," running down the street ahead of me. I managed to catch up with him after a few blocks as he grabbed Tucker by the back, "man am I glad to see…you ok," the other boys visibly shaking.

"They took it from me, all of it is gone now," his face with drawn and his voice far away.

"Oh this can't be good," I groaned.

"Tucker I need your PDA or your cell phone or something along those lines," giving a come here motion with his hands.

"I CAN'T," grabbing the half ghost, "MY PARENTS TOOK ALL MY TECHNOLOGY AWAY AS PUNISHMENT!"

"How did we not see that coming," I growled holding the bridge of my nose.

"Plan 'B' we talk to Sam and hope she doesn't have the same problem," nearly getting run over as the beret wearing boy sprinted down the sidewalk in a mad dash a crazed look on his face.

"Huh I once saw a Ax do that to get a bag of chips," walking down the road at a comparatively slower rate till we hit a large home that I knew as Sam's dwelling. The goth was outside and looking down at Tucker who was on his knees practically pawing at her and begging her for a treat.

"Please, I need technology something, anything I don't care what, I CAN'T LIVE LIKE THIS IT'S INHUMAN!"

"A just like that men everywhere have lost their dignity," the half ghost sighed shaking his head and pulling his friend off.

"Jazz?" Sam asked looking me over.

"Next best thing, look we have a problem I need to make a call," moving some hair out of my face, not familiar with the body when it came to running.

"Inside but make it quick," nodding her head to the door and taking the lead. I'd been in Sam's place once before, but that was only in her room, needless to say the rest of the home was much more impressive.

Unconsciously I whistled as I followed her and looked at the small mansion, "defiantly beats were I live."

"That's not saying much," Danny hissed behind me.

"Here," Sam pushing a phone to my body.

"Thanks," punching in numbers as fast as I could, the number ingrained in my memory, a few seconds later the sound of ringing stopped a voice picked up.

"Hello?"

"Nikki, it's Tobias, we have a problem."

"What happened?"

"They're not buying I'm sick anymore, I need you there to cover her up. I'll handle things on the living end, but I need you to hide her for me till I get back."

"I can handle that, I'll be at her house in a few minutes, good luck on your end, need anything?"

"A butt load of luck, otherwise no. I know her schedule now by heart and I think I can fake being her for a day, just make sure no one finds her body other than those of us that know what's going on."

"Done and done bird, see you after school if not sooner," the phone going dead before I could turn it off.

I looked over at the others, "all we can do now is wait and hope she beats your folks."

"And in the mean time we have to get to school," Danny growled grabbing my hand, "I'm in enough trouble as it is without dealing with being late and I don't need to have Jazz in trouble on top of that."

"Please I need a PDA, a cell phone, and MP3 player something, anything, please help me," Tucker whimpering on the floor in a little ball.

"Wow, I once saw mom and dad do that if I threw out all the coffee in the house," a hint of a smile on the dark haired girls lips as she enjoyed the show before her.

"Yeah you can enjoy this, we have to go," as I was pulled out the door by the half ghost, " and I swear if you somehow miss this up for her," he growled not finishing the thought.

"Relax I got this," I hissed as we left the house, "I've spent a lot of time with Jazz, I might not be a dead on match but I don't think anyone will notice. In case you hadn't noticed people and Jazz don't get along to well for the most part."

"What?" raising an as he looked at me and slowed his pace, "everybody loves Jazz."

"No they don't," I hissed, "they tolerate her…me," looking around and trying to slip into character. "I'm smart and they need me for projects but they don't really like me, something about how I act just puts them off. In the end if I keep my head down and don't attract attention they'll leave me be and I can slip by till the end of school. As it is the only thing I need to worry about is my…weak bladder, you know how I have to go every two hours or so, and that might be hard given I've never checked out the girls restrooms in the school."

"You'll like them, their nice," the words slipping out before he could stop himself, "that is to say um…"

"Give it up Danny," Sam barked behind us before catching up with Tucker in tow. The boy now looked much better as he stroked something with such devotion in almost scared me. "We all know what you do with your spare time so don't even try and cover it up," then she looked at me, "at least someone has the decency not to abuse what he's been given."

I just kind of looked around at that, taking note of all the people around us before slapping both on the back of the heads, "does the term secret mean anything to you people," I hissed between clenched teeth, "these are things we don't want people to know."

"Finally it wasn't me," Tucker laughed.

"What was that for," Danny asked rubbing the back of his head.

Between clenched teeth I whispered, "if you talk about these things on the street then they stop being a secret so keep your beaks shut."

"Like anyone's going to hear," waving his arms around.

"You'd be surprised," shaking my head. It took a few minutes but the four of us managed to get to school and unfortunately the others had to break away from me and get to their own classes. Thankfully despite the difference in appearance from most of my other trips through the school I could still navigate the halls with a rough ease.

Taking a deep breath I looked at the room in front of me and made sure it was the one I was thinking of, under my breath I managed to hiss, "ok bird it's show time." I walked in and moved over to the seat Jazz usually took and hoped this wouldn't be to hard, I wasn't under any illusions that I was smart to get through this, I knew plenty about surviving in the wilds but I had very few book smarts to fall back on, and outside of the GED Jazz was trying to get me to earn I hadn't spent much time bothering to learn these kinds of lessons, after all it wasn't like I really needed to know it considering how I lived.

"Oooww you came back," some girl with blond hair and showing to much skin hissed in a catty voice.

"I don't think I'm really your concern," doing my best to keep Jazz's voice neutral.

She gave me a mock hurt look and a dark smile that sent shivers down my spine, "you know what your saying don't you?"

"I don't really care," looking away from her, "people talk, everyone knows half of what they hear is a lie anyway and the other half is exaggerated."

Before the girl could counter the teacher came started class, not that it would ordinarily stop her but the lights dropped a movie started playing on the roll in TV which was fine by me. The entire class was spent in the dark watching as a documentary played detailing World War Two, well I spent the class watching it, all around me little conversations were going on about the normal teenage stuff that seems so important at the time, hair, clothing, who's going out with who. Everyone else might have been involved in their own lives, I was lost in the film, the flashed were different but at the same time I immanently recognized so many of the scenes part by association part since I'd actually been there, or at least an alternate version of it.

When they showed a shot of Hitler giving a speech to his troops I couldn't help but whisper to myself, "I liked you better fat." Thankfully if anyone heard they didn't say anything. Eventually we were free to go and I was one class closer to getting back to Jazz and trying to undo this mess. Given that parents hadn't shown up demanding to know who I was I was guessing that Nikki had made it down to Jazz before her parents had wondered across her sleeping body.

I did a quick check of my watch and cursed silently, time was running out on my morph time and I needed to settle back into my feathers or be ready to spend the rest of my life as a girl. It took a few minutes but I tracked down a bathroom that didn't have the overpowering smell of cigarette smoke, something that was probably universal. Taking a deep breath I walked in, not completely sure what I'd end up running into, for various reasons I just hadn't bothered walking into any girls room much. Inside it was more or less what I expected and I walked over to an unused stall and shut the door and looked down, even in the girls room they didn't flush, a thought that sent shivers down my spine. In the process of looking down I couldn't help but notice Jazz's form and the ideas that accompanied it.

A second later I slapped myself in the face, "no bird that's a bad bird," I hissed to no one, the sound bouncing slightly off the walls. I wasn't completely sure what I might've done but this wasn't the time or place to be having those thoughts. Sighing I demorphed and remorphed before anyone could notice what I was doing and walked out of the restroom and back into the hall, ready to take whatever was thrown at me.

I was able to fake my way through the next few classes without much trouble, there were occasional bumps in the road but for the most part everyone left me alone as long as I didn't say anything. Somehow I made it to lunch and tracked down Danny and the others and dropped down next to them, not caring if this was something Jazz would do under normal circumstances.

"Years have gone by and I still hate school," I groaned looking at Jazz's brother.

"It can't be any worse for you than it is for the rest of us," a hint of a laugh in his voice.

I put my arm around him in such a way that anyone looking might thing I was just pulling my brother in close for a hug but in reality I was nearly chocking him. Between clenched teeth I hissed, "you've never had to go through a day in a bra while people stared at your butt."

Sam pointed a carrot stick at her friend, "she does have you there Danny," then bit into the orange stick.

"When did you to get to be friends?" pulling away from me.

Tucker moved out of striking distance from Sam and stated matter-of-factly, "it's a chick thing Danny."

"Keep talking see what ends up in your shoes not to mention a few others places," shooting him a predatory smile.

"Oh boy," ringing the collar of his shirt a little.

"Well what do we have her," the voice sending chills up my spine. I didn't have to turn to know it was Dash, till now I hadn't had the pleasure of meeting him face to face, well I had but I don't think I ever really said anything to him, but I knew the guy by reputation, not to mention the things I'd seen him do while I was hanging out at the school. "Well if it isn't Fentonio and his loser friends."

"Excuse me," turning around and fluttering my eyes at him, a little trick I'd picked up from my time watching various girls.

"I…um…hi Jazz, how's it going," his voice shifting from surprise to flirtatious, I had to hold back my desire to punch him in the throat for hitting on my Jazz. That though made me pause for a second and nearly threw me off my game but I managed to push it to the side, this was by no means the time for those kinds of thoughts.

"Ok what should I deal with here first," all desire to flirt my way around this gone, replayed by a desire to tear his face off. Slowly I got up and faced him, my arms folding over my chest in annoyance of the situation. "One calling my brother a loser behind my back is not a good way to endure my to you, two mispronouncing my family name also not a good way to get me to like you, three I'm really not in the mood to deal with you, so get to the point."

"Hey do you know who I am," veins popping out of his neck.

"A sad little boy with delusions of grandeur," cocking my head to the side and feeling a smile slowly grow on my face, "who makes himself feel important by picking on others to compensate for the fact that he knows as soon as he graduates his glory days will be behind him?"

All around me it seemed to grow quite and Dash's jaw dropped open and shock as Danny nearly burst a gut behind me from trying to contain what I hoped was laughter. "You can't talk to me like that," the blond finally barked, "I'm Dash Baxter I OWN this school!"

"Yeah well don't own me," giving him a knowing look that screamed 'try anything and you're a dead man' or at least I hoped it did, it worked better when I was hawk. His face grew red and I could tell he wanted to scream or punch me but instead he turned around and threw a guy who was in his path several feet in the other direction while he charged out in a huff.

"Now that was a serious score," Danny giving me a low five.

"Not a problem bro, always had a problem with guys like him," my voice low but making no secret that I was pleased with myself.

"Way to stay in character," Sam's words soft so only those of us at the table could hear them.

"You think you can do better," a slight his in my voice.

"Better than that," cocking her eyebrow a little.

"Shame we can't test that little theory," a smug little smile on my lips.

"And what theory would that be Miss Fenton," a new voice coming from behind me and making me jump slightly.

"Um...problem Mr. Lancer?" Danny asked doing his best to stay calm yet still releasing an air of discomfort as he shot me a look of concern.

"I'd like to speck to your sister in my office for a few moment Mr. Fenton," his voice wasn't the most authoritative I'd ever heard but it was enough to send shivers down my spine.

"Somehow I've been expecting this," getting up from the table, "looks like I'll see you later bro," smiling at him weakly as he walked to the bald mans office. The little sign out side his office said Vice Principal which sent a new shiver down my back and raise goose bumps on my skin, the sign reminding me of Assistant Principal Chapman at my old school who had been a controller so long ago. Granted I'd been a hawk while the others dealt with him directly but it didn't stop me from developing a strong aversion to the position, well a stronger aversion than anyone normally has.

"Do you know why you're here Ms. Fenton?" taking a seat behind his desk, his fingers forming little pyramids on the desk.

"I take it this has something to do with me missing school and my brothers selfless desire to come with me to the clinic to make sure I was fine," doing my best to stay calm and come off with an air of professionalism Jazz normally seemed to wrap herself in while at school.

If he was surprised by my bluntness it didn't show, "exactly, what you did goes against several rules of this school and by all rights I should suspend you here and now for doing it."

"And if you did that you'd have to suspend most of the people in school," straightening my hair. "Do you have any idea how many people skip school for no other reason than they wanted to? I was sick, I can't be sure I'm still not, yes it wasn't life threatening but at the time I didn't know that and I really didn't think you wanted to run the risk of getting everyone else her whatever I had."

"It's hard to believe that when you don't even know what you had," his tone civil yet accusing.

"There are some things you don't want names to you just want them gone," holding my head up in defiance. "And in any case unless I'm mistaken this is a first real offence and last I checked my record spoke for itself as to all matters of my character up till this point."

"Don't think that will save you still skipped class and you will have to pay for it."

"And if it had been a ghost virus," folding my arms, remembering what Jazz had told me. "From what I recall you made some indication of suspension if I brought any kind of ghost related infestation of the school."

"But this wasn't a ghost in nature was it?" despite his calm exterior I could tell he was nervous, a sheen of sweat on his brow.

"Very true, but I didn't now that at the time. My parents reputation precedes them, thus you know many things can occur for those of us in the house, for all I knew I'd picked something up that wasn't natural and needed to be sure rather than run the risk of another school wide epidemic."

His brow furrowed as he tried to regain control of the situation, "so you just slipped out without telling anyone?"

"How was I to know you won't over react, it has been known to happen in the past," doing my best not to smirk as the comment hit home. "Look lets put all the cards on the table, I screwed up and I realize that and I apologies for it but I preferred to be safe than sorry. Now I'm willing to take whatever you think is a fair punishment, but remember up till now I've been a relatively model student, and last I checked I had one of the higher GPA's in the school so out right getting rid of me might not be in the best interests of this fine institution."

"Are you threatening me Ms. Fenton?"

"Of course not, merely pointing out what you yourself have said on many occasions," leaning back into the chair and hoping I wasn't saying anything to throw off the illusion that I was really Jazz. "Whatever you decide I will abide by, I'm simply pointing out a few elements you might want to consider before you pass judgment on me."

For a few moments he just stared at me, obviously shocked by my brazenness and given the look in his eyes I could tell he wasn't sure how to approach my sentence. "Under normal circumstances," his words slow and with a hint of menace to them, "I wouldn't let any of my students talk to me that way, but you are correct my bonus…er…um…the reputation of the school is dependant of student such as yourself passing. Up till now your behavior has been exemplary and placing this on your record would hurt all of us within the school so I'm going to make you a deal," his chair squeaking as he leaned back. "Your brother's grades have fallen sharply and we both know he can do much better if he applies himself, so this will be the arrangement, you have to tutor him.. I don't mean spend a little time with him and call it tutoring, I expect to see a substantial increase in his grades with in four weeks, if that doesn't happen, you….that is to say all four of you will be suspended from school for a period of no less than two weeks possibly more depending on whether or not I think you actually tried." After laying down the rules for Jazz's punishment he rose and towered over me, a typical power move one I'd seen in the wild dozens if not hundreds of times, "do we have an understanding Ms. Fenton?"

A part of me wanted to question if he had the right or authority to do this but I let it go, questioning him at the moment probably wasn't a good idea. I mulled it over in my head for a few moments, trying to figure out if this was something Jazz would agree to let alone capable of doing considering Danny's life at the moment. "Deal," I finally hissed, looking up at him, choosing to believe that Jazz could handle this situation, or would if we got her back.

"What was that," folding his arms obviously not pleased with my answer.

"Sorry," steadying myself, "I just wasn't expecting you to choose something like that. I do believe that my brother can learn this information, but I don't think it matters how much I try and help him it doesn't mean he'll end up improving his grades."

"Never the less Ms. Fenton those are the terms I have set down, I'm not expecting your brother to start getting strait A's, but I do expect to see him start improving in his work. I know he can do it, I've seen what he can do with my own two eyes and I believe that with more supervision he can achieve far more than what he's currently putting into his work. I'm not heartless if I see your both working to improve his performance I'll let this go and we'll forget it happened, but I need to see that your both attempting to do this."

"Your asking a lot, but I'll try, at least now I have a reason to nag Danny about doing his work," ok that probably wasn't what she'd say, but it was to late to take it back.

"Good to know we understand each other," shaking my hand.

"Now I just have to break this to him," shaking my head and leaving the office. The rest of the day went by without incident , and thankfully Danny and the others took the news of our group punishment well as could be expected. That is to say Danny took it well, we were both a block away from the others when I barked out what was at stake for the others and by that time they weren't in a position to do anything to me. The second we walked through the door we made break for the op center before his parents could get to us, and with any luck Nikki and Jazz.

"Nikki," I hissed walking into the room, unsure if she was there but not seeing Jazz anywhere other than in my reflection.

"This is going to end up being bad isn't it," Danny asked beside me, his eyes slightly glowing green.

"Your faith in me is staggering boy's," the air around us shimmering as Nikki in her unhologramed body appeared with Jazz at her feet and the thermos containing Desiree under her arm.

"That's my girl," I whispered walking over to her and demorphing.

"You could have given me a little more time boys," handing Danny the thermos, "those two were nearly on top of her by the time I got here."

(Yeah like I ever need to doubt my miracle dog,) looking up at her and getting a pat on the head for the comment.

"Flattery will get you know where with me," her Asian-Hispanic hologram coming back up and smiling down at me. "Oh," looking at Danny, "your parents were looking around for the equipment we borrowed."

At that the half ghosts face went pale, "the ones that we destroyed and left on another planet?"

"Unless you have other ones," chuckling lightly and putting a hand on his shoulder, "don't worry I down loaded the blue prints and managed to whip up some copies before they could figure out what could've happened."

That came as a shock to me, (since when can you build guns? We asked you to do that years ago and you said no, that it contradicted your core programming.)

"It does," kneeling down next to me, "but there are loop holes. I can't build weapons to hurt people, apparently there are some discrepancies in my programming between humans, hurting and ghosts. I locked up a few times as I was going over things but apparently I can build these types of devices to a point. I couldn't include anything that would hurt a normal person but I could do enough of a job that the equipment will be passable, but your going to want them to have someone do some finer detail work because they aren't completely identical in abilities, but they can be with the right modifications."

"So your telling me you could've fought those things a few days ago, that we got our butts handed to us for nothing?"

"No, as I said I locked up a few times while making the replacements. I don't think my programming will let me hurt ghosts any more than I could I could a living human."

(Nor would we ask you,) cutting off the questions that I knew were forming in Danny, just because Nikki could, it didn't mean I'd let her. I understood Nikki in a way he didn't, that a Chee's life is more painful than ours. Unlike humans and many other creatures their memory would never fade, that she still remembered what she had done two hundred years ago with crystal clarity, that anything she did here she'd still remember later. I wasn't sure if Nikki could really help us fight or not, but I didn't want her to, there was no reason for her to carry that knowledge within her long after out bones had turned to dust.

"DANNY, JAZZ WE NEED TO TALK," their mother yelled at us stopping whatever conversation might have occurred between the three of us.

(I'm living a male fantasy and I can't even enjoy it,) I growled and morphed back into Jazz.

"Dude that my sister," the disgust in his voice palpable.

"So-ee," the slightly slurred word slipping out of my near perfectly formed mouth while I only stood two feet tall, the rest of my body still mostly bird.

"One more day Danny, just one more day and we get her back," talking more to himself than me as he walked down stairs.

"Kind of like old times isn't it?"

"Lying to parents, people hunting me, you saving my butt, nah I don't see the slightest link here Nikki," rolling my eyes and trying to catch up to the half ghost. Turns out Mr. Lancer had called ahead and filled them in on our punishment which left the two of us stuck in his room most of the afternoon and in to the night trying to figure out ways of bringing his grades up. Needless to say this was not the best idea, it'd been a long time since I'd been in school, and even with Jazz trying to educate me, I was still not the best person to ask when it came to most of this information.

"So tell me again why you agreed to this," he asked me for the thousandth time since we started.

"Because it seemed like a good idea at the time, and I thought Jazz would be doing this not me," flipping to the next page of the book.

"Best laid plans of mice and men," rolling his eyes as he continued reading.

"Hey," my voice rising slightly in mach anger, "I do the animal jokes, one lines, similes, analogies, and folk sayings," pushing him lightly on the shoulder knocking him off balance.

"So what does that leave me with?" pushing himself back up and giving me a push back resulting in much the same way mine had.

I laughed a little, "everything Sam, Tucker and Jazz won't touch," and rolled back up into a sitting position.

"I DON'T HEAR STUDYING UP THERE," Maddie's reaching us from down stairs.

"That woman has ears like a dog," I growled.

"Excuse me, that's my mother," shooting me a dirty look.

"Ears like a cat?" his expression not changing and making me scramble for something to say that wouldn't put me on the receiving end of one of his attacks. "A very beautiful and intelligent fox that can turn me into hawk fritters if she wanted to."

"Never heard mom referred to like that before," shaking his head, "and I'm going to let it go." He rubbed his eyes and yawning, "it may not be late but I fell beat after all this."

"Amen to that, tomorrow we get her back or we go down in flames," rotating my arms a little, unaware they had gotten so stiff.

"Like I really needed a reminder of that," rolling his eyes and jerking his thumb telling me in a not so subtle way to get out of his room.

I gave him a little wave, "see you in the morning," and walked out and shut the door behind me. For a second I considered going into Jazz's room but decided there was something else I need to do first and walked up the stairs to check on the pair that now inhabited the area. "Any change Nikki," asking the unseen Chee.

"No, whether that's good or bad is up to you," dropping her hologram.

"Hard to say at this point," dropping down next to her and gently stroking her hair, fully aware just how strange that must have seemed to anyone else. "With any luck we'll be talking to you in a little over a day Jazz, I'm sorry I got you into this because I wouldn't wish what your seeing on anyone. I just wish I knew if that was true, the world isn't a fair place and for all I know you'll be a vegetable for the rest of your life and I'll be stuck filling in for you till one of us dies."

Nikki laid a comforting hand on my shoulder, "what happened to faith that thing's turn out and everything you keep preaching to the others?"

I sighed at that, "they're young they don't need to know just how bad things are. If they think there's a chance things will be ok it'll help them get through the night but I know better, things don't always turn out and I have to be ready for that."

"You forget," gently pulling my gaze from the redhead with her hand, "compared to me your just a child as well. It's true we're in a bad spot, but I've seen far worse situations that have somehow turned out all right in the end all because people had a little faith."

"Nik, I'm to old and have to much blood on my hands to be swayed by something like that," looking back down at Jazz, "but their isn't an inch of me, human or hawk, that that doesn't want to see her get up tomorrow and be completely fine."

She gently stroked my hair as if I were a child, "maybe that'll be enough, now go get some sleep you've been up for to long and are way to stressed for anyone's good."

"Oh yes sleeping is such a good idea, that would possibly compromise my story," rolling my eyes and heading down stairs.

"Blah blah blah," she quietly barked at me as I walked away before going silent as her noise blocking hologram came back up.

"I really need new friends," I whispered to myself and headed to Jazz's room ready to bed down as best I could. Part way down the hall I lent back and yawned, nearly falling over in the process, it might not have been my most active day but I didn't remember the lost time I'd been this wiped out.

"And what do you think your doing," the voice making me jump slightly, in my slight stupor I hadn't heard Maddie come up the stairs. The older woman gave me a look somewhere between anger and weary yet her posture screamed concern for me.

"Bed mom," rubbing my shoulder, under normal circumstances I would've tried to look tired but I was doing that naturally at the moment.

She gave me a sideways look throw the mask, "at this hour?"

"Between not getting much sleep over the last few days and trying to figure out what Danny knew and what he didn't I'm beat. I promise we'll pick this up tomorrow but right now I have to get some sleep or I'm not going to be any good to any one."

She hesitated for a second then walked over to me and put her hand on my forehead, "you don't feel warm, are you sure your not still sick?"

"I never said I was better, you did remember," pulling away from the hand, albeit reluctantly, the hawk side hated the attention but the under appreciated human side wanted it to continue for a few more moments.

"That's right isn't is," a small laugh in her voice mixed with a hint of sorrow.

"What is it," I wasn't sure I wanted to know, but I had to ask.

"I'm just worried about is all," moving a few strands of hair from my face, "over the last few days, well longer than that really, but it seems like I don't know either of you two anymore. I know your two have a right to keep secrets from me, lord knows I kept them from your grandparents, but I doesn't stop me from worrying about both of you. I know there are a lot of things I shouldn't ask you but," her hand holding mine tightly, "can you at least tell me your not doing anything illegal and dangerous."

I really wasn't sure what to say to that considering I didn't have any real parental moments to fall back on, at least in this situation. I squeezed back on her hands, "I'm not doing anything you probably haven't done in your lifetime," not technically lie, more of a half truth. "Things are just changing in my life right now, both our lives," looking at Danny's door, "and I'm not really sure were things are leading yet," looking her in the eyes, "but I promise, I'd never do anything to hurt you or the family, I just need time to figure out some personal things."

"It's the boy isn't it," it wasn't so much a question as a fact.

"Tobias is involved yes," pulling away from her and moving another stray strand of hair behind my ear, I had to ask Jazz how to put the head band because apparently I couldn't do it right.

"Is he pressuring you…" the thought trailing off and it took me a second to figure out what she was talking about.

"NO!" the word coming out louder than I had intended and making Danny open his door.

"Something wrong."

Maddie didn't even look at the boy, "go back to bed Danny."

"I never get to hear any good stuff," a slight squeak filling the air as the door shut.

I took a deep breath and waited a few seconds to make sure he wasn't listening at the door, and hoping Jazz would've done like wise. Finally I shrugged and pulled her into Jazz's room, just to be on the safe side, "whatever you think we're doing , trust me we're not. I don't know where this going between us but I have every intention of going slow, it's just…," at this point in seemed like a perfect opportunity to add my own problems to the mix and I hope the more experienced woman could help me somehow. "I've never really been in this situation before, I've had crushes in the past, I even felt like I had met the one in the past and been burned badly by it. And because of that I'm not sure what I'm feeling, I know it's not love, at least I don't think it is, but I know it's more than infatuation and I'm a little confused where to go next. I don't know if s…he feels the same way I do, as it is I don't really know him that well, and I'm just…I'm confused by everything mom. Half the time I think I know what I'm doing then something will happen and back at square one," at that point I could fell a warm trail running down the side of my face.

"Shh," the older woman wiping the tear away with one hand and pulling her mask away with the others. "We all go through this dear," her voice tender and warm, so much like I wished my mothers voice had been, "it's part of the process. But I need to know is he playing games with you because if he is then he's not worth it, you…"

"…someone that will treat me with the respect I deserve," hoping I finished it correctly. "I know that mom, and he isn't playing games with me, at least I don't think he is. I just have no idea if I'm reading him right, part of the time I think he thinks of me as something more than a friend, but I can't be sure. You know for all my talk, I really have no idea how to read people most of the time, at least not those I'm close to. If he was someone from school I could just look at him and have an idea what drives him but I can't get any kind of read on him, he's a total mystery most of the time, even when I think I know what he thinks it turns out to be something totally different." For a second she was quite, then she started laughing incredibly hard, "thanks a lot mom," rolling my eyes.

"I'm sorry dear," doing her best to calm down, but having to take few minutes. "This isn't a new problem," she finally got out, a bit red in the face, "do you think I understand what goes on in your fathers head half the time?"

"It's dad so I'm going to go with yes," somehow I got the feeling I was about to learn something no guy should ever know,

"Your father and I haven't been on the same page in years, I love him I do, but I have no idea what makes him tick half the time," she reached out and took my face in her hands, "and that's the way I like it. I've gone out with plenty of men in my life, and I've been able to predict most of them within a few weeks, your father and Vlad are the only ones I never could."

"Please can we not talk about Vlad," the memory of my time with him still fresh.

"What I'm trying to say is, there are guys that will mystify you till the day you die. That's not a mark of failure on your part, but there's a fine line between naturally being mystified and being fooled and you need to be sure you know the difference with this one, otherwise…"

"Yeah we don't need to go into that," smiling up at her.

"Good," she sighed, "I don't know what to tell you Jazz, I'm your mother but I can't live your life for you, if you think this boy is worth it, then stick it out and see where it goes, otherwise just let him down and get on with your life."

I gave her a lopsided look, "so basically I'm right back where I began?"

"Pretty much yes," laughing lightly and getting off Jazz's bed. "Things'll be better in the morning, I promise."

"And if they aren't?"

She looked back at me from the door way, "go down stairs," the laugh still in her voice, "pick up a gun and start shooting things, it always makes me feel better when your father makes me crazy," and just like that she shut the door on me.

"If that's motherly advice I'm not missing much," shaking my head. Sighing loudly I walked over and locked the door, just in case someone decided to check on me in the middle of the night then demorphed so I could get some sleep. By the time I woke up sun light was streaming through the window and for the first time in days I felt really good. (Wow the crazy lady with a gun was right.)

Danny and I ended up spending most of the day together, and unfortunately I had to stay morphed most of the time since Danny's parents would randomly show up to check on us. I did my best to keep up appearances as far as teaching him went but it pretty obvious to any one really watching me I had no clue what the hell I was doing. To make matters worse Sam and Tucker were on permanent house arrest so we couldn't even use them to buy us a few free minutes up stairs with Jazz. Time rolled on for us at a snails pace but finally nightfall came and for what ever reason the pair down stairs decided to go out to dinner and left the two of us alone in the house, which was fine by both of us.

Whether than taking the more mundane stair route he took as straight up through the ceiling in time, (so where is she,) I asked Nikki as soon as my head was through the floor.

"According to the video feed they just entered the school," tuning her hologram off and handing Danny the little TV.

"Home stretch," looking at me as I jumped off his shoulder.

(Bingo,) nodding my head, (you might want to get Desiree ready, we're going to need her soon, and cross your fingers we're going to need all the luck we can get otherwise who know,) shrugging my wings, (you may end up with a psychotic brother instead of a stable sister.)

"Yeah one of you is enough for this life time."

"No arguments from me," Nikki agreed.

(Traitor,) not looking back at Nikki as I beck involved in the flickering images on the screen.

* * *

**Jazz POV**

On a scale of one to ten I'd say what we were doing ranked about a thirty seven on the stupidity scale, I know I talked big about needing to live up to the responsibility of what we were asked to do, but it's a lot easier to talk big when you aren't flying into what is as close to hell as you can get on earth. I'd taken the lead on the others hoping to figure out the layout of the base before they got down and with any luck find Cassie before the Yeerks infested her. A few feet back I could still hear them behind me, each doing their best to keep the rest calm, but I was more interested in what lied ahead. I wasn't sure if the others could hear with their human ears what lied in the pool but I could, the screams of mothers calling for their children, cry's of anguish, threats and curses, the whole nine yards of human emotion.

The second I exited the tunnel I flapped as hard as I could as disappeared into the shadows of the rafters to be safe as long as I could. A quick scan didn't show Cassie anywhere but I wasn't going to leave till I found her.

(This is bad,) the thoughts not going beyond me as I looked down and the full scope of this place hit me. Hearing had been bad but seeing was ten times worse, humans in cages screaming and crying, a giant murky pool that had things swimming in it, Hork-Bajir and Taxxon controllers running all over the place and the odd roar of construction equipment. (Why do I feel like a cow looking at a meat grinder,) shaking my head and forcing back the growing fear, I needed to find Cassie, everything else was pointless at the moment. It took a few rounds but I finally found her being drug by a human controller and given the position of the others I was guessing at least one of them saw her too.

Even with the various roars I could hear the others clearly, "I'm going to morph, I'm going to get Cassie away from him."

Before Jake could do it Marco was on him and hissed, "not time yet dude. Be cool."

(Cassie's okay Jake,) I reassured him shifting my vision back and forth, (she isn't hurt., just scared.)

Jake looked up in my general direction, "He'd better not hut her, keep and eye on them Tobias." He didn't have to tell me twice, or at all for that matter, I had every intention of keeping an eye on her till she was out of that guys hands. I saw the others look over to the little area a little off to the side of the pool where free humans were meeting and explained that they were voluntary hosts, how they could be convinced to do that was beyond me, but at the moment everything seemed beyond me, but from what I understood it was easier than dealing with their real lives.

"Like spending all their time as a hawk," Marco hissed under his breath. That one hit home, of course it was meant to and I flew away from them. It wasn't like he understood, yes Marco had a screwed up family from what I'd gathered, his mom was dead and his dad had fallen apart mentally, but at least he was still watching over his son, at least he still loved him, I'd kill to have his life. Yeah what I was doing might be construed as cowardice, but living like this was much better than the life I normally woke up to.

I shook my head and forced the thoughts out of my mind, we were here for Cassie not to discuss my screwed up life. It took a second to find her in the crowd again and when I did I wish I hadn't, I turned on a dime and got back in contact with the others. (Cassie, she's on the infestation pier. They're going to turn her into a host.) The others started to scramble and Jake asked about his brother, it took a second but I found him in a cage much to the relief of the others.

Knowing Cassie was in danger was enough to shatter what little self control the others had been holding onto as they hid and attempted to morph, only to be caught by a few of controllers of varying species before they could start. Well Jake couldn't start, Rachel on the other hand didn't bother stopping the change to elephant she'd acquired earlier that day. The morph didn't take long, maybe a little long than my change to hawk had been and needless to say having a fifteen of so foot elephant behind the controllers took all their attention away from Jake, especially when she picked them up and started hurling them like frisbees through the air. Well the humans went flying anything form another world got crushed under her feet and left a squishy mess on the ground. A few seconds after she started crushing I turned my attention back to Cassie and Tom and hoped I could somehow bye her some time or help them escape.

All around me things started to go crazy, the word of the animals was spreading around the pool and I needed to buy them some time, they were all big and strong and capable of being targets, I on the other hand was small and fast, and that could work to my advantage. I watched one man pull his dracon gun and aim it at the others and knew I couldn't let him get a shot off. (Oh this is a bad idea,) as I let the hawk take over a little while I told it what to do, the next thing I knew I was diving down at an accelerated rate, my wings held close to my body, and missed him. The plan was to grab the gun from his hand and it didn't work that way, my talons ended up slashing into his wrists forcing an unreal amount of blood out of the arm. I felt a pang of guilt run through my body and I wished the Yeerk in the guys head had enough sense to try and stop the bleeding rather than let the human die. Unfortunately I didn't have time to worry about that and flapped my wings regaining some height and trying to figure out where everyone was again. Cassie was getting closer to the pool, Jake was trying to get to her and Rachel and Marco were tearing into anything that got in their path.

Of all of us I could've gotten to Cassie first, but I couldn't do much at my current size, so I had to help the others as best I could. Considering where Jake was I had to buy him a little time and caught sight of a human aiming a dracon beam at him and knew there was a good chance he couldn't get out of the line of sight of the beam in time. (Do it right this time,) I hissed to myself and dove again this time aiming for the face hoping I could swoop down and scare him enough to miss. Like the last time I let the hawk take over the dive and shot at her, plummeting like a stone till I was a few feet in front of her then flared my wings coming down on top of her. The move startled her enough to jump back, only to in turn lose her balance and fall backwards right on to the knee spike of a Hork-Bajir controller. I couldn't look away fast enough and saw her skull become imbedded on the blade, a mix of liquids freely flowing out of the wound in her skull.

(That…I…,) the sight jarring me for a second, but the hawk thankfully took over and took us into the sky and away from the sight and to safety. I took a ragged breath and forced what I had just seen and done to the back of my mind, (get Cassie and go,) I told myself and looked around for her, hoping one of the others had gotten to her and we could get out with only a handful of mental scars, to say this wasn't going quite as planed would be and understatement. I knew this wouldn't be easy, but I still hadn't prepared myself for this, not really despite what I had thought earlier.

I wasn't hard to find Jake in the melee, the tiger was making himself known in a big way, and tearing a path to the pool. Unfortunately he was still to far away, and even worse Cassie was in the grips of a Hork-Bajir and being pulled to the ledge on of the pool that would allow a Yeerk into her skull. (Third times a charm bird,) I whimpered and dove down at full speed at the snake necked alien, unsure if my attack would even work. This time, more than the others I let go of myself to the hawk, and hoped it was a good enough hunter to pull this off without getting me killed. He loomed up fast as I came down, and for a second everything seemed to stop, I saw Cassie, I saw the alien holding her, I saw the others, and I saw the death all around us. In that moment I knew I'd never escape, that this was going to be my life till the day I died, my old life was over and I was about to be reborn. Then the world shot back into speed and I knew what I was going to do, this was war and that meant I couldn't go easy on these guys regardless of what they were when not controllers. I must have hit the green bladed beast at fifty miles on hour, my talons beared and forced them into the controller's eye sockets. The controller screamed and flailed his arms letting Cassie go and trying get me off him. I knew he was there but I was slightly lost in what I was doing, I could fell the warmth generated by what use to be his eyes, slime rushed out and covered my legs in the warm mess, the slight squish as I turned them and pulled letting the ooze run freely from the not blind beast.

I pulled away and caught sight of Cassie looking up at me with half house half human eyes, a mix of terror, determination, and regret in them. But I could also see something more, I could see myself in them, my own image reflected back at me, the slime running off my legs and a slightly crazed look to my feathers, whatever I was, I wasn't Tobias anymore, and for some reason I was ok with that.

Pulling my attention to the others I saw Marco running as best he could with Tom thrown over his shoulder, I had no idea why they doing that, even if we could get him out what were we suppose to do with him. I understood that he was Jakes brother and he needed to save him, but still I doubted anyone had really though far enough ahead to know where we could possibly keep him that the Yeerks couldn't find. But for a brief moment I let myself hope this was about over, that we were all going to escape this nightmare in one piece, that thought was drowned out as I say him.

I could see Visser Three being escorted by a battalion of Hork-Bajir controllers, and at that moment I knew this day was about to go from bad to worse at the speed of a rocket. When he made his public appearance everyone stopped, no one on his side willing to run the risk of ticking this demon in fur off. One of the Taxxons slithered up next to him and said something in a language I couldn't understand.

(This Taxxon fool,) his voice sending chills threw my body and nearly making me lose control of the bird's mind, an image of what he had done to Elfangor flashed through my mind, (thinks you are wild animals, he wants to know if he and his brothers can eat you. But I know you are not animals, I know who and what you are. So not all you Andalites died when I burned your ship.) I wanted to kill him more than I've ever wanted to do anything else in my life, but I held back, him believing we were Andalites was a good thing at the moment, at least then he wouldn't be looking for a bunch of human kids.

He said something else but by that time I didn't care, I was just wanting for the opportunity to dive down and tear off one of his eye stalks, unfortunately I didn't get the chance as I watched him morph. He grew large very fast, his body shifting and mutating as we all watched as he soon towered over Rachel's elephant. Each one of his legs split in half bringing the total to eight. His arms split into four apiece giving him eight, then his heads grew until they to totaled eight. (And here I thought platypus was a weird looking creature.)

A second after he had finished we ran like there was no tomorrow, well the others run, I flew, and we found out the monster Visser Three had become had one little bonus to make up for it's appearance, it spit fire, full on dragon fire. The first ball hit one of the woman that had been riding Cassie bring her to the ground screaming as she tried to put herself out.

With in the space of a minute there was fire everywhere and Visser Three tried to barbeque us. Somehow in the struggle and burning environment Tom got loose from Marco and screamed something I couldn't really make out in the wake of the roar around me and charged the creature that was now Visser Three and ended up getting back handed by the Yeerk leader. Not surprisingly Jake went after Visser Three and somehow got up to his heads in the space of a few seconds and bit into one of the necks. To say Visser Three wasn't happy would be an putting it lightly as he lit Jake on fire with another head. If that tiger was anything like Dude Jake probably thought he could take the heat, but luckily sanity won out and he ran away after the others. Thankfully Visser Three's body was to big to get through the small corridor which saved the life's of the others but opened up a real problem for me since his men were now guarding every door in the complex and ensuring I couldn't get out without a good plan or a lot of luck.

(Oh this is bad,) I hissed to myself and flew up into the rafters away from the others.

(Sweep the area,) Visser Three growled while he demorphed, (the Andalites may still be here in disguise no one gets out of here without questioning. If you see anything suspicious kill it on sight I will not run the risk of this operation being interfered with by a few lone Andalite stragglers.)

"You heard him," a woman in her twenties barked, "get moving, check everyplace a morphed Andalite could conceivably hide."

(I need a better place to hold up,) I whimpered looking around in the dark, hoping to find some little nook or cranny that they couldn't see from where, I could hold out till I could figure something out. I looked around in a dead panic for a few seconds doing my best to stay quite while I did, the last thing I needed was for a feather rustle to get me killed. At first everything looked the same, a maze of beams and smooth stone walls that lead into metal, needless to say they didn't offer much more protection than where I currently was. I did my best to stay calm as I flapped from one beam to the next over and over again trying to find something that could save me for a few minutes only to freeze in my tracks as a beam of light shot up from the ground and started scanning the area. (Now what smart guy,) I hissed to my self as I stood still and watched light pass slowly in front of me, (focus man, you gotta figure something out now.) Call it fear or instinct, whatever it was I felt like I was paralyzed as the light moved back and forth, each sweep moving closer to me and limiting what I could do, and then I swear the world seemed to slow down again. I'd heard about things like this in the past, were people in cases of extreme distress claim, for a brief moments, everything stops for them, it was just like moments of extreme clarity or adrenalin created strength.

That's when I saw it, it was just beyond the beam of light, illuminated by it in fact, a small crack in the rock face. From the surface it seemed to smooth rock, even from the side it was nearly undetectable, but in this moment, given how the light reflected off it, I could see it. Not only was it the perfect place, it was just big enough for me to hide in, at least till I could figure out how to leave. A few seconds after I saw it the world seemed to click back on and the light continued, but I didn't care, by then I knew the routine of the light and I could make it before it came back around.

By the time light came back I was safe in little hole looking down at the carnage we had created. There weren't many compared to the number in the pit, but there were still a lot of dead down there. Bodies had been converted into paste by Rachel's weight, Jake had torn more than a few apart, a doubted any of creatures hit by Marco would live, and from what I could tell the three I had hit were dead now. The first bleed to death, the second I'd seen die and the third ended up being eaten by Taxxons since a blind Hork-Bajir was any good to the Yeerks. A chill went down my spine as I looked down at them everyone of them going about their clean up with a cool detachment that freaked me out. I really hated my hawk vision at the moment, with it I could se everything with crystal clarity, every dead body, every mutilation, every drop of blood and body part. On top of that I heard the screams of every human and alien down there who wanted to be free, each and everyone screaming, demanding to be free. If I'd been braver or smarter, maybe both, I would've tried to get them some of them out of there, but I wasn't that stupid, there was no way I could do that, and I was going to make the situation worse than I'd already made it. We had done this, in our haste and stupidity we had done this, we had to go to get Cassie, but beyond that we should have stayed in the shadows till we knew what we were doing. This hadn't been planned, this had been raw instinct and all it had accomplished was to a make a big mess and let the Yeerks know we were here. True we had given those captured a flash of a hope but there was no way of knowing if we could deliver it, chances are part of those down there would end up dead by our hands in the process of trying to save them. We were kids playing at being heroes and we weren't winning, not yet, and if we didn't get it together soon, we'd be dead and nothing to show for it but I pile of corpses.

Looking down it was frightening watching the Yeerks work, not one of them seemed to care that their comrades were dead, all that mattered was pleasing Visser Three. I wasn't sure how long I stayed up there, but it was long enough to hate them even more than I had before I walked in here. They just kept working, not one doing a thing show concern for the fallen.

(I hate my life,) I hissed looking down at them, each one scurrying around doing what they were told, carrying body parts and piling them up and burning them away with dracon fire. (I never wanted this,) closing my eyes and trying to drowned out the sounds and the slights, (I just wanted to help people not kill them.) Looking down I understood why they always cut out in the movies by this point, wanting the clean up isn't fun, especially when the good guys lose. What I was experiencing had to make human war crimes seem tame in comparison, and it didn't help they in the end we really hadn't accomplished much. (I want to go home,) I whimpered to myself, the panic and fear that had been building since I set wing in this place finally, forcefully, bubbling to the surface. (I don't want to be here, I'm just a kid, I shouldn't have to worry about these kinds of things, I just want this to be a dream, to wake up in my bed.) A scream of pain below my made me shut my eyes even tighter and sent a chill through my body, (I wan to go home, I want to be free, I don't want to die here, I wish someone would slap me in the face and wake me up from this nightmare.)

* * *

**Tobias POV**

"So she has wished it so shall it be," a haunting tone to Desiree's words as her hands glowed and energy arced out and hit Jazz's prone body, making it glow and sparkle with energy. After a moment it died down but she didn't move, not a hair moved out of place.

"WELL!" Danny barked glaring at the ghost, his eyes glowing, the blaze starting the slowly spread outward and threatened to engulfing his head.

"Well what," crossing her arms over her ample chest.

"I thought you said you could wake her up?"

"I did, it's not my fault if you don't comply to the parameters of the wish."

"Huh?"

(I think you one of us has to slap her,) I translated.

"What," his glow dieing down.

(The wish was 'slap her and wake her up' and I'm thinking you should do it,) looking back at her (not that I couldn't but I don't think a wing slap is what she had in mind.)

"One sided slap fight with my sister, great," rolling his eyes as flame died down. "Ok wakey wakey sis," lightly tapping her in the face with his palm.

After that we waited for a few seconds but nothing happened, finally I looked back up at him, (how about you actually slap her now,) giving him more of a death glare than a hawk usually gives.

"Fine blame me for being nice to sister," pulling his hand back to get some power behind it and striking at her. The hit never came as Jazz's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, her eyes open and slightly wild as she lunged at him, forcing me to jump back at avoid being caught in the melee, and forced on to his back."

(Jazz cool it,) I barked not sure what was going on.

"SIS STO…..," the half ghosts words trailing off.

* * *

Authors notes

Yeah I'm ending it on a cliff hanger, had to do something to make this chapter worth wild. Yep it's a lot longer than I planned. In my mind I'd pictured it being about 20 pages, and it ended up being twice that. I like the chapter but I don't think it's by any means the strongest of the bunch, I don't even tear a body part off Tobias in this one so how good can it be. The next chapter should be better and yes questions will be answered.

please R&R


	10. Sins of the past made present

**Tobias POV**

Ok I had no idea what was going on, Jazz was up but not saying anything and still holding her brother's wrist, her brother seemed to be in shock, and Nikki and Desiree were keeping their distance from both of them. Nothing like putting the fates of almost half a dozen people in the talons of a single bird. 

Taking a deep breath I puffed up my feathers and screamed, (OK RED NEUTRAL CORNERS,) my thoughts only hitting the Jazz in the hopes that the metal roar would be enough to bring her out of whatever was going on in her head. For a second nothing happened and I feared Jazz's mind wasn't inside her body, then slowly she began to blink, her eyes losing the slightly wild look to them as the lids rose. Ever so slowly her head turned, her eyes locked on me, and I wasn't completely sure what she'd end up doing.

"Tobias," her voice seemed so small, like it was miles away.

(Your home Jazz,) my own mental voice seeming pretty weak at the moment, (you were dreaming,) hoping with all my heart she'd forget everything she had just seen.

"Dreaming?" cocking her head to the side, her face a mask of confusion. With hesitation she looked down at her brother who had begun to move slightly and was weakly fighting against her. Before any of us could move she dropped down on him and hugged him, tears running freely down her face as she buried her face into her brothers neck. The tears soon gave way to a full blown sob as I realized everything that she'd seen was still with her and it came out in one massive wave, something I remembered well after I had escaped the attack, the only difference was at the time I was incapable of crying so she had it easier.

After a few moments Nikki whispered in a voice only I could hear, "I'd say she's back to being herself." My only response was a slight nod of the head.

I let them stay like that for a while before I decided to try and help her and morphed my human form and wrapped my arm around her and tried to comfort her as she had me all those times I'd lost it. Given how that it had been my life she'd seen I was a little surprised she didn't shrug me off. Holding her the way I was just made me feel worse than I already did, this entire situation was my fault, if it wasn't me for Jazz wouldn't have been forced to live that. Because of me she was forever corrupted, she'd never have the idyllic freedom people have before they witness death at their own hands. I'd robbed Jazz of something precious and I hated myself for it. Up till then I'd held out the hope maybe she shouldn't remember everything that had happened, that she'd wake up and be only have a feint memory of the events, but as I held her and listened to her near silent sobs I knew that wasn't the case. In the end I started crying myself, both for what I'd made her see and for myself, and hoped there was some way out of this nightmare. In the end it took a while but we finally managed to get a grip on ourselves and regain some measure of control over our respective bodies.

Her breath was still ragged as she wiped the tears from her eyes and face, "you lived that," looking at me and bringing her hands down and hugging herself.

"Yeah," looking away from her, noting wanting to see the accusation in her blood shot eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me."

"Would it have done any good?"

"I…," her voice trailing off as she shivered and sighed raggedly and given how her eyes looked I was guessing she was about to start crying again.

Off to the side Danny did his best to sound light hearted, "ok I don't need to be here for this," looking over at Desiree. "You promise to stay out of our hair I'll send you home.'

I spared a glance at the green harem ghost who looked at us and nodded her head, "after all this I'm looking forward to going back where things are nice and simple."

"You must live in a different part of the Ghost Zone," as he jerked his head to the door and the two left the room followed shortly by Nikki who sensed that it would be for the best if she let us talk in piece.

"Have you ever heard the saying 'I'm a good man that's done terrible things'?" looking over at the redhead that was still trying to compose herself.

"Something close to it," nodding her head.

"I'd love to say that was me but I can't," closing my eyes, the images of countless dead by my hands flashing in my minds eye in a moment. "Terrible things doesn't even begin to describe what I've done in my life. The blood of more innocents than I can count is on my hands, layered so thick that I can never scrub it all off. The things I did as you well know were only partly to do with justice and protection, I was motivated by revenge just as much. At some point in my life I may have been a good person but that time has long since passed, whatever was good in me was drowned in the blood of a thousand lives I ruined in one way or another."

"Tobias…" reaching out to me with her hand.

"You don't understand," pulling away from her, "I'm not a person Jazz, people don't do the things I do, I'm an animal, a monster, I never wanted you to see that side of me."

"Your not…"

"Grow up Jazz, you think what you saw scratched the surface of the things I've done? What I did that night was a warm up," my voice growing cold and cruel.

"But those were accidents, I know you didn't mean to do them. You wanted to stop them without hurting them, it wasn't your fault that things didn't go the way you planned."

"Yeah, that night was full of accidents," bringing my eyes to meet hers and watching her jump back slightly. "The first few were accidents beyond that however almost everything was intentional, every slash, every removed body part, every snuffed out life was done because I wanted to, because I didn't see another way around it."

"You think you're the first person alive to do those things," a new stream of tears running down her face, "look at our past, humans have been doing things like that since they first started walking. What you did is no different from what anyone else would've done if they were put in the exact same position."

"You forget I'm one of five humans and none of them went through this. They all retained their humanity, I on the other hand tossed it aside years ago when it ceased to be of use to me."

Desperation, fear and raged mixed together as she barked, "that's a lie, I know you, you're a good person," the tears coming down harder as she added, "and you are a person!"

"Only when I want to be, when I choose to be, most of the time I'm a bird, a killer."

"You think being a bird makes you less of a person."

"No I think it's a reminder that I'm not a man, that I am a monster. And before you say anything it has nothing to do with the feathers or the talons or anything else physical that can be changed by choosing to be something else. I am a hawk, it's what I am on the inside, when I look in a mirror regardless of the body I'm in, I see that bird looking back at me, that is who and what I am. I am a killing machine, that's all I'm good for, all I've ever been good for."

"Tobias," her voice was tired and more than a little scared and defeated.

"No forget it, I thought I could do this, run away from what I was, hide with a bunch of humans and pretend that I wasn't that thing anymore but I can't. I'm not human, I don't think I ever was, and I shouldn't be bringing this into your life," I didn't give her a chance to say anything before I bolted down the stairs. I managed to get part way through the second floor hall before she started after me, but by then it was to late, she wasn't going to catch me.

"Tobias wait, you don't understand," she yelled after me.

"I understand all to well here Jazz and I'm sorry for all of this, I'm sorry you had to know what I am, what I've done. I'm sorry I've forced you to carry all those memories with you, that I tainted you with the scourge that is my existence."

"You don't mean that!"

"Yeah I do," tearing the door open to the outside world, "what I am should have died a long time ago, only problem is someone still has a plan for me and is making sure I keep going. I may have to live with that but that's doesn't mean I'm going to make you suffer with what I bring into your life any more." With that I ran into the street and to the nearest alley and demorphed and flew away with her on my heals.

"Damn it Tobias get back here and listen to me, you don't understand, you don't…" her words trailing off as I forced myself into a head wind that helped block out the sounds of the redhead below me that now carried a curse I wish I could take away. I cared about Jazz, I'd gotten close to her, and now she had been forced to see and do things no one should ever be forced to see or do, and I hated myself for it. She was a good person, she had a good heart and I'd corrupted it by being near her, I'd hurt her once and I wasn't going to let myself do it again.

* * *

**Jazz POV**

"Damn it birdie," I hissed as I slammed the door, not surprised when Danny came up the stairs to find out what all the commotion had been.

"What happened, are you ok, where is he?" His eyes were aglow with green light and looking around.

"He left," I growled dropping into a chair, "that idiot left without hearing a word I said."

My brother just gave me a puzzled stare, "huh?"

"Tobias blew up," my voice cracking slightly as I felt a new wave of tears starting to form in eyes. "I tried talking to him about what I'd seen, about what he had done and just lost it, he started screaming about being a monster and took off."

"Really," a genuine note of surprise in his voice, "he seemed pretty stable over the last few days."

"Few days?"

"It's Saturday night sis, you've been out three days or so, the bird's been covering for you with our parents since then."

"Oh man," holding my head in my hands, "you can't be serious."

"Like a heart attack," kneeling down next to me.

"Oh man, can I have some time alone Danny," meeting his eyes.

"You sure you'll be ok?"

"I don't know, I just need some time to get things straight in my mind right now, to much has happened to fast."

"You want me to go after him?"

"Yes…no…I don't know, even if you tried you couldn't catch up to him at this point, I've been in his mind Danny, even when he didn't know how to fly, he knew how to fly. It doesn't matter how fast you went or how good you were I don't think you could pin him down."

"Gee thanks for the ego boost sis," rolling his eyes and moving over to me. He placed his hand on my shoulder then bent down and hugger me, "I love you sis and as cliché as it sounds I'm so glad to have you back, don't even do that again."

Feeling his warm body against me made me feel good, loved, and I wrapped my arm around him and pulled him close, glad to know somebody carried about me in the wake of what just happened, my anger towards Tobias temporarily averted. "Thanks Danny," I whispered after a few moments then finally pushed him away and watched him reluctantly walk up the stairs after a few moments as he remembered I wanted to be alone with my thoughts.

"What is wrong with you birdie," I hissed to myself when Danny was out of the way. I'd lived his life for three days, had been him in every conceivable way and yet I was no closer to understanding him than I had been before I went under. "Or maybe you now understand him to well Jazz," I whimpered. I'd always known he was holding things back, details of what he'd done, things he'd thought but I had no idea that was what he'd been talking about.

I'd read about combat conditions and their various side effects on the human psyche, but I had no idea just how far they might go. What Tobias had done went far beyond anything I was capable of handling from a psychological stand point, maybe more than I could endure as a person. He had to suffering from a host of combat related illness, things he should've gotten treatment for years ago, instead he let them build up inside him, festering and mutating till they were nearly out of control. It was true I'd never seen him be violent outside of battle.

"Except you have seen him in fights," I hissed to myself and thought back to all those times. He might've been gentle as a lamb most of the time but when he fought he did seem to become someone else, he fought harder and more brutally than many of the ghosts I've seen. Part of the time he almost seemed to be reveling in the carnage he was causing. "No that isn't quite the right word," shaking me head, it was more like he lost himself in the animals, like he enjoyed the fight, the battle of supremacy, and later there did seem to be an uneasy silence that surrounded him, like he was ashamed of what he'd done. Maybe it wasn't that strange that he'd gotten that mad, he was a private person after all, he did seem to want to hold information back from me, and now that I knew it, it shouldn't be that surprising that he was angry or embarrassed, and ashamed of the things he'd done in his lifetime.

"Give him time," the new voice making me jump slightly.

"Nikki," looking over at the woman who stood at the stairs.

"Tobias is very private, the things he did during the war hurt him greatly, maybe more so than the others. Since the moment I met him he's been walking a tightrope, doing his best to balance his humanity with the hawk, to keep the caring human in balance with the predator and to hold back the darkness that was growing in his heart with any other emotion he could hold on to. You have to understand he hates what he became in the war and he's done his best since then to bury most of it away, but he's never been totally successful in that attempted, for you to see that hurt him. He cares about you Jazz, more than I've seen him care about anyone in a long time, and for you to see the darkest times of his life, it's a slap in the face of everything he's trying to bury."

"But why, of all the people here I should be the one he confides in."

"No your not," walking over to me and taking my hands in hers, "you can claim to understand what he's done, but till now you never could. Saying you understand and actually doing so are very different, till now you held him in an idyllic light, you believed he was someone he was not. War is an ugly thing, and it forces you to make decisions that you ordinarily would not, and for Tobias it became a way of life. Since the end of the war he's tried to pull away from the darkness, tried to return to what he was before, and for the most part he's come close. For what he was to be forced back into his face, and for you to be the one to do so makes him feel like his identity is in question, like he can never walk away from it, never have a semblance of a normal life."

I just kind of cooked my head at that, "wow," it was a clear thought out hypothesis, backed up by reasoned medical theories. "How did you come up with that?"

"I use to study under Sigmund Freud and ever since I've been interested in the idea of mental health and it's applications to my own kind."

"Again wow," pulling my hands from hers.

"Yeah, people say that when I tell them all the people I've met."

We sat in an tense quite for a few moments till I broke the silence, "what did happen while I was out?"

"We won," counting off on her fingers, "came home, the others took care of you, Tobias covered for you in life, they called me in since I ended up back home, someone struck a deal with Desiree to get you back, you woke up." I couldn't help but giggle that she now had seven fingers raised thanks to her hologram.

"I mean to him, last I talked to him he was in control and focused, and now this, were their signs of this happening?"

"None on my side," shaking her head, "but then again reading him is hard. Humans have expressions that can be read, he doesn't, when he wants to hide something he just goes hawk and never shows a thing on the surface. It's also possible he just snapped, that when he lost his focus on getting you out emotions that had been kept in check were now free to come to the surface."

"What do you think he's going to do now?"

"Its hard to say, he might just need some time to cool down and come back on his own or he might try to fly away from here out of some misguided need to protect you."

"I thought we already fixed that," throwing my hand in the air.

"He's a man and he's a bird with massive psychological damage you don't fix that with a little talking for a little while. He's scars run deep and it'll take a while for them to begin to heal over with any kind of success. If you really want to help him, just give him time and if he comes back, hold him like there's no tomorrow, if your still able."

"What do you mean still able?"

"I've seen the end results of their work, for that matter I've seen them as they worked. I know what you saw, and while I can't feel the same way about it you do, I don't doubt that I can guess at it."

I sighed at that, "I knew he had to do thing to live, I'm not naive enough to believe to he got out of a war, and that was a war, without doing things no one should ever have to. I'm mad that he didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth, that he thought he had to sugar coat everything for me like I was a little girl. Yes it would've been hard for me to hear that, and hard still for him to tell me it, but it would've been better for all of us if he told me what he had gone through, what…who he had lost."

"You mean his father," interpreting my meaning.

"Yes his father, I can't imagine what that would feel like," hugging myself slightly. "You know that he knew, at least on some level that they were connected?"

"Really," lifting a fake eyebrow.

I nodded, "yeah, I could feel it when I looked at him, I don't really know what I…he was feeling but there was a sense of connection, and sense of coming home when he met him." I watched as Nikki seemed to want to say something but then changed her mind and we once more fell into an awkward silence. We were like that for several long minutes and in that time I just pulled my knees up and hugged myself tightly as I started to shiver slightly, the memories of what I had seen and essentially done starting to haunt me and making my stomach sick.

"I find it odd," the ancient girl started, breaking the silence, "that The Crayak made such a grave error on judgment in picking Desiree as one of his warriors for the last battle."

I could tell what she was doing, she wanted to take my mind off the thought creeping into my head and as much as I didn't want to talk to anyone I didn't want to offend this woman. "A little," I sighed looking up at her, "he painted this guy to be a master strategist and yet she helped free me so I can't help but wonder why."

"Even omnipotent beings are capable of making mistakes not that I'm disappointed by this one." She was goading me, I could tell by how she looked at me, she'd been playing a human for to long, she showed all the tell tale signs of trying to trying to herd me into a decision, and I could feel misled falling right into the trap.

"Free will," leaning my head on my knees, "that's what Tobias use to tell me. They can only lead us somewhere but it's still up to each person to make their own decisions and we don't have to make the ones they would put in front of us. For whatever reason Desiree choose not to make the decisions The Crayak gave her, that or she did and now she's just being opportunistic since her backer left and she knows she can no longer control the situation."

"It's very possible that's what happened, all the same I'd feel better if I knew what had gone through her head just prior to her attack of you."

"I'd feel better if I knew what Tobias was doing right now."

She sighed at that, "you're a broken record girl," leaning forward, "you do know what a record is right?"

"Yes I know what a record is, my parents have a shelf full of them."

"Then you know what I'm talking about, Tobias is a big boy, and he can take care of himself, you should be more worried about yourself than him."

"I am, but I have a hard time being worried about him if I don't know if I'm ever going to see him again."

"Fine," walking over to the door, "I'll see what I can do about tracking him down but I'm not bring him back to you, that's something he has to decide on his own."

"Thanks," watching her shut the door behind her. "Where the hell are you birdie," I whimpered to no one, "and why didn't you trust me enough to tell me what's going on inside your head." I slowly walked over to the window and looked at the night sky, "after all this I'm not sure what I believe in, but if someone is up there and you can here me, protect him for me, and please send him back to me, I don't want to end it like this."

* * *

**DP Style**

Vlad tapped his fingers on his desk, he was a man use to getting what he wanted quickly, and thus far many of his plans hadn't worked out quite like he wanted, if at all. Maddie's love still eluded him, Danny still refused to accept his destiny as his student, Jack refused to die, the power of Pariah Dark had slipped through his fingers, the Charm of Soll Thild had ripped from his grasp, and he still didn't understand what Tobias was.

He sighed and lent back into his chair, "how could things be going so wrong," his eyes drifting over the framed picture of he and Maddie from their college days. "How did I lose you to him," pulling it to him and stroking the still life image of the redhead, "he's an idiot, a fat psychotic idiot. In every measurable way I am ten times the man he is so how is it he has everything that should be mine. Why did you choose him over me," running his fingers over her cheek, "what on earth does he have that I don't, what could possible make him a better match for you than I am?"

"Some things are meant to be a mystery," the odd voice making him jump slightly and lose his grip on the picture, only to have it rescued from the ground as he cloned himself before the glass could shatter. With it safe the older halfa in the chair lifted his eyes to the old ghost bird in the door way, his eyes blazing red with a threat of eminent destruction if the reason for the intrusion wasn't good.

"Speak quickly bird."

"The Knights back," bowing his head to the thin man.

"And," his eye losing their glow by still remaining red as his twin united with him and he leaned back into the chair.

"We think he found something but he won't tell us anything."

At the news he jumped out of the chair and brushed past the prehistoric bird and transformed to his ghost form and flew through the walls in order to make up for lost time, hope that he would soon turn his run of bad luck around starting to take root. It took a few moments but soon appeared in front of the black and purple warrior, but the fact that he was alone did little to endear him to the other man.

"I thought I told you not to return without finding someone who knows about this new pawn on the board!"

"Just because I didn't bring them it doesn't mean I didn't find anyone," his voice calm despite the anger being directed at him.

"This wasn't a hard task," a calmness surrounding the ghost, yet his voice dripped condescension, "all I asked is you bring me one person that knew him and your telling me you can't even do that. It appears your reputation was overly exaggerated or was it built on misconceptions?"

At the insult the Knight gripped the hilt his sword and fought the urge to impale the man, he could take so much, but essentially calling him a coward was a step to far. With a patience born of many battles he regain his composure and did his best not to glare at the man, "there are reasons I didn't bring them to you, things you should know before I make the necessary arrangements to get them. Consequences I need you to know about because I believe they may interfere with your own long term plans."

That got Vlad's interest but did little to ease his anger and calm his ego, "what could possibly be this bad?"

"An assault on Walkers prison," folding his arms, his fire somehow showing the pleasure he felt at Vlad's surprised reaction.

"You have to be kidding me," hunching over slightly, his jaw going slack for a moment.

"I wish I were," growing more confident, "I've followed many lead and have two that I believe to be reliable sources of information the only problem is one is an inmate and the other is a bounty hunter in his employ, and both are said to be very dangerous."

"How dangerous," it was less a question of the personal danger they represented and more a question of what it would bring down on his head. There were very few people in the Ghost Zone that Vlad concerned himself with, but Walker was one of them. If the ghost warden wanted to he could cause a great deal of problems in many on the long terms plans that were running throughout the Ghost Zone.

"Hard to say, I was able to watch the bounty hunter fight, she's a formidable warrior but I could stop her. However I have no way on knowing how mach damage we'd cause before I could stop her, and it would raise the suspicions of any near by and undoubtedly get back to Walker. From what I've come to understand he values the girl as a weapon and I don't think he'd let you take her without a fight. From what I've heard he may even have feelings for her, but those sources are less than reliable."

"A dangerous prospect, I know what happens when you get between a man and his love," as he hovered and paced through the room, his hand on his chin. "What of the other, it might be possible to get it out if I handle it diplomatically."

"Doubtful," following the blue skinned man with his eyes, "apparently there's a sublevel of the prison or perhaps mystically induced additional levels. These level hold, in Walkers opinion, the worst offenders in the Ghost Zone. However I can't be sure about any of this, information on this creature is slim at best, little more than rumors to be honest."

"Yet you trust them," a little awry that he'd bring something like this up.

"Indeed, while this creatures existence is little more than myth for the few that have heard of him, he is known in the proper circles to be a very real creature. However the additional levels do exist within the prison itself since there are those that have seen them and they can be gotten to. When the two piece are combined it does make it seem like this creature does exist within the Ghost Zone."

"But you don't think we can get to him."

"Correct, if what I've heard is true getting to that level is nearly impossible by force, and getting out is even harder, and before you ask no you can't simply walk through the level in your human form. The entire compound has been retrofitted to prevent Phantoms escape should he also be recaptured."

"This is not what I wanted to hear."

"I'm aware of that," the fire around his head dieing down slightly, "but I did find something else but I'm not sure how much I trust it."

"I'm listening."

"I found stories of someone who may be connected to the bird, but there are so many lies surrounding this person I can't be sure. It seems like half the things I hear contradict the other half, so I can't be sure about anything, but luckily Walker is not involved with this one so this should be easier."

"I take it there something more to this situation that you haven't told me," the halfa's eyes igniting ever so slightly.

"Where Walker surrounds the other two this one is also surrounded by those I will have to deal with in order to fulfill my mission. That however is not a difficulty, they are weaklings for the most part, only a small handful could offer me more than a few moments distraction but they are enough to allow our quarry to escape in the chaos."

"Allowing it to go underground," nodding in understanding, "we can't have that can we, better a dealing with a several petty thugs than trying to infiltrate Walker's fortress."

"I did not say they were petty thugs, many by most standards are very powerful, but to me however they are weak in comparison. It will take time for me alone to deal with them all and while it is only a fraction of the time it would take others to do the same, time will be of the essence for us, especially if what I have heard of this one is true," That comment forced Vlad's eyebrow to raise in an unspoken question. "From what I understand the one we seek is quite powerful, more so than those that surround it, even if I'm able to deal with the others capturing it may be the hardest part of the battle."

Vlad could already see where this was going and he liked the idea of letting off a little steam at those that wouldn't be able to stop him. "Enough," raising his hand, "I'll accompany you to the Ghost Zone and help deal with this creature and ring the truth from it myself."

"Excellent," his fire blazing brightly, "whenever your ready, I'll escort you to our target."

"No time like the present," one hand igniting with red ectoplasm. It took over four hour of flying through the Ghost Zone to get where they needed to be and within that space of time the halfa never spoke once. He mind was miles away throughout the trip, something about this situation didn't ring true, it was true the Fright Knight had been honest with him in the past, he couldn't help feeling like something important had been held back in this instance.

"That's it," not believing his eyes as his looked at the building where their target was suppose to reside.

"Indeed."

"You are joking aren't you?" looking over at him. The building was by far not what he had expected, it wasn't as though he anticipated a mansion, but he expected more than this. It was little more than a bar and not in a good way, the exterior walls were bar save the neon sign that hovered about it that said 'SCREES' or would have if the C and second E weren't burned out and the random graffiti that covered the walls. Given the general look and decay of the structure Vlad guessed it was somewhere between one and three hundred years old, but it had been then was something he could only guess at.

"This is where they congregate and do not let the appearance deceive as those inside, this will not be easy for us. If we do not strike quickly and with precision our quarry will elude us and we'll be back where we started."

His eyes ignited red at the comment and he turned to his companion, "DO NOT PRESUME YOU CAN LECTURE ME!" Despite the intensity of his voice his words didn't travel far enough to alert any within the building.

Despite the anger in his leaders voice it didn't faze him, "I wouldn't dream of it," bowing ever so slightly, "I was merely making sure you didn't overestimate our side."

"You truly believe these ghosts to be a threat?"

"I can never be sure what will happen in battle, but I suspect there is a reason these spirits aren't in Walker's prison themselves."

"Then lets get this over with," his hand igniting in red flame as two copies of himself appeared on either side of his body.

"That's what I was hoping you'd do," pulling his sword, "if I may take the lead."

"You may," falling in behind the black armor clad ghost as he stormed the bar, the four flying in rapidly. With a roar the Fright Knight kicked in the door his sword drawn, bringing the attention of every ghost in the room to the Knight, the purple fire surrounding his head almost blinding.

"In the name of my master stand down, refuse or face the consequences," the warning was little more than a formality at this point, he knew what was going to happen next, but he still felt he should at least try and spare a few of them if he could. A roar of laugher erupted from the motley crew before him, many bearing a striking resemblance to normal humans with the exception of their color. That is save a few that had taken on more monstrous forms that ranged from sludge creatures to tentacle monsters and a few that looked like they'd walked off the set of a bad Japanese monster movie.

"Of course," shaking his head and mentally summoning his multisided energy construct and throwing it into the crowd and watched them scatter as it exploded. While they were distracted he moved in this a speed and ease born of experience and with a single strike sent three to a realm of their nightmares. Another strike soon followed sending another two away while he tossed another energy construct into the crowd and sent them scrambling before it detonated. It was a simple strategy but an effective one, send out a concentrated ectoplasm construct to keep them off balance then dispatch a few with his sword, however it was one they came to anticipate sooner than he had planned. With a snarl somewhere between ducks quack and a car backfiring a gray tentacle wrapped around his neck and pulled him back, a second pulled his sword from his hand.

Chuckling to himself while he was pulled closer and more tendrils encased him, "a bold move," his cape flaring and a second later emitting a purple light so bright it blinded everyone in the room and incinerated the tentacles around his body. While they were disoriented he rolled to his sword and faced the largest contingent of the attackers and waited for them to come, his senses on over drive to detect when it would happen. He didn't have to wait long till they advanced on him, only for what he'd been waiting for to burst through two window and the downed door respectively.

The white clad halfa was a stark contrast to the dark colored warrior and his appearance threw the others off balance once again, "tell me again why you need me," a hint of distain in his voice.

"If the stories are true you'll see soon," as he jumped up, twisting and landing on the ceiling and pushed off landing with the grace of a cat on the other side of the group. The three moved like clockwork, both driving forward at the same moment, the soul shredder removing ghosts right and left from the fray while Vlad let lose with his ectoplasm, arcs of red of varying sizes laced through the room and prevented the assembled from getting off more than a few hits and random blast of ectoplasm in varying colors.

Without warning a ghost leapt onto the back of the Fright Knight and tried to put him in a sleeper hold, and in a high nasally voice hissed, "you have no idea who your messing with do you."

"Nor do you," head butting the ghost and forcing him to let go and spinning around and grapping the offender by the throat, "but you will learn." With a roar he launched the spirit forward and imbedded him in a wall with enough force to make the building shake.

"EONOUGH OF THIS!" Vlad roared filling the air with a red glow as he formed a shield around his bodies that rapidly expanded and threw everyone back and sent many threw various windows to where the other Vlad copy was waiting to deal with the stragglers that still wished to fight.

"Hmmm, I have to learn that trick," the Knight mused to himself before slipping back into combat mode and took a measure of those around him, looking for their quarry and hoping the fight hadn't allowed them to lose what they came after.

"I'm growing bored with this," the white clad ghost merging with the clone in the room and hovering over to the knight.

"Patience is a virtue in peace as well as war," keeping his guard up.

"You say things like that just to annoy me don't you?"

"Just sharing my experience with you," a small energy construct forming in his hand, just the right size to keep it concealed from those around him.

"I don't keep you around for your experience I keep you for your…" the rest of the words never making it as he was struck from behind and knocked onto his face.

A second before Vlad could hit the ground the Knight released his energy construct at the attacker, only to miss as the assailant leapt back and back flipped through the sky and landed several yards away. "You seem to be as fast as I heard you were."

"Anything you've heard is a gross understatement," he hissed letting the Knight get a good look at his prey, he wasn't quite what he expected, but from what he heard that wasn't a surprise. His entire body seemed to be made of black-purple flame, the sparks rising off of him in an ever shifting mass keeping his body from every being a single shape. Despite that what he was suppose to look like was obvious, he was a large cat, albeit one that moved on two legs. From his back ripped a long tail that seemed to move with the breeze emanating from the air conditioner. His chest was broad, almost to the point of daring someone to try and hit him. His arms were large and powerful, each finger ending in a sharp burning claw that promised there was nothing he couldn't deal with. The head was surrounded by a mane of flames that seemed somehow independent from the rest of the body and burned brighter and more out f control. The feline head was that of a typical enraged cat, ears pulled down, fangs up and practically daring the two from coming after him.

"We'll just have to see about that," bracing himself for an attack while he took measure of the creature he had come after. Every lick of flame that rose off him told the knight a story, his stance spoke volumes as to his experience, his face let him know what was running through the ghosts mind.

"Lets," shooting forward, combining speed with flight to cover the distance in a fraction of the time it would under normal conditions. With a roar identical to the lion he was modeled after he struck with his claw, doing his best to take a chunk out of the knight, only to be met by the knights forearm. For a moment it became a matter of power between the two, neither willing to give up any ground as they compared the strength of the Fright Knights armor to the edge of the lions claws. In the end it was the burning feline that was forced to back down as the Knight swung his arm and sending the cat through the air, only to stop as he landed on ground and released a roar at his opponent that made even the Spirit of Halloween hesitate.

With a feral grin he dove back in, his claws burning brighter only to be stopped as Vlad palm thrust him in the chest releasing a blast of red ectoplasm that sent him flying back. The strike however did little to the lion ghost, his ears and nose having already picked up the movement of the halfa and beginning to move back, thus only taking a fraction of the hit's power. With a flip he came to a stop on his feet and snarled at the pair in a primal challenge.

"You've challenged the wrong man creature," Vlad's eyes burning red.

"Yeah right," keeping his body low as he jumped forward, his senses on high alert as he deftly dodged the blasts of red ectoplasm that exploded from Vlad's body. To the cat they might as well have been in slow motion, he could smell the ecto charge before it took form, he could see the subtle shifts in their bodies telling him where they'd move before they did so, he could hear the thousand sounds around him that told him where everything was and how it would react to him. With a small growl in his throat he darted closer with a speed that almost defied the eyes ability to follow and moved closer with every second that passed.

The growl grew loader as he jumped forward and slashed at Vlad, his claws connecting with the halfa, only to have the form dissipate as the newly cloned body lost cohesion. His ears darted back as he picked up the subtle sounds of a cape flaring in the breeze and a acidic scent of ectoplasm and darted left out of the way of the red energy before it could escape his opponents hand. The second the scorch mark appeared on the floor the cat had jumped and leveled a round kick at Vlad's face, his claws phasing through the body as Vlad lost his tangibility from the neck up. With practiced ease a clone formed behind Vlad and fired red blasts of energy from his eyes firing straight through his intangible other self and struck the cat in the back, sending him to the floor.

"Neat trick," the flame beast growled spinning his body landing back on his feet and charging back in without a second of hesitation. His leap however was abruptly halted as he slammed face first into an energy shied formed by the first Vlad while the second shot over him and delivered a second blow to the cat's back, this time with a red ecto whip.

"Your out matched and out powered," the pair speaking in unison.

"And you talk to much," his fire flaring only to settle down revealing a different configuration. He was now thinner all over, without a hint of a mane or claws and his neck and tail were not considerably longer. His face had also changed, where it had formerly been a lions it was now distinctly reptile, even down to the tongue that flicked out of it at random intervals. The change startled Vlad and made him hesitate, a move that allowed him to hear the subtle rattle that filled the air as the creatures tail vibrated. With a speed even greater than his pervious form one arm seemed to grow longer and shot out around the shield punched him in the chest while his other arm did he same and wrapped around the seconds Vlads neck and pulled him down. The rattle grew louder and faster as he moved, jumped forward he moved past the other Vlad and landed on the edge of the shield and sided kicked the first Vlad in the face while releasing his grip on the second. At the strike the shield dissipated and the two Vlads remerged with one another, but by that time the burning reptile had already moved landing behind the halfa. Swinging his arms back he repeatedly whipped the half, lashing him across the back for a few moment till the shock wore off Vlad and he formed another shield over himself only to do intangible a moment later and vanish through the floor as the flamed beast moved around it.

"Coward," he hissed his head darting out of it's long neck looking everywhere as fast as he could, his tongue darting out and tasting the air, not quite sure why the black armored warrior with him hadn't moved in to attack him.

"You fight well for a child," Vlad's voice seemly coming from everywhere at once and sending the creature into overdrive as he tried to find him. "But this ends now," the floor under him exploding in red ectoplasm and sending him skyward. The creature tried to right himself but didn't get the chance as Vlad appeared above him and brought his hands together and struck him where his neck met his shoulders. The trip down didn't last long as another Vlad appeared and shot out and energy whip that entangled his neck. With a heave that Vlad spun around in midair a jerked the creature off his target and sent him over the halfa's shoulder and into a wall. The second he started falling he was met by another flying Vlad that upper cut him straight into the ceiling of the bar and embedded his head in it. That Vlad in turn darted back and joined the other two while a forth Vlad materialized from the floor and hovered below them having come from out side, mentally summoned by the original. The four struck as one, each releasing a blast of ectoplasm at the dazed creature and sending him back and dropping him the ground, never the less they didn't let up. After a second one broke away from the group and dove down and started blasting from the ground, cutting off a possible escape route, the other three in turn took up positions at other locations keeping him locked down, unable to escape without getting past one of them. The blasts continually changing positions making sure he couldn't form a defense and staying aware that the creature could try and escape at any second.

After a few moments Vlad as a group grew bored and one gave a subtle nod to the Fright Knight letting him know he wanted to end this. Making sure he acknowledged him one Vlad cut off his stream of energy and let the Knight dive in and slash the beast with his sword and removing him from the battle. With a slightly tired sigh Vlad reformed his body, glad for the energy increase that always accompanied remerging with his other selves.

"I told you this one could be a handful," a tiny hint of satisfaction in the Fright Knight's voice as he watched Vlad wipe a few beads of sweat from his brow.

"Indeed," rubbing a soar spot o his body, "not the greatest threat I've even run across in the Ghost Zone but more than I was expecting, with the proper training he could be a true force."

"Indeed he could," sheathing his sword, "he's a little wild, and his ego will need to be broken but he could be of use to us if we approach him correctly."

"For now," lifting his hand and igniting it in red ectoplasm, "I just want the information about the bird, his usefulness everything after that is relative."

* * *

**Tobias POV**

(The things I've done can never be forgiven,) I hissed to myself, not for the first time since laving the house while looking at the rising sun from my perch on a power line. (I can't believe I was stupid enough to think I could have anything resembling a normal life, I'm a monster, something that shouldn't be allowed near people. All I do is bring death and chaos to those around me, everyone I touch is changed for the worse and now I've brought it to Jazz. She now knows darkness on a level on one should, she know the feeling of blood on her hands and sight of death.) I shook my head and let out a scream that made every animal in the area run for cover, (I HATE THIS!) my words going out in all directions my ability to care who heard me long since gone.

"Melodramatic as always Tobias," Nikki's words easily reaching my ears despite being above her.

(Leave me alone,) I hissed down to her, easily spotting her below me.

"No, not till you grow up," the comment making me lifting my feathers on my head in anger.

(What's that suppose to mean?)

She put her hand on her forehead and shifter her hologram till it looked like my human body and in my voice, "oh no my life is so hard, I'm a bird that lives in a tree, I've killed so many people, no one knows what it's like to be me, I'm one of a kind, you can't live my life, blah blah blah," she mocked. "Would you get over yourself bird, of all of them I use to think that you would be able to hold it together but apparently I was wrong."

(Well excuse me if things were a little harder for me than the others but I wasn't privy to a mind wipe and a normal life.)

"No you weren't but your doing a good job of throwing away the closest thing you'll even have to one," Nikki growled at me.

(In case you hadn't noticed I can't go back there, every time I do I end up making their lives ten times worse.)

"Their lives were screwed up before they even met you, I've looked into their history they had big problems long before you ever showed up and they'll probably be having them long after you've gone."

(Yeah but till I showed up she didn't know what it was like to kill a man or to see the bodies incinerated.)

"No…she didn't," her hologram reverting to her Nikki persona.

(Everyone's better off if I'm not being in their lives, I just need to go back into the woods and wait for something to eat me so I can stop ruining the lives of the living.)

"Then why was Jazz so upset when you left?"

(Because she was still reeling form what she'd seen.)

"Try again mouse breath, she's upset because your upset. She cares about you and if you weren't so hard headed maybe you could see that it doesn't matter to her what you were, she wants what you are."

(A homicidal bird,) looking away from her, (that brings death to all those near him.)

"Someone with their own grasp of right and wrong, who isn't afraid to go after what the want regardless of the consequences and can survive anything in order to protect those around him even if it costs him his own life."

(You make me sound like I'm some kind of hero Nikki.)

"Aren't you?"

(No,) jumping down next to her, (I systematically killed hundreds, if not thousands, of people Nikki, more than that I liked it. I enjoyed the killing, the feeling of bodily fluids on my fingers of paws or claws or whatever I had at the time. You can't do that and still be a person, people don't do those things to each other or to anything for that matter, at least they don't unless they belong in an insane asylum.)

"Those people also don't get hung up on the fact that they did those things," squatting down and grabbing my face and making sure we looked each other in the eyes. "I've been around a long time Tobias and I've seen the worse your people can dish out, and if you think what you've done is new, I have a wake up call, it's not. Human have been doing thing far worse than what you've done for reasons that don't even live up to yours. People have been wiping themselves out for some of the stupidest reasons I can comprehend, different skin color, different beliefs, different language, simple stupid things."

(In other words humanities already doomed and I'm just the latest sign.)

She just shook her head at my comment and sighed, "what I'm saying is your not that different from any other human that's fought in a war."

(That doesn't make me feel better,) a little surprised she let me pull my head away.

"You are one of the most stubborn people I have ever met," she hissed and ran her fingers through her holographic hair, "your also one of the most decent people I've know in my life. And your right you have serious problems, you've done things no one ever should, but that doesn't diminish what you've done for the rest of the world and more importantly what you've done for a handful of people. My life is better have having known you and the others, and their lives were better because of you. Jake, Rachel, Macro, Cassie you kept them all going when the pressure hit them, they looked at you and saw what you had gone through and how it hadn't stopped you…."

(Not that most of them remember it,) I hissed.

She ignored me and kept going, "…from continuing to fight. And even now Jazz and her friend are looking to you, they rely of your experience and strength to get them through situations they've never imagined they could go through. Yes what's happened has changed you but that doesn't mean your life is over or that you don't deserve some happiness."

(Rousing speech there Nikki but if your done, I want to get out of here and figure out how to end my life with some dignity,) spreading my wings. It was nice of her to come out here and try this but I wasn't in the mood for a pity party, at least not from someone else, especially when most of what she was saying was a lie.

"Fine then drama queen," rolling her eyes, "let me ask you this do you know why I'm here?"

(Because you're an annoying mutt that can't keep her nose out of my business,) I snapped.

"Because Jazz asked me to find you."

(Here we go,) spreading my wings wide, (the old somebody else sent me maneuver, it's old Nikki try it with somebody else.)

"No she really did send me," crossing her arms, "for some reason she's worried about you and actually cares about you, but for the life of me I don't know why at the moment. Look I don't want to get involved in this, so I'm going to stop arguing with you and try and make this as clear as possible, GO BACK TO HER. If for no other reason than she needs you right now, she's lost and scared Tobias, she experienced things you know to well and she's going to need someone to talk to in order to get through it. Look I don't know her well but I don't think she's the type that can just keep things bottled up for a long time, and of all the people out there you're the only one that can really help her get through this. After that I don't know what to tell you but right here and now you need to stop thinking of yourself and start thinking about what's best for her."

"And what's best for her is for me to stay out of her life," spreading my wings and flapping up into the sky.

Down below after a few seconds I could hear Nikki speaking to herself, "freaking idiot bird, those two belong together, he's a neurotic mess and she's almost as bad."

**

* * *

**

**Jazz POV**

"AAAGGGGGUUU," the sound filling my ears as I felt something on top of my head that was blinding me, I tried to move it only to realize my arm was gone and I was somehow imprisoned, my legs and still attached arm somehow unable to move. I felt panic start to enter my mind as I struggled and tried to free myself knowing at any second my captors could attack but did little more then help the fear grow in my body as I felt my palm grow slick with sweat. I thrashed about for a few seconds finally pushing off whatever had been blinding me and was greeted by a blast of light that was more painful than the darkness I had come from.

By the time my eyes adjusted to the light my brain was finally comprehending what was going on around me, I'd been having a waking nightmare, or whatever you call it when your somewhere between asleep and awake and can't quite process everything properly. I tried to flex my sleeping arm a little only to have it lay on top of the blanket that had somehow become incredibly tangled around me during the night. After a few moments of laying there I could feel the blood begin flowing back into my arm and making it tingle as it slowly became of use to me again.

"I spent three days sleeping," staring up at the ceiling, "how can I still be tired?" Taking a deep breath I looked over at the window, slivers of light escaping the blinds and casting eerie patterns on the walls and regrettably no Tobias. "So much for trusting Nikki to get him to come back," I half yawned half hissed pulling my other arm free now that I could finally understand how I'd trapped myself and kicked off the other covers.

Hunching over the side of the bed I could still feel the after images of the dreams haunting me and regretting that I'd taught myself how to remember dreams for self analysis. They were full of blood and death, less dreams than after thoughts of what I'd seen through Tobias' eyes, almost all of them were gruesome ending with someone or something dieing by my hand. Of the lot the only good part of them was when I flew, that section alone had brought pleasure to me, helped in maelstrom of death and fear that seemed to wrapped around me like a second skin.

"Is this what you go through birdie," I whimpered quietly and pulled my knees to my chest and rocked gently on the bed while I shook uncontrollably, "is this the side of your life you didn't want me exposed to?" I held myself like that till I could feel my body and mind clam down enough so that I could slip out of my room without alerting anyone who might see me as to my true condition.

I slipped into the bathroom and turned the shower on and waited for the water to warm before sticking my head under it and letting it wash the unseen blood of my body. Even in the wake of the water I could feel the tears start to well up in my eyes and run down my face merging with the other water, becoming indistinguishable. All the fear and anguish of the dream and the memories they conjured up rushing out once again. I hated to think what this must have been like for Tobias those first few days, his hawk body unable to let him do this. I stayed in the shower till the water started to turn cold and I once more regained control of myself.

With ragged breath I got dressed and looked back out the window and wondered what Tobias was feeling at this moment. These memories were painful for me so I could only imagine what they were doing to him, what had they brought up in him. Was he going through this as well, was he somewhere shivering as the deaths of countless individuals both real and dream flashed across his mind.

"Get a grip girl," I finally hissed as I felt new tears run down my face and wiped them away with my sleeve, "you don't cry and you don't get this upset. Right now he's out there somewhere feeling bad enough and he doesn't need to fell worse knowing he's making me feel this bad." I found myself actually growling a bit after I said it, something I hadn't gone since I was a little girl when I use to make believe I was different animals.

With a deep sigh I forced my thoughts on to anything else, but ultimately found myself still thinking about what I had seen and done and tried to control the stream of thought, turn it to something I could take at the moment, morphing. That had quite possibly been the only good to come out of the memories, the feelings of being other animals, their power and strength, the raw confidence and agility of the cat and unbridled joy of flying. "No wonder he refused to become a human again," I whispered. For a few moment I was able to lose myself in those memories and doing my best to try and remember every thing about being those creatures as well as the acts of becoming them. "My life is totally screwed up," I sighed pulling myself away from the window and letting the feeling of flying circulate through my body.

In the end I was pulled from my thoughts someone knocked on my door, "you up."

"Yeah I'm up Danny," I called through the door not wanting to open it and let him see me looking the way I did.

"Mom and dad are on a job and said we could were free to do what we wanted today, well technically they said they'd be disappointed if we didn't study but I'm still choosing to use the loop hole."

"So your going to see Sam and Tucker," looking back out the window and seeing the edge of the RV.

"Actually I was thinking you and I could do something," his voice cracking a little, "I mean…it's been a few day's since I've really been able to talk to you." He was trying to hide it but I could hear it in his voice, he was worried about me, and in the wake of everything that had happened to me it made me feel good to know someone was still concerned about me.

"Give me a little while," walking over and cracking the door, "and think of something you want to do, I have a little money stashed away."

"Whoa thanks Jazz."

* * *

**DP Style**

"Your sure you want me to release him here?"

"It's why I had the room made," Vlad sighed unsure why the Fright Knight seemed so uneasy about releasing their captive.

"And yet the bird was able to escape from this room without much difficulty."

"This room is designed to holds ghosts not…whatever that creature is."

"If your sure about this," pulling his sword and cutting a hole in the sky into his nightmare dimension. For a moment nothing happened, the cut simply existed allowing the pair to see into the creatures inner most realm and see a world that appeared to be full of giant rats, then it slowly began to close, mending itself like an open wound.

"You didn't releases him along with the others did you," Vlad accused, his eyes glowing red.

"Do not question my control over my realm," the Knight hissed as the portal nearly finished closing. A second before it became to late a creature dropped out of the portal in a fetal position and whimpering softly to himself having been overwhelmed by his nightmares.

"YOU LOST HIM," Vlad roared his hands and eyes a blaze.

"I didn't," the Knights voice calm in spite of the sight before him, "I have full control over the location of everyone in the nightmare realm, he is the one you fought, but it appears he has another side to him."

For a moment Vlad considered attacking him but let it go, the Knight had yet to fail him, and there were many ghosts that could change their forms. "You had better be right about this," looking down at the ghost before them who had quickly regained his composure and was staring up at him with a look of defiance on his face. In that moment Vlad could tell this creature was one of a rare variety of ghosts, one that for all intents and purposes could pass for a normal human. Well almost normal, like many of his kind his skin was grayer that that of a normal humans, but even that was passable. He was modeled on a teenager, but that could be for any of a thousand reasons, his gray skin accented by shaved gray-blond hair stubble and gray-brown eyes. However while his skin was gray his clothing was not, he seemed to be decked out in the Ghost Zone equivalent of black leather. Black jacket and fingerless gloves with silver studs on the knuckles, shiny black shirt that was largely obscured by the jacket, black pants and black combat boots. On most it would seem that the kid was trying to hard but the look on his face told those assembled that the clothing was a refection of his personality, dark and dangerous. He just looked up at Vlad with eyes that seemed to scream he'd find a way to kill the halfa, eyes that belonged more to a wild animal than a human spirit. From those eyes black purple flames erupted and spread outward, or would have had Vlad not shot him in the back and halted the flames progression.

"We'll have none of that now will we," the Fright Knight chided reaching down and grabbing the boy by the neck and forcing him onto the rack to keep him from doing anything else.

"You really think this will hold me," he hissed, black-purple flames eruption form his eyes again and changing back into his feline form and trusting his arm outward in an attempt to break free. Despite his strength he wasn't able to break the specially crafted bonds of the device not that it stopped him. When the cat failed he changed into his reptile form and trying to pull his body free of the bonds only to have them constrict around his thinner body. His tail giving off one final rattle he changed to a new form, one that resembled a bug, a second set of arms emerging form his body, antenna rocketing outward and his tail vanishing. That form to failed to make a dent in the medieval device but it didn't stop him from shifting once more to something like a human crossed with a bird, his wings spreading outward from his back and snapping at the air and trying to free himself. When that failed he grew larger, a new tail ripping out of his body and forming fins at the end, his head grew thicker, almost as if he didn't have a neck a dorsal fin emerged from his head. With a roar he tried to escape again mach to the boredom of the other two. He went on like this for a few minutes, shifting from one form to another but he didn't seem able to assume any other configurations.

"Are you done yet," Vlad asked with equal parts amusement and contempt for the creature.

"No," he sneered returning to his human form, "I'm going to get out of this and when I do I'm going to rip you in half and feed you to that one," looking at the Fright Knight.

"As I said he has spirit but he lacks the training to back up his power," the Knight chuckled.

"Indeed," as Vlad grabbed his face, "do you have a name child?"

"Master," spitting in Vlad's face and being rewarded with a slap to his own face so hard that his head knocked into the rack.

"Of all the impudence," he snarled, "do you know who I am!"

"No do you know who I am?" smiling at the halfa.

For a moment Vlad considered doing far worse to his captive but ended up laughing at the boys bravado, "I do like you creature, but don't think you can do that twice or you will regret it. You have the honor," bowing slightly in mock civility, " of addressing Vlad Plasmius future ruler of both the live and ghost realms, and you are?"

"Just plain David, the guy that's going to rip your throat out."

"Well David, do you have any idea why you're here?"

"You're a complete idiot who wants to find out how badly a ghost can have his tail kicked."

Vlad couldn't help but laugh even harder at that, "you have a lot of gall David all give you that," and turning a palm thrusting the other ghost in the nose, "and I've grown bored with it. I have questions concerning a living creature, one I was told you could answer and I will have those answers now or you will spend the rest of your miserable existence locked away in a realm of your own worst fears."

At the sound of that his interest rose, "let me guess a bunch of idiots that turn into animals," a sadistic-crazy smile on his lips that scared even the Fright Knight.

"You know my trouble maker then," in spite of the insane answer Vald's spirits rose.

"Oh I know those traitors intimately, I know how they betrayed me, how they were afraid of me and my power, how they knew they'd never measure up to me so they decided to doom the world rather than let me run the show and do what they were to gutless to do."

"You don't say, it sounds like you may have all the answers I'm looking for."

"You name it I know it, hell promise to give me a shot at them and I'll tell you anything you want to know."

"Then tell me everything you know, everything that could be of conceivable aid to me."

"And I'll get my shot at them?"

"If I like what I hear I'll even pay for their heads to be mounted I know quite a few good taxidermists."

"Where to start then."

"Try the beginning and leave nothing out," taking a seat on one of the tables in the room.

"It all started several years ago, back when I was still alive, a bunch of kids were walking through a construction site when a alien space ship landed…"

At that Vlad's eyes ignited in red ectoplasm, "I said I wanted the truth not a fairy tale," raising his hand to the spirit, the tips burning red with the promise of pain soon to come.

"No one ever said the truth had to make sense, after all I'm dead yet I'm in the land of the living and that's something you generally don't see outside of the movies. Now if I can continue," a hint of venom in his voice, "the ship crashed and alien emerged and warned those stupid kids of a war that threatened everyone one on Earth. Our world was being overrun by alien parasites, by Yeerks, and he'd been trying to stop them only to end up being fatally wounded. In the end he decided someone should carry on the fight till his people arrived to finish off the invaders, and given he had few options he armed them, armed me with the power to hold them off. He gave the ability to become any animal we could touch, a useful little weapon if you know how to use it right."

"Can you believe it six kids in a war against an army of alien warriors hell bent on bending this world to it's knees?" Before Vlad could answer he continued, "the first night we were all in a haze, but after that they all panicked, everyone of them freaked out, hell one even had a nervous break down," a sadistic smile on his lips. "In the end it came down to me to pull that group of losers together and convince them that we had to fight or risk losing everything. Oh it was hard work in the beginning, Marco couldn't do anything with out complaining about missing his mommy, and Cassie was always harping about protecting the animals. Then there was Rachel who couldn't think about anything but guys and cloths and cloths to get guys. Not to mention Jake the would be hero, Mr. 'this is how they do it in comics', that boy was so useless it wasn't even funny. Finally their was a our freak out boy Toby, the little sack of dog crap couldn't do anything, he was the one that ended up losing it completely in the first few days, the coward ended up trapping himself in the body of a bird in order to keep himself sane. The little freak sacrificed his humanity, turning into something less than human, why we needed him at all was beyond me."

"It was hard but under my leadership we held our own for a while, at least till they started getting scared," rolling his eyes, distain creeping into his speech. "None of them had what it took to really be in the fight after a while they all thought we were going to far, they did get that the Yeerks would go just as far if our situations were reversed. And what's more they were all jealous of me, of my power and skill, of my leadership and my knowledge. They'd all scrambling during the fighting, taking the DNA of any animal they could get in the hopes of getting stronger, I on the other hand only needed a few bodies to get where I was going and do the job. More importantly they all scarified bit of their humanity by acquiring those beasts, one by one each ate away at their souls making them less human than beast, they made me sick."

"It was that fear that ended up driving them to betrayal, none of them could stand that I was so much better at the fighting than they were, that I knew what had to be done, that I was born to do this. One by one they formed an alliance against me, I wasn't sure who started it but it had to be either Jake or Rachel, he wished he could be me and that skank was always pawing at me. Unfortunately I'd been to preoccupied with figuring out how to win the war to deal with them, it was my own fault under normal circumstances I would've seen it coming a mile away. The little backstabbers got me to morph a rat then shot me full of tranquilizers from Cassie's parents, by the time I woke up it was to late, I'd gone past the two hour time limit and could do anything to change back to my old body, and just to add insult to injury they left me on an island in the middle of the ocean that was inhabited by nothing but other rats."

"I stayed on that miserable rock for years, killing anything that challenged me whether it be rodent or bird, but in the end even I wasn't strong enough to hold out forever. The body aged to fast and while my mind was still sharp my claws had dulled, I ended up being killed by some young rodent with the brain capacity of a tree stump. Thankfully in death I was finally freed of that worthless body and given back real form, not to say I didn't get a few upgrades with it," changing into his flame lion body, "and I've been able to work out a nice niche for myself. But all the while I've just been waiting for my chance to get back at those ingrates for betraying me, not to mention find out how in hell they managed to win the fight with their little morals," spitting the last word. "So tell me which one is giving you trouble, Jake of the hero, the little slut Rachel…."

"Tobias," at the name David surged against the table his eyes growing more insane.

"He's still alive," his voice making both jump back in fear, the sound coming off more like a demon than anything that had previously been alive.

"He is," Vlad composing himself, "and I take it you have a problem with him."

"Problem doesn't even begin to say it, he was the worst of them all, a weakling and a coward, where the other at least left me be he had the nerve to come after me quite a few times after I'd been trapped. He had dreams of being a real hawk but had to be fed prekilled rats by Cassie because he couldn't get it right on his own. He use to fly out and practice on me every chance he got, only to lose every time, he even taunted me when he got his powers back. Why some benevolent creature saw fit to give that hopeless wreak such a gift is beyond me, I was so much more deserving than him and yet I was stuck scavenging for food. What's worse he squandered his gift, he chose to remain a feathered freak of nature instead of becoming human again like any rational person would. But then again I suppose it isn't that much of a leap, if he went human whatever sway he had with Rachel would have gone out the window. The little slut seemed to like the bird, adding one more little perversion to her long list of them, I doubt she'd look twice at him if he went human. Hard to believe he's even still alive after all these years I figured he would've killed himself or been eaten by something bigger and smarter than himself by now."

"Hmmm really," stroking his bread, "then killing him would be for the best."

"Oh yeah," giving him a predator smile and sounding to eager to do the deed.

"There is a problem however," Vlad's face remaining neutral, "he has allies, that I do need alive for a long term plan, and I doubt they'll let you kill him in cold blood."

"They get in my way they die, those are the rules," his flaming tail swishing wildly behind him.

"Maybe I didn't make something clear," the halfa hissed shooting over to him and slamming David's head into a metal plate of the rack while he slowly closed his grip on the boy's neck. "I need them alive and you are in no condition to make ultimatums as to how things will be handled. If I let you go these individuals will not be harmed, you can kill anyone else you wish, but if those I need are in anyway injured you'll find there are worse things than death."

"You really think you scare me," David coughed and weakly snapped in Vlad's direction, "I was killing thing bigger and mean than you years ago."

"I may not scare you," looking back at the Fright Night who's head flames grew larger and darker, "but he does. He's made a living out of torturing creatures, both living and dead, and he will make the rest of you existence as excruciatingly painful as possible. If you think living as a rat was bad he can you experience things far worse."

Chuckling primally he licked the blue skinned man in the face, "your intimidation needs work."

At that Vlad couldn't help but laugh as he released the boy's neck and walk away from him, "it appears I've been going about this the wrong way. Comparatively you're a simple creature one ruled more by the baser instincts…"

"Excuse me," pulling his ears down against his head.

"Power and revenge," looking back at him, "that's all you want isn't it? Don't feel insulted that's a good thing, some the greatest minds in history were driven by those same desire and more importantly you can always trust someone who's looking for those objectives."

"Really?"

"Quite, so how about a deal, one's that's mutually beneficial to both of us, one that will give you a reason not to harm those I want."

"And now that I know where he is why should I even care what you want."

"Two reasons," giving him a smile that made his ectoplasm quiver, "one your weak, that is to say you could be so much stronger, your moves were mundane at best."

"I almost beat you."

"Anyone can take an early lead in battle, only the best can keep it, you have potential but you could be so much more with the proper training and the right teacher."

"And you would be that teacher."

"Actually that would be him," nodding over to the armored warrior who squeezes his sword.

"Uh-hu," a little fear in his voice, "and what's the second reason?"

"If you don't do what I say I'll hand you over to Walker," brushing his gloved fingers in his body, "I'm sure he can find some reason to lock you away for all eternity."

"Your resorting to blackmail?"

Spreading his arms wide, "the classics never go out of style."

"You really think that's going to make me help you."

"No child but I think it's an excellent motivator to do as I ask without question and for you to willingly work for me rather than against me. But don't decide right away think about it for a few moments, we'll be back shortly," nodding the Fright Knight who followed him to the door. "And don't even think about trying to escape this room will be monitored and I will stop you if somehow manage to escape, and you don't want me to catch you, trust me on that one," and slammed the door closed behind them.

They walked down the hall before the Knight spoke, "you think trusting him is a good idea?"

"Not in the least," as Vlad looked down the hall, "only two or three of the things he said rung true, especially his portrayal of Tobias, that or he's changes quite a bit since he knew him, whatever his reason for changing his role in the past I don't think we'll get it this way. But we now know more about the situation than we did before we found him, now it's only a matter of determining what was true and what was fabricated in his tale. However his anger towards Tobias is genuine and I can use that, I doubt he could beat Daniel as he is, but he might be able to deal with Jack and Jazz, and who know he may prove to be a valuable weapon later on."

"You can't believe that, I've known men like him through out my life, he'll betray you the first chance he gets," the Knight warned.

"I'm aware of that," nodding, "but I as I told him I can use that to my advantage. It's simply a matter of knowing all the players on the board and knowing how to manipulate them into getting what you really want and convincing them it's what they want as well."

"I still think this is a dangerous game, there are those you can control and those you can't. As you said he's a primal creature, he has a few desires and he'll go to them as soon as he feels he can and if we stand in his way he will attempt to go through us."

"I told you, I'm aware of that," a knowing smile on his lips, "I know what I'm doing you just have to trust me, by the time I'm done he will be eating out of my hand and doing exactly as I ask. In this brief time together I already know how he thinks and what he'll say to my offer and from there it's simply a matter of letting all the other pieces fall into place."

"Sometimes I think you place to much faith in grand plans Plasmius, I'd rather rely on my blade and my strength to get through these types of situations."

"And that is why we are very different people my Knight and why I keep you around, I'm fully aware this may go wrong and I'll need your strength to survive it," doing his best to lay on the charm to keep the Knight happy. There was an amount of truth in words through, he was aware that in the past his plans hadn't gone as intended and he now needed someone to fall back on in case it happened again.

"Don't think flattery works on me," folding his arms, "I'm more disciplined than that."

"Oh that I'm aware," leaning into the wall and closing his eye's and putting his finger to his lips signaling that he wanted silence. They stayed like that for a few minutes and let their captive thing about his situation till Vlad nodded and reentered the room. "So tell me," standing in front of David, "what is your decision as to you immediate and possibly long term future?"

"As long as I get to kill that bird I don't care what rules I have to follow but be aware if anybody else gets in my way I can't be sure what'll happen to them but I'll try not to kill those in my way."

"That is the most I can ask," pulling a remote from the depths of his cape and clicking a button causing a wall to recede and a screen to be revealed.

"Nice set up, it come with surround sound."

"I'm having it installed next week," pushing another button and filling the screen with images of Danny in his ghost and human forms. "This is the first and most dangerous of those the bird has surrounded himself with, I want him alive, test him if you must but do not kill, if he's injured all bets are off."

"Why's he have different hair colors?"

"That is the halfa perhaps you've heard of him?"

"Whispers from a few, I didn't think he really existed. This should be interesting, the weasel always did have a way of surrounding himself with those that were more powerful that himself."

"Keep that in mind," clicking another button filling the screen with images of Maddie from various times in her life, "she is also not to be touched under any circumstances, if she is harmed your afterlife is forfeit, and that is not a threat that is a fact."

"Gee your not a stalker or anything," Vlad ignored him and changes images again, this time of Jazz, "let me guess I can't hurt her either?"

"Quite the opposite, she's the halfa sister and from my surveillance I've come to believe that she and Tobias have grown quite close, but to that extent be aware if you harm it will cause Daniel to come after you, so if you must harm her be aware of that."

"I'll give him this he does know a looker when he sees one."

"This one however you can kill," Jacks face filling the screen, "Daniel and Jasmine's father, I want him dead, I don't care how you do it just make it done."

"So killing the sister you warn me not to do yet killing the father, something that'll tick him off just as much you don't care about."

"Correct," changing the screen again, "Samantha and Tucker, Daniels friends don't care what you do to them."

"Cool, so this is pretty much just a free run to kill everyone and everything thing except for two people is that what your telling me?"

At that Vlad realized leaving even a hint of interpretation to his plan could be a bad thing with this ghost, he needed to be specific in what he wanted or else long terms plans would quickly fall apart. "Tell me," a new plan forming, one that required a few details, "what exactly are you capable of?"

"You mean other than this," changing into his insect form.

"Yes other than that, or were you not fortunate enough to gain other abilities?"

"I have a few other tricks," going invisible, "I can also fly regardless of form, go intangible, fire off energy and some fortuneteller lady told me I could overshadow people whatever the hell that means."

"It means you can possess the living, a useful talent when used properly," the pieces of a plan falling into place as he listened. "So when you were alive you could become anything or could they only be animals?"

"As far as I knew anything with DNA why?"

"Did you ever become another person?"

"I became a few and I was pretty good at it to, I could convince anyone I was somebody else," a dark smile appeared on his lips as he returned to his human form. Something about the look made Vlad very nervous, as though there was a dark story behind it, something even he may not want to know.

"Well then," stroking his beard, "I have a very special task for you, one that if you succeed in I'll provide the work to find where everyone of your enemies are currently located. I'll even arrange transport for you if you desire it, and anything else you want to deal with them for that matter."

"Sweet, what do I have to do," leaning in close to Vlad, or as much as he could with the restrains in place as the blue skinned halfa told him his plan and what was expected of the one time Animorph. With a cruel smile he nodded his head liking the simplicity of the idea. "Throw in my freedom at the end and we have a deal old man."

"I'll ignore that last part," floating over to him and releasing one of David's hands, "and while I'm sure this is a foreign concept to you, lets shake on this bargain, like gentlemen."

"Keep with the jabs blue boy, we'll see where it gets you," taking the hand and changing into his lion form and sinking his claws into it, or trying to as Vlad's hand went intangible.

"And you should be aware I'm not one to suffer fools lightly, and you are doing a good job of playing the fool."

* * *

**Jazz POV**

"Tell me again why we're here," Danny whined next to his sister and leaning on the railing.

"Because all of your ideas for things to do were bad or cost to much," I sighed and watched the seals swim through the water of the enclosure. "Besides it could be worse at least Samson, or is it Delilah now, isn't running free," I teased and poked him in the ribs having heard the story from Sam and Tucker.

"Still why the zoo, ok I'll give you that the water park cost to much, but why not the mall or Bucky's?"

"You don't drive yet Danny so I'm going to make this simple, I never go into one of those parking lots during the weekend if I can help it, you pretty much take your life into your own hands when you do that because everyone drives like a lunatic." Something that was very true, but the longer drive also gave us a chance to talk and for me to hear everything that had happened while I was asleep so I could be ready for the consequences of Tobias being me late on if I needed to be.

"But why here, you of all people should be tired of animals by now," that one struck close to home and I don't think Danny even realized just how much it hurt. Truth was I hadn't planned on coming here, I'd gotten lost on the roads and didn't want to admit it to him. And he was right, being here did stir up memories, but they weren't bad, at least not for the most part, yes I did tremble in fear when I looked at the elephants and tigers but the rest I was pretty neutral on. The few memories that were creeping in were pretty good as I remembered the time Tobias and the girls had walked along the back side of the enclosures, it was an exhilarating memory, one marred by everything that followed everything from that point.

"Look Danny lets just enjoy the day together, and if you don't want to stay it's not like you can't leave and find your own why home."

"Ha ha very funny," walking away from the seals and over to the park map, "so where to next reptile house, gorilla enclosure, petting zoo?"

"Oh yes I really want to go pet a llama right now," I hissed sarcastically and joined him. It'd been a few years since coming here and I'd forgotten what was here and where everything was, not to mention all the new additions they'd added over the years. "Lets see," running my finger on the 'you're here' icon and seeing what was closer, not surprised that Danny had picked the exhibits that were furthest away from us and each other. "The nocturnal enclosure is right around the corner next to the live act stage, we could swing by that and see if they have thing going on today that's remotely interesting."

"When Sam drug me down here for the extra credit project the stage was pretty much a magnet for screaming kids and guys in animals suits and someone forgot to turn the lights on in the nocturnal exhibit."

The second he said it I grabbed the bridge of my nose and squeezed and hoped the vein in my forehead I had just become very aware of wasn't going to burst. "Danny I'm going to be calm about this," trying to keep my voice even, "tell me that was a joke, for my own sanity and your future tell me that was a joke."

"No really the place was full of screaming kids and guys in stupid suits," either oblivious to what I was referring to or dedicated to the joke.

"Never mind," I hissed grabbing him by the wrist and puling him along, "but we're going to have a long talk about science when we go home."

"What why?" half whining half afraid as we walked over to the theatre and to what might be going on later that day. After a few feet it was obvious later that day wasn't really a concern as people walked in and out of the small outdoor arena along with animals and their handlers inside the open air building.

"Well what's going on here," speaking more to myself than Danny as we walked into the crowd of people.

"According to this," pushing a cheap brochure into my hands, "it's basically a petting zoo but with more exotic animals."

"Yeah I'd call that an understatement," looking up stage where a woman was bringing out a good sized monitor lizard and what might have been a bobcat was leaving the stage with it's handler. "Lets poke around for a little while Danny, never know what we'll find here."

"I don't think so," backing up, "I've been up close and personal with enough animals for a lifetime I'm just going to hang out by the bench out there till your done."

"Come on Danny," reaching out for him.

"Nope, look you do what you want but I'm turning around," practically bolting out of the building.

I shook my head as I watched him disappear into the crowd of people, "going to have to add zoos and wild animals to the things that make him nervous. One day your going to make a therapist very happy because you'll put his or her kids through college with all the mental problems you have." I ended up walking around for a few minutes and couldn't help but feel a little self conscious being the oldest person in the area that wasn't escorted by someone under the age of ten. Most of the animals, despite my first impression weren't that exotic, and what you could do with the few that were almost made the effort to high a price for the experience, if it could be called that by the time they were done sanitizing the actions.

But there was animal that caught my eye, one that was pretty much abandoned by all the kids and parent running around, a bird of prey. "Aren't you a magnificent specimen," walking over to the bird and teenager it was perched on.

"She use to be," the boy holding her lightly stroking her breast feathers, "names Chris by the way."

"Your name or hers," keeping my eyes on the bird, something in his voice saying he was going to start flirting with me if I gave him an opening.

"Mine, she's Weaver and you are," flashing a smile in my direction.

"Jazz, so what is she some kind of hawk," as I admired the head, so much like Tobias' but different in subtle ways.

"She's a Hobby out of Europe, of course she's not the only hobby I have," flexing his muscles on his exposed arm.

At that moment getting out of here without flirting didn't seem to be an option and it wasn't something I was really looking forward to. I moved a little hair from my face and gave him a smoldering look, or hoped I did, I was never good at giving those looks. "Yes you do," fluttering my eyelashes at him.

"Maybe we should go somewhere."

"Don't you think you'll get in trouble," deliberately looking at someone that I hoped was a senior handler.

"Right…um…this is a Hobby, she was originally part of a private collection and was taken in an a police raid. Prior to coming to us she was sterilized and her wings were clipped making it impossible for her to fly, for these reasons it's impossible to release her into the wild, but she now serves as a ambassador to her kind in this program."

"You are a beautiful girl Weaver."

"And your not bad looking yourself."

"Thank you Chris," still trying to flirt with him, "so can I touch her," my eyes meeting with Weaver's and sending shivers down my spine. I'd only felt like this one other time, and I wasn't myself at the time.

"Sure, two fingers on the back," turning her around and forcing our eye contact to break.

"Right," almost hesitantly reaching forward then slowly stroking down her back and feeling every muscle in her back, grow tense. "Sshhh," slowing the stroke, "calm down girl everything's going to be ok," and starting another stroke.

"Your good with her, you do this before?"

"Once…in another life," remembering the time I…Tobias had acquired the red tail. How it had felt to feel the hawk's DNA merging with my own, the slight warmth as it flowed into him…me, became part of me, the feeling of the hawk going eerily calm under my fingers.

"Whoa," Chris's voice snapping me out of my memory, his eyes wide with something I couldn't recognize, something between fear and surprise.

"What," still stroking Weaver and realizing she'd relaxed, actually more than relaxed, she wasn't doing anything other breathing, it was something I recognized but I wasn't sure how it was possible, the bird was in a trance. "Ok I have to go," trying not to sound like I was panicking and leaving as quickly as possible without looking like I was running. If Chris said anything I didn't hear anything as I found Danny outside and pulled him away from theater.

"Something up Jazz," a slightly worried expression on his face.

"I'm not sure," taking a deep breath, for all I knew it was just a coincidence that the bird had calmed down as I stroked her. "I couldn't have done it," keeping my voice low so Danny didn't hear me.

"Sis your starting to freak out little brother you sure your ok?"

"I don't know," running my fingers through my hair, "I guess everything that's been happening over the last few days just caught up with me."

"So do you need to go home?"

"No I'm good," sighing, "lets just keep going ok," walking past him to the nocturnal exhibit where the low light would hide me for a little bit. We ended up walking around for another few hours, but I honestly didn't remember most of it, I kept going back to touching the bird and trying to remember what I was feeling while I did it, but I couldn't, I truly had no idea what I'd done in those few moments. Maybe I somehow had acquired the genetic material of Weaver, or maybe I was trying to rationalize something that had just been a coincidence, something that had just been a cosmic joke. After all it was ridiculous, I couldn't have those powers, I hadn't been there, I had been experiencing memories of a time long past. And yet the question still remained in the back of my mind, had I really acquired the bird, had Desiree somehow messed up and I somehow retained Tobias' powers for my own?

* * *

**Tobias POV**

These are the times that try your soul, by all rights I should keep going, keeping flying till Amity Park was just a distant speck on the horizon, but I just couldn't. Maybe it was what Nikki had said, maybe it was my own stupidity, maybe I was just scared, but I couldn't seem to leave. Maybe it's true what they say, some people are just gluttons for punishment, that they're just the galaxies whipping boys, maybe I'm one of them, maybe I want to suffer, maybe all I care about is seeing how badly I can screw up my own life and all those around me.

(What am I going to do,) looking up at the sky, (I could use a sign here, I don't care what it is but I could use something here.) After I said that I braced myself, waiting for something to fall or crash, or any of the thousand of cliché way of answering that request. After a few minutes of nothing happening I came to the sad truth that this was something I'd have to figure out on my own. (Ok smart guy you've officially exhausted all other options, so what do you want to do?)

(Great not only am I talking to myself I'm waiting for a reply,) shaking my head and casting my eyes to the sky. If I went back to the others they'd be in danger of me continuing to bring my fights into their lives, fights that had long been ended till I showed up. Of course by going back I could help them deal with whatever came next, but they had done a pretty good job or dealing with that before I showed up. (Why are you trying to rationalize this man,) I hissed to myself, (they don't need you to fight, they don't need you for anything. The only one that needs you is Jazz, and she needs you because of you, she's strong and she's tough and she can deal with anything, it doesn't mean she should have to, especially alone.) I wasn't totally sure where all this was coming from, but I was hoping it was a moment of revelation. (The things I did should not be seen by anyone, and they hurt all of us, but at least we had each other to confide in and help us through them, Jazz doesn't have anyone. Yes she can talk to her brother, but that only goes so far, he doesn't know about what I…we have done, Jazz needs someone who's already gone through this, someone that can help her put everything in perspective.)

(And in the process screw her up more,) I sighed, my collected fears somehow gaining a voice in this conversation. (Face facts she doesn't want us back, she's better off alone than with a freak like us mucking up her life.)

(Then Why did Nikki tell us Jazz wanted us back, that she was worried about us?)

(Why do you think, she was lying, she just wanted to make us feel better, it's who she is a lying mutt that can't keep her metal nose out of our life. If it wasn't for her we wouldn't even be in this mess.)

(Except Nikki doesn't lie, at least not to us, if she told us to go back, that Jazz wanted us then it was true and we need to go back.)

(And do what?)

(What do you think, heal what's been broken, fix the damage we've caused, yes we're a monster, but we're still a monster with feelings. We know what it's like to live in fear and deal with the darkness in out own soul, a darkness we've now given to her. Yes we can run, but right now we need to help her deal with what she now has, we have to show her how to live with what she now is, have to show her that killing isn't the end, especially when she really didn't do anything. After that all bets are off, but we should probably move on, despite what she may think, we are dangerous and we shouldn't be around normal people, especially those we care so deeply for…those we love.)

(Again where the hell does that keep coming from,) shaking my head and forcing a few stray feathers to come free from my head. But I was right, this couldn't be about me or the others, this had to be about Jazz and how she was handling what I'd done to her. (Why can't I have normal problems like everybody else,) spreading my wings and flying back to Amity Park.

* * *

**Jazz POV**

I was glad when Danny wanted me to drop him off at Tuckers, why or how he had already gotten out of his grounding I don't want to know. It was more than just being free of my little brother that put me in a slightly better mood, there was something I really needed to try if for on other reason than to convince myself it had been nothing so I could stop obsessing over it. Thankfully when I got home my parents were still on their job so didn't have to worry about dealing with them either. I locked myself in my room just for a little added safety in case someone decided to barged in, and knowing my family that was a real possibility at the moment.

"Ok remember what he did," speaking quietly to myself, "focus on the bird, let the change happen, don't lose concentration, don't…wear good close," looking at my sleeve and remembering how I…he had morphed out of them. Sighing I started rummaging through my drawer and closet looking for something tight fitting to wear, "for something that's not going to work I'm going to an awful lot of work." I never did find anything that looked like it might work, which meant there was one thing to do unlocking the door. "I'm either to old or to young to barrowing my mothers clothing," slipping into her closet and pulling out one of her jump suits. A few seconds later I was back in my room, my normal clothing laying on my bed and admiring myself in the mirror. I had to admit to myself it was a little vain, but it's amazing what the suit did to my figure and every once in a while I was due a for brief moments of ego.

"Ok girl focus," pulling the mask into place, "lets just do this so you can put your mind at ease once an for all." I took a deep breath and tried to remember exactly Tobias had done, I placed the hobby in my mind, I could see her feathers slowly rising and shifting as she breathed, see the glint of her clipped talons in the light, the vibrant shine in her copper-brown eyes. She was a magnificent creature, sleek, beautiful, strangely confident and ethereally beautiful, I could wrap myself up in that body and be happy about it for years. The feeling of wind against my face and wings, the subtle warmth flowing all over my body as I rode a thermal, the total awareness, the tempered, realistic confidence. I understood why Tobias never changed back, the memories of the body were so spicy and rich, a sharp contrast to the bland dull world humans were forced to live in.

"But it's only a dream," I whispered to myself, or intended to, all I got out was, "Bauk whit sserrly uh drehhaaa." The sounds snapped me out of my haze, the memories of what I had once been forcing to the back of my mind as became aware of something very wrong with me. I looked over in the mirror and nearly freaked, well more so than I already had.

I was a mess physically, tuffs of feathers were sticking out all over my body, my face had a half formed beak sticking out of my normal human face and I had shrunk about a foot. My arms were bent at odd angles with abnormally long fingers, each ending in a few feathers. I had a tuff of blue-brown feathers coming out of my butt and black yellow feet as the hazmat suit merged with the genetics of the hobby. For a second I thought I was dreaming, that it was nothing more than a day dream, a hope that ended as I took a step forward and fell flat on my beak. I ended up screaming after that, a weird mix of my human voice and a high pitched shriek that I thought would end up breaking glass. Taking a deep breath, or as deep as I could slowly realizing my lungs were a jumble as well, I concentrated on what I knew and forced myself to be calm and tried to reverse the morph and go back to my human body. At first nothing seemed to happen, but then slowly I could see my fingers start to recede and the feather melt into my skin. In those few moments I lost track of time, all my attention focused on the changes that were running over my body and the slight numbness I felt all over my body, but eventually my body returned to normal and left me with a few very big questions to answer.

"Ok lets look at this logically," hugging myself tightly, "you can now become animals, that or your having a nervous breakdown and need to be institutionalized, both of which are entirely possible at the moment," a giddy little laugh escaping my lips. "So you can either forget this ever happened since no one else saw you, or you can keep going and run the risk of Desiree or whoever is calling the shots, making you life a living nightmare." At that I looked out the window in spite if myself and stared up at the white clouds slowly moving across the sky. "Of course if I don't do this then I give up something precious, something few people have ever experienced," sighing, "something I've wanted for years." Staring up at the ceiling and taking a deep breath, "you really going to let your little brother do something your afraid of, ok it's not quite the same, but if he finds out he'll never let me live it down."

Taking a few calming breaths I focused on my reflection in the mirror and on hobby that I hoped was now part of me, "this either works or I'm insane." I let the hobby come to my mind again and imagined myself becoming it, it's feather's becoming mine, it's beak, it's mind, all that is was I would become. At first nothing happened, I simply looked at my normal reflection, then it slowly crept into me, it was small and subtle, more a tingle than anything else, but it was there. I could feel it radiate out form my hands, I could feel my bones shift and melt and grow while my muscles kept perfect time with them. The second they started growing a fine layer of feathers formed over my suit, followed by the larger feathers meant for flight. The change radiated from my arms, the feathers growing back up my arms till what had once been a normal human was gone, leaving a girl with two perfectly formed light tan and dark brown wings in her place. I stretched my new wings out more than a little impressed by the wing span that nearly went from one end of the room to the other. The changes however didn't stop there, the feathers of my wings continued to spread along my back covering my shoulder blades then down my spine till it erupted in tail feathers than followed down my body like a wedding train just shy of dragging on the carpet. The change also flowed up my neck to the back of my head, my hair inside the mask mutating to feathers on the way up till it peaked and started down over my face. My brow took on a dark brown hue as it flowed down my face, my eyes shifting from blue to gold in a heart beat and bringing the world into sharp focus while my nose turned gray and fused with my upper lip forming a beck framed in dark brown and white-tan feathers. From there they flowed down and met with the feathers that began flowing over my breast while the feathers from around tail flowed around my hips and started working towards each other. My legs were undergoing a similar transformation as feathers erupted from them before ending as a scale like pattern started to manifest till it reached my feet, the shoes of the jumpsuit mutating with the rest of my feet as three toes emerged from the front and a fourth from the back of each foot, each ending in a killing claw that I knew well. Despite all these changes I hadn't shrunk at all, I now a something mid way between human and hobby, and despite the unorthodox appearance I couldn't help but admire the beauty the form and the change I had undergone to get to it. Inside me I could feel organs shift and bones hollow out, I don't know how I knew that's what was happening but I somehow did. From there I shrunk, growing smaller rapidly as the rest of the changes occurred changing me into a form indistinguishable from a normal bird.

(Wow,) it might not have been the most eloquent thing I've ever said but it did some up how I was feeling better than anything else. The power I felt in the body was astounding, I was so much stronger than I'd been in my human body, so much more confident. (This must be what Tobias feels like all the time,) I whispered, unsure how far I was broadcasting, (I could get use to this.) Then it hit like a punch in the back of the head, something I'd somehow forgotten about, the hobby's instincts. But strangely it wasn't as strong as I'd thought it's be, not to say it wasn't there, but it wasn't the rush that I'd felt when I was Tobias, it was there and it wouldn't let me forget it but it didn't try and take over. However it did want something, it wanted to fly, to escape this cage, to be free in the open sky. It hated being caged, she despised it…I despised it, I wanted out, the walls were creeping in on me, trapping me. I jerked my head around everything seeming to grow smaller and I could feel my breath catch in my chest, I had to go. All I saw was the sky surrounded by things I didn't care about, it was my way out, my way to freedom. Spreading my wings I flapped, I couldn't find a head wind but I didn't need one and moved as fast as my little wings would take me and flew to the open sky, and bounced off something in the process as everything went black.

(Ow,) the word slipping out as I blunk my eyes, the world in frightening sharpness, (what in the world,) now sure why my voice sounded so strange, or why I was on my back to why the room seemed so much bigger. Then everything thing came back to me, morphing, the hobby's instincts taking over, slamming face first into a plate glass window. That last part lit a fire under me, (how long have I been out) looking around and not seeing a clock from where I was. (Son of a…) I hissed to know one as fear tried to get a strangle hold on me, (BACK,) the world an order as focused on my human form. I could feel the panic start to rise in me when nothing happened at first then slowly I could feel my organs shift again, the feathers started to melt into my body. (Thank you, thank you, thank you,) I chanted till I lost the ability to and was left a normal human on the floor of my room clutching myself. "Well not doing that again without a teacher or at least someone to slap me around if I lose control again."

After a few minutes I pulled myself up to my bed and looked over at the digital clock by my bed and tried to figure out how long I'd been out, glad to see it had only been a few minutes. Then it also dawned on me, it had only been a few minutes, even if I had only been out for half that time, it wasn't long enough, morphing took a long time, or comparatively a long time, but it couldn't have been longer than a few seconds for me, maybe the same speed Tobias was currently morphing at. Of course to find that out meant I needed to try again, and at the moment one near miss was all I wanted.

"Congratulations girl you life has officially became ten time more complicated, but on the plus side, if Tobias doesn't come back under his own power I can now track him down if I have to."

* * *

**DP Style**

By the time the sun came up everyone was going about their normal Monday morning routine, Danny was with Sam and Tucker trekking through the halls and trying to avoid Dash and those like him. Jazz was sitting in class waiting for it to start while jotting down the names of various animals on a piece of scrap paper and hoping Tobias was alright wherever he was.

"So how many more days," Danny asked looking over at Tucker who was caressing a barrowed PDA Sam had lent him, a little surprised when he found out his friend's grounding didn't apply Sundays.

"Four days, thirteen hours, forty-seven minutes, eighteen seconds."

Sam stared at him and slightly lifted one side of her lip, "You need a lot of help."

"What else is new," Danny laughed.

"Hey," weakly glaring at them.

"Face it man you do," putting his arm around the shoulder of his best friend, "no one gets this worked up over not having a computer for a few days."

"Only people that don't know better," pulling away from him and taking a lead on them down the hall.

Sam leaned over and whispered to the half ghost, "you think we're starting to take this to far?"

"Hard to be sure with Tuck," scratching the back of his head, "but still the fact that he can tell us what second is still pretty scary."

"No argument," looking down the hall at the tech expert, "but still I think we should lay off for a while, right now we need all the help we can get in case things start to go wrong."

"Pessimist," grinning at the goth girl.

"You say that like it's a new thing," returning the grin and running up to Tucker who had walked around a corner.

"Hold up man," the half ghost catch up to him after a quick sprit and taking half a second to catch his breath a little surprised he was breathing heaver than usual, almost like when a ghost was near by.

"What," Tucker coming off harsher than harder than usual.

"Look Tuck I'm sorry, I'll lay…"

"Yeah you are sorry," the boy in glasses hissed back cutting off his long time friend.

"Whoa calm down," raising his hands in defense.

"Why should I," poking him in the chest, "I'm sick and tried of you making fun of me like I'm some kind of joke. Do you how many times I've covered for you, how much you owe me you over grown freak of nature."

"Ok stop it," Sam hissed quietly pushing her way between the two and glaring at Tucker, "what is wrong with you."

"Nothings wrong with me you wanna be blood sucker."

"Excuse me," lifting one her eyebrows in surprise, "what has gotten into you?"

Danny just groaned and held the bridge of his nose, "oh your going to get it now."

"You know I was defending you but if this is the way your going to be forget it," intentionally knocking him against the lockers, the sound of his body hitting metal ringing through the halls.

"You are so lucky she didn't break something," Danny hissed in a low threatening tone, his eyes containing the tiniest hint of green in them.

"Yeah like I'm scared of either of you, you forget I know everything, I own you," giving him a smile that made Danny hesitate as the other boy pushed past him and walked down the hall.

For a second Danny considered going after him but decided not to, whatever was going on with Tucker he wouldn't get it solved at the moment. He was better off letting him cool down a little then trying to talk to him, "that or drop him off the roof," he hissed under his breath. Sighing and shaking his head he moved on to his class, glad that he didn't have to share the room with Tucker at the moment.

For the most part the class went by without incident but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with the situation but he couldn't put his finger on it, it just seemed like everyone was looking at him and a few of the whispers he heard seemed to contain his name. For a time he though it might have something to do with what had happened in the hall earlier, but that hope was dashed at the end of class when Val walked up him.

"So is it true what they say," giving him a wary look, not for the first time grateful that the ghost hunter had come to like his human side even if she despised his ghost side.

"Your going to have to be a little more specific," rolling his shoulder a little and shifting the weight of the backpack.

"That your…um…cutting yourself constantly and the reason you missed that day is because your sister had to take you to the emergency room because you nearly killed yourself in the restroom."

"Hadda whadda huh?" his jaw hanging open not believing what he was hearing.

"Is that a yes or a no," pushing his jaw up and smiling at him, a slight hint of a flirt in the look.

"No…I mean yes…I mean that's not what happened," running his fingers through his hair. "I do not now, nor have I ever, cut myself let alone tried to kill myself and who is saying this, no wait let me guess, could it Dash by any chance?"

"Actually I heard it was Sam saying this, but then I got it from Star who heard it from Paulina who heard it in the restroom from someone who might've been Sam. In other words I have no if it's true or just some nasty rumor but I had to check it out."

"Yeah if I was doing that…which I'm not, I appreciate you checking on me, but right now I need to find Sam and have a little talk with her and make sure something really weird isn't going on."

"Really weird breaking up or really weird ghost troubles?" giving him a look that he couldn't quite read.

"She's not my girlfriend," he hissed walking down the hall, aware that Valerie's eye's were burning a hole in the back of his skull. In order to save time he ducked into the restroom that was thankfully empty and when invisible and intangible and flew through the halls as fast as he could, zipping through people and walls in his pursuit of the goth. He didn't believe for a second that Sam had started the rumor, but all the same he wanted to hear it from her own lips just to be sure.

It took a few long moments but he finally spotted her black clothing among the sea of colorful students and shifted back into his normal human mode and ran down the hall after her. "Sam," a little louder than his normal voice but not enough to really cause anyone to look in his direction, glad that his call made her slow down as he pushed past people in the hall. When he got to her everything he had planned to say evaporated as he looked at her, her eyes were red and he could see a few dried lines of tear on her face, that was combined with a look of rage that was focused squarely on him. "I…um…Sam..," his voice no longer working for him, the look striking him almost mute.

"DON'T EVEN START," her voice halting everyone in the room as she poked him hard in the chest with two fingers. "I'VE TAKEN A LOT FROM YOU BUT I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'D DO THAT…"

"What," cutting off her rant before it could begin and grabbing her hand and pulling away from the crowd of people and through the down that led outside, "has gotten into you?"

"DON'T YOU DARE BLAME THIS ON ME," tearing her hand free, "I'M NOT THE ONE THAT STARTED THIS!"

"Started what," throwing his arms up, his own anger rising.

"YOU KNOW FULL WELL WHAT, I THOUGHT PAULINA WAS JUST MAKING UP THINGS BUT THERE WAS NO WAY SHE COULD'VE KNOWN THE THINGS SHE KNEW," a fresh set of tears starting to run down her face.

"Ok you have to calm down because I don't know what your talking about," grabbing her shoulders and feeling her tremble under his touch.

"DON'T EVEN START WITH ME," pulling away from him, "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT FROM YOU ANYMORE," and running back into the school a choirs of "OOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHSSSSS," filling the air as he looked up and saw various students looking out the windows, each hanging on his every word.

Growling something under his breath Danny pushed the door open and was greeted by the accusing stares of everyone in the hall. "This is going to be one of those days isn't it," he hissed to himself and trudged past the others, and wringing the straps of his backpack. The whole trip he was very aware of all the eyes on him and tension in the air around him as almost everyone seemed to be whispering or silently threatening his life, "what does Sam think I did to get this many people ticked off."

"Would you get over here," the voice almost one of a monster as the owner grabbed him by the collar of his shift and pulled him away from the others in the hall.

"Ok," pulling away from the hand, a little surprised he didn't rip the material of the shirt, "what'd I do to tick you off Sis?"

"How about your systematically throwing away the best things in your life," pushing his against a wall so he couldn't escape, and for the first time in years actually scaring him as she somehow turned on the 'older sister' aura as he use to call it when her was younger.

"Let me guess this has something to do with Sam?"

"No it has to do with the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus, yes it has to do with you a Sam," throwing one arm back. "How could you say those things about her, how could you say them about anyone, of all the people I thought you'd been raised better than that!"

"Ok how come everybody knows what I've been saying but ME!" his eyes glowing slightly.

She moved back half a step at that, "your telling me you didn't say these things?" her voice a mix of confusion and anger.

"Well if I had some clue what everybody is talking about I might know how to respond to that. Val said Sam said I'm cutting myself, you and Sam are ticked off at me for something I don't even know about, Tucker's ticked off about the ribbing. If someone would at least tell what's going on it would help a lot in the long run."

"Your telling me you don't know what's going on?"

He shook a little at that, "I just said that," sounding somewhere between hysterics and crying.

She moved in close and between clenched teeth she hissed, "someone is saying you and Sam have an aborted child, and their describing things about her body and her home that most people don't know, the only reason I know some of these things is because she came to me over her uber chipper mother when it came to some really personal matters."

What he just heard hit in the gut like a sledge hammer and drove the breath from his lungs, "what," the word containing every ounce of emotion he could muster all rolled into one.

"So your saying you didn't have anything to do with this," the redhead just needing the hear the word.

"I don't even know a word for this, I wanna say no, but that doesn't even begin to say how much I didn't do this, I can't even believe Sam thinks I did this."

"Thank you," pulling him into a hug, then pulling away after a few seconds. "I don't know what's going on but we need to find her and straighten this all out."

"Not to mention working damage control on the school, knowing all this now, I'm just waiting for Mr. Lancer to show up and make my life even more complicated."

"Nothing he can do is worse than where you are at the moment, look we should…" her words cut off as the bell for the next class went off. "You have class with one of them now right?"

"Tucker why?"

"Ok try and get things settled with him, I'll find you after the next class and hopefully between us we can figure out how to smooth things over with Sam."

"Yeah until she cools off I don't think that's physically possible without me being thrown through a window."

"Stop being melodramatic bro, you've been through worse than this," backing away from him.

"NO! I haven't," shaking his head and moving on to class.

As she watched him go she just shook her head, "and here I thought I was already through the hardest parts of my life," readjusting her backpack and heading on her next class as well.

The half ghost growled as he walked into his next class, and doing his best not to meet the teacher gaze as looked at his normal seat next to Tucker that was flanked by some boy who's name he couldn't think of off the top of his head. A quick look told him the only open chair was next to Val, and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Sighing he dropped down next to the ghost hunter grateful that she was the only one in the room not giving him a death glare.

"I'm going to go out a limb and say you've been set up," she whispered over to him when the teacher started talking.

"No I enjoy ruining my own life," leaning back into the chair and crossing his arms.

"Yeah so I figured," giving him a sad little smile, "what I can't figure out is who in the rumor mill you guys ticked off for them to start turning out things like this."

"Guys? You mean someone trying to ruin more than just me?"

"Oh yeah, aside from the one I heard about you and Sam and the one I told you about I picked up a few in the hall."

"I don't want to hear this do it," almost afraid to look at her.

"Well they're not as bad, apparently Tucker is gay and wildly jealous of you and Sam," lifting fingers as she went, "your sister spent two years in an institution for something involving a ghost, your parents preformed horrific illegal experiments on both of you. Then there are the ones that I'm pretty sure are just the normal rumors that pop up, Tuckers bed wetter, your sisters a pyro, Sam's on eighteen different drugs, you know the normal stuff."

By the time she was done Danny had his head on the desk surrounding by his arms, "my life at this school is over, there is no way and digging my way out of this."

"It's not that bad," patting him on the back, "ok it's not great, but it could be worse."

"How?" not moving from his spot.

"They could all be true," at that he couldn't help but laugh lightly, it making him feel betting in a perverse kind of way.

"So any idea what your going to do," leaning down next to him.

"I have no idea, I know I have to figure out what's going on but I don't know how to do the yet, let alone how to deal with it. So far all I've managed to do is tick off Sam and Tucker every time I go near them, and I'm just grateful my sister has enough sense to trust me."

"Seems like we're the only two that do."

"Excuse me," pulling his head up and looming at the dark skin beauty.

"We may not talk much but at this point I think I know you well enough to know your not someone that would throw everything away on a whim." Her voice growing even softer, "after all you kept my secret and if you were gong to start burning bridges you might as well have started there." For a second he wasn't sure if she was talking about her job at the Nasty Burger or her ghost hunter but left it alone either way.

However he didn't get a chance to try and out as the teacher cleared her through over them making them both jump and knock there heads into each other. "I know the mindless prater in the halls can be engaging Mr. Fenton and Ms. Gray but I do ask that you focus while in my class room."

"Yes ma'am," they spoke in unison, straightening up and catching a few glances from those around them.

The second her back was turned Val whispered, "this is going to be one of those days isn't it?"

"That's exactly what I said," shaking his head and letting the class go on and doing his best to signal to Tucker that he wanted to talk but was continually stopped by various people that seemed to rally behind the boy and his plight. By the time class had ended he had all but given up hope of talking to his friend and just growled at the ceiling while the others filtered out of the room.

"Come on," Val offering him a hand up.

"Why are you doing this anyway," taking the hand and looking into her dark eyes.

"You helped me when I needed it, I'm just trying to return the favor," moving a strand of hair face and giving him a lopsided grin.

"Thanks," the simple statement lifting his spirits as they walked down the hall together, grateful someone was there to help block the whispers, even if she was longer part of the elite female clique she still had some weight in the school and most didn't want to offend her.

"Danny," his sisters voice breaking what had become the only moment of piece he'd had all day. Almost afraid of the action he turned to look at his sister who jogged up next to him, "let me guess things aren't going well with Tucker?"

"Bingo," nodding slightly, "you remember Val," introducing the girl.

"From the ghost invasion," nodding to her.

"Unfortunately," forcing a laugh out, and rubbing her ribs in remembrance of what had happened.

"I have gone through everything I can think of short of tranquilizing those two and shooting them full of sodium pentathol."

"And making them tell the truth will help why?" Val asked listening in on the conversation.

"Used properly you can use it to alter someone memory, and we want to the to listen to reason not brain wash them."

"Great so we're back to talking to two people that can't stand me at the moment."

"Pretty much yeah," nodding her head.

"It could always to wor…," her voice trailing off as she seemed to faint for half a second before righting herself.

"You ok," Danny asked as both he and his sister braced themselves in case they needed to catch her, there attention resting solely on the girl and for some reason Danny felt his breathing quicken.

"Yeah just a little head rush, where was I," scratching the back on her head, "oh yeah, it could be worse for all you know there's some truth to the rumors. That is what they say isn't it, that all rumors have some element of truth to them. Maybe the one about the little goth girl sleeping around with everyone on the football team was true, and that would explain the abortion and all the stories going around."

"Val," Danny barked backing away from the girl, "how can you say that?"

"I open my mouth and let the words come out silly," giving him a look that might have been alluring with a little practice, that is if she lost the hardness in her eyes. "Look at this as a blessing," moving forward and pushing her chest into his, surprising the half ghost, "she's out of the way which means we can have what we've always wanted." Without warning her hands shoot around the back of his head, her time ghost fighting making her incredibly fast, and pulled him forward into a deep soulful kiss. It took both Danny and Jazz a second to accept what they were dealing with, a second more for Danny to realize something was wrong, he hadn't kissed many girls but something about this one just felt wrong to him, thankfully Jazz pulled the two apart before he could.

"What's wrong with you," the redhead hissed at Val while noticing the growing crowd and Sam disappearing down the hall.

"Look I don't…"Danny started.

"What's wrong with me, what's wrong with you," the brightly clad girl snarled pushing Jazz back, "Oh I get it this is a race thing isn't it, you think your to good for me IS THAT IT!" starting to cause a scene.

"That's not it I just don't…." Danny tried to start.

"YOU HEAR THAT THEY'RE RACISTS, THE FENTONS ARE RACISTS," she barked down the hall while the pair received accusing glares and things started to be thrown at them.

"This is getting out of hand," Danny growled as he started to run down the hall, his sister a few steps behind him.

"Your telling me," covering the back of her head with her hands.

"Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, what do you think your doing," a familiar voice ringing out from in front of them making them both stop on instinct.

"Running from that Mr. Lancer," thumbing back down the hall to all the ticked off kids that were quickly heading the other direction, all save Val who stood there with a smug look on her face.

"I think we need to have a talk Mr. Fenton," the bald man looking over at him.

"This is about all the stories going around isn't it?"

"Very," an unhappy look on his face.

"I don't suppose telling you I'm being set up would help me much would it?"

"It would, but at the moment your causing a bit of a scene."

"No," Jazz growled defensively, "we're not causing anything, everyone around us that's freaking out and causing a scene, we just want to know who is responsible for all this and make them stop."

"Alright calm down," lifting his hands, "I'll try and get things straightened out around here, you to get to class."

"You mean class where everyone thinks were crazier than that normally do and hate us for things we in no way did?"

"Don't play mind games with Mr. Fenton, both of you get going," pointing down the hall.

"I can think of over about thirty things I'd rather do instead," walking past him, his sister beside him.

"Let me rephrase that, go to class or your expelled, I will be checking in on you later," and walking back into his office.

"You ever get the feeling the world hates you," looking at his sister.

"Lately, every single day," sighing and breaking off to go to her next class and hoping she could make it without getting pelted by anything. While Jazz ended up being fine Danny was another matter as everyone in the school stared at him, many giving off the occasional threats and promises of beating the like of which he'd never received from those with a pulse. In the end the only thing that kept him being wheeled out of the school was everyone's desire not to cross Mr. Lancer's strict no school fighting policy, something that had attained near mythic proportions over the years.

The class went by much as the last two had only now with the exception of Val, something Danny was glad for, but he did still wonder what had come over the girl to make her change so rapidly. However this class did have both Sam and Tucker in it both of whom where as far away from Danny and they were from each other. More than a few times he tried to catch the attention of both but all he got in return was the occasional hand gesture that did more than a little tick him off. Being in this class however did give him one thing of value, it would make it easier to find them when it ended since they had lunch after words and he hoped it would give them time to talk and at least explain to them he had nothing to do with any of this.

The second the bell rang he was ready, whatever was going on he was going to end it, since as he figured it, the longer it went on the worse it seemed to get. However getting to the others was proving hard than he expected with other people hovering about them, doubting on them or making fun of them depending on the person. Growling to himself he let everyone leave, glad the teacher had the next period off and as soon as his back turned Danny phased through the floor and went after them. Long hours of practiced paid off as he skimmed along the underside of the floor boards, occasionally peaking his invisible head up to check where he was going before grabbing each, one after the others, making them go intangible and pulling them down through the floor while people around them screamed and panicked.

"LET GO," Sam barked and struggled as Danny pulled them both to the basement.

"NOT FUNNY," Tucker mirroring the goth's sentiments.

"Really don't care," letting them go when he got where he was going, "we're talking right here right now, because I am really getting tired of this."

"What's there to say," Sam growled taking a swing at him, the blow passing right through him as he remained intangible, "you betrayed my trust, you made out with Val, you lied about me."

"Yeah like your one to talk," Tucker snarled, "you told everyone I was gay."

"What, I did not," the dark haired girl spinning away from the half ghost.

"Please I heard it with my own ears."

"Oh so your deaf as well as blind," she hissed.

"Better than being an antisocial ninja sociopath."

"At least I'm not a coward who has a melt down if you take away his PDA!"

"Yeah well….," his words halted has Danny shot a blast of ectoplasm between them.

"WOULD YOU TWO COOL IT!" glaring at both of them, "does that even sound like either of you?"

"Seeing is believing Danny I know what I saw and I know what I heard," turning around and heading to the door only to be stopped as he floated in front of her.

Throwing his arms back, "OH YES BECAUSE SEEING IS ALWAYS…WHAT…you…get," his voice lowering as he covered his face with his hand, understanding starting to form in his mind. "We've been tricked," growling to himself.

"Whatever," pushing past him, Tucker on her heels.

"Stay away from me Danny or you'll be the one shoved in a thermos," his other former best friend growled while just hung in the air in disbelief.

"Freaking overshadow," he growled trying to piece everything together and finding it made sense, random personality shifts, people saying things they wouldn't say, the ability to check thing no one had a right to, even the few times he'd been around them he'd thought his ghost sense had gone off but hadn't written it off. "Guys hold up," flying after them, "I think I can explain everything."

* * *

**Tobias POV**

(How did I forget what day it was,) I sighed to myself heading out to the school, (for that matter why am I still talking to myself.) I caught a head wind and headed into it rising higher into the sky and pushing the doubts that were still lingering to the back of my mind, (find her, check on her, and bail if you can that's it bird, if she's good so are you, no reason to make her life any harder then you've already made it.)

Even before I was visible to the others on the ground I could make out everyone around the school eating lunch and I could tell something was up. It wasn't any one thing, more a combination of things, the way people moved, the way groups seemed a little more hunched together, even the air seemed somehow tenser, but thankfully since I didn't see the Fenton RV or any emergency vehicles I wasn't that worried about everything. The closer I got the more that changed however, words started drifting up to me things like abortion, racist and Fenton, three words that didn't belong together in any conceivable way unless 'not' was included in the mix.

Needless to say I wasn't happy when I actually got full sentences about what had happened, and really didn't like where this was going. Rather than flying around, something that starting to tire me out considering I'd been flying here nonstop, I stopped on the top of the roof to try and find the others. Of course I doubted I'd be able to find them in this mess considering they were all labeled enemies of the state, if it'd been me I would have hidden myself away for awhile till all this passed over. Then again that was me and this was them, and we were very different animals so there was a chance they'd be out trying to fix this. Knowing this I slowly scanned those below me trying to find some trace of the others and hoping somebody hadn't strung them up.

I took my time with this, even if I found them there was a good chance I couldn't help them fix this mess. None the less I scanned each person in the yard, tacking note of who they were with and what they were talking about in case I could use it later, granted I didn't really need to do this since I was going to be hanging around very long in the grand scheme of things, but it was a an old habit. I was surprised when I caught sight of a few new people, it was a big school and there was no reason to have everyone's face memorized, but all the same I slowly took them in on the off chance I might need them later on.

(Know you, know you,) speaking to myself as I watched then run around, (don't know you, know you and you, know that entire group, Dash, know you, don't kno….) my words trailing off as I took a second look at the boy I'd just seen, a thousand warning lights going off in my head. (You son of a…) my feather rustling as I watched him leaning against a tree doing a good job of being nonchalant, but obviously pleased with himself. His color was a little different and his clothing was way off, but everything else was the same, same eyes, same look of contempt, same sadistic grin. It was the face of a thousand nightmares, not only for me but those that had once been my friends, (David,) keeping the name to myself and understanding exactly what had been going on in my absence, or at least thinking I did.

At that moment I was caught between going after him and finding the others and making sure he hadn't done anything to bad to them. In the end I turned away from him, I'd been at the game long enough to know revenge was all well and good, but there was a time and a place for it, as long as the others were fine I could deal with him at my leisure. Of course that didn't stop the question from forming in my mind, well questions, how did he get out and why was he after the others instead of after Jake and our old team.

With renewed energy and speed and looked for the others while trying to remain discreet so as not to set David off, who knew what kind of powers he'd gained in death, and given our past he had a really good reason to come after me and try and turn me into a bucket of extra crispy. Thankfully, and a little regretfully, finding them didn't turn out to be a problem as the sound o them yelling at each other filled the air rather quickly telling me where to go. When I saw them it took my breath away, Sam red in the face, Tucker's hand's were balled into fists, Danny looked like his head was going to explode and Jazz was in the middle of them trying to calm them down.

(EVERYBODY COOL IT,) my thoughts running through their skulls at full blast and actually making Tucker and Danny jump a few feet into the air while Jazz scanned the sky for me.

"Tobias," her voice containing more hope and joy than I thought it would considering what I'd done to her.

"Not the time you gutless chicken," Tucker hissed.

(Trust me you want me here now, because you've been seriously set up,) and then almost as a after thought I hissed, (keep your voices down, we already have a crowd around us.)

"That what I've been telling them," Danny hissed not looking at me, "but they won't believe there's a…" looking up, "how do you know we're being set up?"

(Because I either saw the guy responsible or it's a major coincidence, and he's not someone you want to mess this or underestimate.)

"You two have a past," Jazz sounding skeptical.

I sighed internally remembering the last time I'd seen him alive and shuddering at the thought, (that's one way of putting it.)

"And you know this is related how?" Sam hissed.

(Because he's a sadistic psychopath, and if he knows we're related in the slightest he'll have no problem tearing you apart just to tick me off. Honestly think here, I haven't been at the school long but from what I've heard things have gone to pieces since I left. Look I may not know you well but I think I know you enough to know you wouldn't stab each other in the backs. You three have known each other for years and you think you'd all just start throwing that away from no reason at all. Guys your being manipulates by a guy who thrives on messing with peoples minds and getting what ever he wants.)

(Come on Sam you told me Jazz was like you big sister, you really think she'd do anything to harm you intentionally?)

"She didn't," looking at Danny.

Focusing my thought on Sam alone, (he cares about you, you know it and so do I, do you really think for a second he'd sacrifice what he has with you for anyone or anything? Your smarter than this Sam, you know this isn't who he is. This ghost is playing with you and your desires, he's obviously trying to tear the team apart it's the only thing that makes sense. Look him…them in the eyes Sam, you know them, you trust them, there is no way they'd do this so calm down.)

I could hear her growl silently and see her tear ducts begin to water which was my sign to move onto Tucker and focused my thoughts, (think for half a second here. You've known these guys for how long and your just going to call it quits over a few things they didn't even say. Did you not beg Danny and me to overshadow or become someone so you could get a date? Just on that alone you should know everything is not what it seems on the surface, heck man I'm a living example of things going beyond the surface. Beside you have proof of what we are and what we do, do you really think they're stupid enough to try and set you up let alone each other? You're the smart one here Tucker think logically here, what I'm saying makes a lot more sense than them losing their minds.) I was grateful when I saw the anger slowly drain out of his face and be replaced by shame.

"Amazing, I've been trying to convince them something was wrong for the last few minutes and the unprocessed feather bed can do it in the space of a few seconds."

Jazz slapped him up side the head for that, "shut up Danny."

(Look whatever your feeling put it aside cause you have big problem,) looking in the direction of where David had been, (we have evil here on a very human level, and I don't think you've ever faced anything like this before, and before you crank out Vlad, this guy is worse, this guy tried to sellout his entire race for the promise of power. This is not a guy you want to tangle with, stay together and stay out of sight, let me deal with him alone, you don't want him in your life.)

"Stop saying that," Jazz hissed, her voice almost completely venom, "every time I turn around lately it's 'you can't deal with this, let me handle it, this shouldn't be in your life'. Get over yourself bird, your life was hard, horrible really and no ones going to deny that, least of all me, but stop treating us like kids that don't know any better, you'd be surprised what we can deal with if given half a chance." Her words hit home with me just as they had meant to, but at least it told me she was dealing with what had happened to her, of courses what that meant for the future I couldn't be sure.

"Ok," Sam hissed slightly waving her hand, "I know I of all people shouldn't be talking at the moment, but can we take this some place else, preferably some place that isn't swarming with people?"

"Basement," Danny nodded moving into the school with the others then showing up a few moment later in his ghost form and pulling me through the floors to their safe haven. By the time we got there a tense silence had already settled over the others, not that that was surprising. Things had already been said between them, things that couldn't easily be taken back and I didn't doubt that it would take a while before things regained anything even close to normal.

With steps that barley made a sound Jazz walked over to me and sat down on the crate I was perched on. "For what it's worth," almost hesitantly placing a hand on my back and keeping her voice low, "I'm really glad you came back, I was really sacred I'd lost you for a little while. Some things have happened since we last talked, some things I need your help with," looking over at her brother, "some things I don't think the others could help with even if we were on the same page." I didn't have to be a brain surgeon to figure this one out, it was either the nightmares, the guilt, or the feeling of blood that never seemed to wash off your hands.

(Look Jazz,) looking up and meeting her light blue eyes, (I'm really not sure we should be doing this, I'm not the person you think I am, I…) Stopping as she put a finger on my beak and while it didn't stop me I knew what it meant.

"I told a few seconds ago, stop with the pity routine, or I'm the strong independent bird shtick, or whatever you use to try and push me out of your life." The hand on my back moved around an encircled my body, "I know you now, I understand part of who you are and what made you that way. And who better to deal with you than someone that's seen your dark side and isn't afraid to look away."

(Jazz,) looking up at her.

"Let me finish, you told me you weren't human, if you weren't human you wouldn't be this concerned about how this effected me. Doing bad things doesn't make you a bad person and I can honestly say I've known worse people in my life."

(I wouldn't be so sure of that,) not letting the words travel to her, something things were best left buried in the darkness.

"So who is this guy, was this guy," as Danny scratched his head, "I mean who was he when he was alive?"

(David,) my thoughts hitting all of them while I did my best to keep my mental voice stable, (use to be one of us, an Animorph, well sorta.)

"Meaning," Sam leaning against a wall.

(He wasn't one of us when it started, a few months after we got going David showed up in our lives when he found the Escafil Device,) looking up at Jazz, (the blue box that gave us our powers. After Elfangor was killed the cube became lost to us and somehow he found it and planned on selling it off over the internet. We found out, but so did the Yeerks, they attacked him took his parents and pretty much left him an orphan and we only had a few choices and decided to give him the power to morph in the hopes he could help us. Things however didn't go as planned, the guy had some serious mental problems, made even worse by the fact that we couldn't let him really live a normal life without endangering all of us. He ended up trying to kill us along with selling us out to the Yeerks in the hopes of power. He rationalized it to himself by saying that when we were animals that we didn't have souls so killing us wasn't a bad thing. In the end we had to deal with him.) At that I had to stop and take a few deep breaths to hold back some things I was feeling, (We ended up figuring out how to trick him and trapped him in the body of a rat, we did to him what I'd done to myself, made him a nothlit. We ended up leaving him on a small island off the coast that was inhabited by other rats, just far enough away from anyone to keep him quite and to ensure he couldn't swim back.)

"Wow, that seems a little harsh," a slight chill running over Tucker.

(That's what we all thought at the time,) closing my eyes and seeing the memories flash before my eyes, (no one really wanted to do that, but we couldn't see any other options. We knew first hand how dangerous keeping someone with our abilities anywhere against there will was and we couldn't watch him around the clock, even if we could there was no way of being sure he wouldn't escape at some point. However after a few months a couple of details slowly came to the surface and we didn't feel quite as bad about what we did to him.)

"Must have been something big to justify doing that," Tucker looking at me then quickly looking away before our eyes could meet.

(Ax and I use to spend time in the local Police Station and see if we could pick up any leads on Yeerk activities and occasionally went through the files to see if anything had been swept under the rug. Turns out David had been quite the busy little psycho before we managed to pin him down.)

"Your telling me you didn't notice any wild animal attacks during this time."

"Let him talk Tucker," Jazz hissed holding me tighter, somehow knowing this wasn't easy for me.

(I told you before we don't just become animals and aliens, human are just as open, and it was something David indulged in,) a chill running down my spine. (There's no easy way of saying this so I'll be blunt, we found a few records about women being raped during the time David was free. At the time Ax and I didn't think anything of it and put the files aside since they didn't really concern us and for some reason reading them didn't really sit right with me. But Ax being Ax didn't really get the stigma and continued reading them and found out that a couple of the guys that they could prove with DNA that had done it had air tight alibis when it came to their innocence. When he showed me this I got interested, turned out that there was a massive string of rapes all over the city that stopped almost as soon as they'd begun, all during the time he'd had his powers.)

"Tell me your joking," Sam's words sounding far away.

(Wish I could,) turning my head, not wanting to look at her, (for that matter I wish I could've told the others about what had happened.)

"What do you mean wish you could," Danny asked.

(The others had a hard time accepting what they did to him, they knew he was crazy and dangerous, but they still thought he had limits. Even by the time I found all this out the others were having a hard time dealing with what they'd done.)

"So you should've told them, let 'um know just how bad he was and that they did the right thing."

(Could've done that Tucker, of course by doing that I let them know they gave a monster the power to do anything he wanted and he used it to cause the suffering of countless people. They already had enough guilt on their plates, I didn't want them to think they were indirectly responsible for all of his sins as well.)

"So you kept it to yourself," disappointment coloring Jazz's words.

(Yeah we did, what's the saying, 'what you don't know won't hurt you'? That was how we operated, compared to us the others had an innocence about them, they still believed they could get through this without completely dirtying their hands, yes there had been moments, crisis of faith if you will, about how far was to far, and some lines were crossed, but at that time they still had a hope that I wasn't willing to shatter. Ax and I knew batter than the rest of them just what the war could end up becoming, and what had to be done to make it out so we shielded them as best we could from some of the smaller details, the ones that they could live without knowing.)

"So you kept that to yourself," a single tear running down Jazz's face.

(My chance at a normal life was already over, no reason for them to suffer the same fate,) ruffling my feathers under her and trying to pull away from her, the images of what came next in my mind and on my tongue, things I didn't want them to know.

"What is it Tobias," Jazz tightening her grip on me.

(Nothing,) pulling away again, I'd forgotten that in that short time the girl had somehow learned to read me a little to well.

"Spill birdie," holding me tighter.

"Don't pressure him Jazz," her brother sighed leaning against a wall, "you have enough problems as it is without getting anybody else mad at us," glaring over at Sam. She looked away from him after that, the guilt obvious on her face and trembling slightly and opened her mouth, only to shut it again with out saying anything. "Fine if no one else will say it I will, we got played, it's not the first time a ghosts turned us around and it won't be the last. Ok yes we said some things we can't take back, but compared to what we thought we said they weren't that bad, at least I don't think they were. You guys are like family to me, and I know your like that to each other so can we do…I don't know…SOMETHING TO PUT THIS BEHIND US!"

"Clam down little brother," Jazz finally turning her attention away from me and I tried to get away form her arm, only to have her grip me tighter. "This isn't like wiping off a table, things were said that can't just be taken back, I think we all need a little time to deal with this."

"She's right," the goth sighed, "but so are you," looking over at Danny. "I'm sorry," sighing even deeper, seemingly aging in front of me, "I don't know why I believed any of that, I just…the things he knew," holding herself, "I didn't think anybody else could know those things. I know you, all of you, better than that, I can't believe I'd believe that you'd do that to me."

"Ditto," Tucker added getting glares from the assembled.

"Ditto?" Sam snarled, "I said all that and all you can manage is 'ditto'," throwing her arms back.

Danny leaned back and laughed lightly at the exchange and Tucker subsequently moving back out of range of the girl, "well things are already getting back to normal."

"What it's not like I can add anything after everything you two just said, besides you know how bad I am at apologies."

"Oh I don't believe this," diving at him, only to miss as he scrambled out of the way.

"What, you two said everything, we forgive each other what's the point in me saying the words."

"It's traditional, it shows breeding, it keeps me from breaking your neck."

"Wow," the redhead shaking her head, her mane of hair flowing around her shoulders, "and here I thought getting them back together would take a long time to fix."

(Don't think it won't be,) looking for a way out of her grasp, (I know what it's like doing things you can't undo, the scars never really go away.) At that Jazz growled and pulled me off my perch and carried me like football to the other end of the basement.

"I've had it with all the negativity, macho male ego that's spewing out of your mind," he growled low enough to keep the comments from the others. "Look I'm not some little doll you have to be gentle with, I know about the world, more now than I did before. I know people can be horrible to each other, and I know they do horrific things to each others, but you aren't one of those people and you don't have to protect me from your past. People like that don't regret what they do, they don't care who they hurt and they don't have reasons for the things they do. None of that applies to you, at least not from where I'm standing. I've listened to you Tobias, I've made a history of listening to what others say and trying to figure out what's the truth and what isn't. Everything you say to me, every time you talk about fighting regardless of what form your in regret permeates your words, bad people…monsters don't regret those things. You might be an animal most of the time, but your heart and mind still belong to one of the most decent people I know. Whatever you think you did, you didn't do, and you have nothing to feel sorry for, at least not with me," taking my head in one hand and making me look at her. "I don't care what you did to other people, other creatures, because I know in my heart you had a good reason for it and all you really cared about was protecting those around you. And I don't regret knowing you the way I do, yes it's hard for me to know exactly what you did, but I got so much more from the experience, more than you know. I was able to fly through you, that's something I've wanted to do since I was a little girl and you made it a reality, I consider that a fair trade for everything else."

(Your insane,) looking up at her.

"I'm told it's genetic," patting me on the head.

(Look,) struggling in her grasp, (I know you can handle yourself, and you think you know what your doing, but you don't, the things your messing with are way beyond what you think you know.)

"Don't underestimate me."

(Don't underestimate my past, there's a reason I'm trying to protect you, things I…things you shouldn't know about…things your better off NOT knowing about.)

"Like what," the anger draining from her voice and in the process it becoming soothing as she gently stroked my feathered head as if I were a pet cat.

(You really don't want to know,) squeezing my eyes closed and trying to fight back the memories.

"Yes I do, whatever it is I want to know."

(Jazz…)

"I won't think any less of you," cutting me off.

(Yes you will,) looking at the floor, (there's no way you can't.)

"Tobias."

(Whatever you think I am Jazz, I'm not, I'm a monster Jazz and not just for the reason you know about.)

"That's ridiculous Tobias, there's nothing you could do that would be that bad."

(Yes there is, and I've brought it on top of you.)

"You mean David," her voice somewhere between stating the obvious and worried.

(No I mean the other homicidal rapist ghost running around, yes I mean him,) looking up at her with my permanent hawk death glare.

"Whatever comes we'll deal with it, it's not like my brother hasn't dealt with ghosts before, not like I haven't."

(None of them have had grudges like this,) I hissed and mentally slapping myself fro saying to much.

"Yeah trapping him as a rat for a few years you would build a bit of a grudge alright," patting me a little harder. By the way she was holding me I could tell she wasn't believing me, at least not totally, not that I blamed her, it wasn't exactly the whole truth to the matter. "Running around never knowing what'll happen next having to fight off other rats, that's got to be a hard life, assuming he knows about us I can understand why he did the things he did."

(No you can't,) panic and anger and fear and guilt welling up in my faster than I could handle as I tried to get off of Jazz, accidentally scratching her with my talons and making her release me.

"Ow," holding her bleeding forearm, "what's wrong Tobias," fear in her voice.

(This isn't something you want to be part of,) the emotional onslaught slightly jarring my control over the hawk side of my mind. For years I managed to hold back the pain of what I'd felt but I suddenly found all the walls I'd built around that memory, the grudging acceptance of that moment falling apart inside me.

"Tobias," bending down nest to me.

(He doesn't want you Jazz, any of you he wants me, he wants revenge,) hopping frantically and trying to gain control over my body.

"Calm down Tobias," reaching out for me then flinching, forgetting momentarily about her hurt arm.

(I can't calm down he wants me, and he'll go through all of you till we settle this.)

"All this because you trapped him?"

(All this because I killed him,) the words slipping out before I could stop myself.

"What," the word seeming to take forever to say, "you mean figuratively…by trapping him."

At that point I didn't see a reason to keep hiding the truth, if anything it might finally, albeit regretfully, make her see the truth about me. (I mean kill Jazz, as in I broke his neck, tore out his guts and ate him before his heart stopped beating.) She did have anything to say to that, I think the words might've put her into shock, either way I choose to continue. (After we trapped him he escaped the island with the help of The Crayak who made him a deal, if he could turn one of us into his servant he'd get power beyond comprehension in return. He choose Rachel, and for a time she bought into it, The Crayak offered her power enough to end the war, but she saw that in the end it would've turned her into a tyrant and she rejected it, and by doing so David ended up being abandoned by his benefactor. From what I've come to know she and David ended up alone in the sewer where David ended up asking Rachel to kill him so he wouldn't have to live like a rat anymore. Rachel choose the high road, to be human, she wouldn't do it no matter how much he deserved it, she was far better than I was.)

(I went after her as soon as I found out what had happened, we all did, but I was the first to find her, more to the point I was the first to hear her. She was crying in the sewer, a combination of what she'd almost done, and what she'd been asked to do. That however didn't stop David from trying to run away, by that time I knew his body by sight, every piece of fur, every pattern, even how he moved. When I saw him I understood everything, that he would never be out of our lives, that he would be a constant threat to us, to the others and I couldn't let him endanger that. If I brought him back they'd just put him back on the island where he could escape again, they'd do it because they were human, they still hoped to get through this with out killing humans who were fighting of their own free will. I couldn't let them do that, I couldn't let them put themselves in danger just because they thought they were doing the right thing, so I took it out of their hands. I already had blood on mine, I was already to far down the path by that time, so I decided what was one more life in the grand scheme of things so long as they could sleep soundly in their beds.) At that point I could feel my mental voice start to waver and took a deep breath to settle my nerves before continuing, but even after that my voice wasn't as steady as it had been. (It was over before it began, a quite dive and flare of my wings, talons severing his spine before he could even struggle or say anything, but make no mistake he knew it was me, and given the choice I'd do it all over again. The boy was a monster, even more than I am, and he threatened my friends…my family, the others wouldn't…couldn't bring themselves to do what had to be done, so I did it for them. I don't imply to be a hero Jazz, I'm not, I just see things differently now, predator and prey, hunter and hunted, hawk and rat. I did what I had to do, as it applies to the war I don't regret it, in my heart I believe it was the right thing to do, but what little part of me was still a person died that day, that was the first time I did anything I truly consider murder, and also the last.)

"You didn't…you couldn't, Tobias," her voice a mix of emotions.

(I'm sorry Jazz,) looking away from her and flapping over t the stairs and morphing my German Shepherd, (I started this, I'll end it, some how. Stay with your brother, stay inside and be safe, you won't be seeing me again after this, I'm so sorry Jazz.) I didn't wait to hear her say anything else as I ran up the stairs, thankful the door was open at the top so I could slip through without any kind of difficulty. The trip through the hall on the other hand was very different story since I picked the moment lunch ended to run through the halls and get swept up in sea of kids lumbering back to class. On the plus side, a dog running through the halls did a fairly good job of distracting them and making them jump to the side so I could get by and slip outside.

The second I was back looking at open sky I threw my head back and screamed at the top of my mental lungs, (HERE I AM DAVID COME AND GET ME!) I knew everyone in the school had probably heard that and at that moment I didn't really care, by the time I was to the side walk I was back in my bird body and flying like my life depended on it heading as far away from everyone else as I could. I knew full well when he caught up to me things would be ugly and I didn't want to hurt any more people that were absolutely necessary.

* * *

**Jazz POV**

I sat on the floor for I don't know how long, my mind simply refused to function after I heard what Tobias said. I knew he had done things, I really did, but that last part just didn't seem to make sense, no that wasn't entirely true, it did make sense he was a protector after all, and he did see what he did as an extension of that. But even taking that into account he'd killed a man in cold blood, granted if everything he'd said was true then on a level he deserved it, but still it didn't change the facts of what he'd done.

"Sis," my brothers voice coming from above me as I weakly looked up, the action seeming almost alien to me, "you ok, what did he tell you?"

"I…," the words catching in my throat preventing me from coming up with anything else as I fought back the tears that threatened to start flowing.

"Oh great," rolling his eyes and sitting next to me, "calm down," pulling my head down into the crook of his shoulder and slowly rocking me as I let everything out, something I've been needing to do since I woke up, this time making the past sobs look like a pale imitation. Anger and fear I'd been holding on to mixed with new regret and sorrow as I bailed like a little girl for a for minutes, my mind still not really processing anything other than at a base level. To that extent I wasn't aware Sam and Tucker were holding me as well till they had started, their bodies making me feel safe, and helping slow the tide of tears and fears.

"Chicken soup for the Soul what is going on down here," the voice one I had come to know well as Mr. Lancer pushed open the door to find a rather strange sight. I could feel Danny leave my side and go up to the man but what he said was beyond my ability to hear at the moment as I clutched Sam's back and pulled her closer to me. Whatever my brother said it was enough to get the balding man to leave us alone till I was able to clam down and regain my mind.

"Let me guess problem with Tobias?" Sam asked warily, obviously aware it was a touchy subject.

"That is the understatement of the millennia," shaking my head and taking a long controlled breath. "He's in trouble, in mores ways than one, and right now he needs us because I'm not sure he isn't about to throw his life away on some stupid blast of male hormones disguising itself as a noble intention."

"Jazz the boy can take care of himself, we've seen him in enough fig…,"

"Not this time," cutting the other girl off, "when he's thinking with his head he's dangerous, right now he's running on guilt and anger. He's going to do something stupid and he's going to get himself hurt I can promise you that." I looked over at my brother, "I need you to go after him Danny, you have to keep him safe, from himself as well as David."

"You mean right now?"

"No in a week, yes now!"

"I mean with," pointing to the door, "him knowing we're down here, I can't exactly slip out without it seeming weird. And I almost hate to mention this but what about the whole suspension thing hanging over my head I'm not sure skipping class is the best idea you've ever had."

"Danny," I tried to start only to be stopped as he raised his hand.

"He's in trouble I get it, but he can hold his own against some of the toughest creatures I've ever seen, he can easily make it a few hours without back up. Besides knowing him tracking him down won't be that hard if he gets in a fight."

I really wanted to argue the point with him but it wasn't in me at the moment and what he said had the ring of truth to it. Tobias wasn't subtle, at least not anymore, if he did get into a fight it'd probably end up on every news station in the area. I nodded weakly, a shiver running up my spine as I stood up on wobbly legs and tried to make them obey me as I headed to the stairs only to lose my balance and have Danny catch me and help me back up.

"Don't be in a rush sis," his tone soothing, "we've been through tough times before, and it's like the bird told us, you just have to have faith sometimes that things will turn out alright."

"At the moment I'm not feeling all that hopeful Danny," closing my eyes as memories not my own flashed through my mind. Sighing I righted myself, renewed strength coming from somewhere I couldn't place, and walked up the stairs and through the door glad that almost everyone was gone, well almost everyone. Mr. Lancer was still standing there with a look even I couldn't read along with part of the campus security force, including one of the drug dogs they occasionally used.

"Nice to know they're taking all precautions with our safety," Tucker hissed behind us, probably seeing the dog. "Let me guess you want to make sure we weren't doing anything down there?"

"Mr. Foley you wound me," a mock hurt look on his face, "check them," nodding to the man with the German Shepherd who brought it near us. "You must understand a little while ago you were at each others throats now you seem like your almost friends again after spending time alone in a place few would find you. If I didn't check to see if you were under the influence of something I'd be neglect in my duties, especially since they're already on the property for a random check of the school."

"Who do I think the incesnce is going to get me trouble," Sam sighed coming up beside my brother.

"It shouldn't," the officer replied bring the dog near Tucker, "Sally here's been well trained, she's not going to be fooled by some substitute."

"She isn't a biter is she," the boy in glasses whimpered as she sniffed him while he did his best not to wince.

"Only if you provoke her," A trace of a laugh in his voice before pulling her away and moving her to me, the move giving me an idea.

"She been doing this long," a forced calm in my voice.

"She has some experience behind her, but she's not exactly old if that's what your getting at," letting her sniff me.

"That's good to know," my hand moving forward slowly, my palm open in the typical 'I'm your friend move' her nose moving up my leg and moving towards it.

"You don't need to do that ma'am," looking at me and nodding to my hand.

"Just don't want to give her any reason to hurt me," my voice low and soft waiting for the moment of truth and hoping I was right about this. Almost hesitantly she moved towards my hand, like she was caught between instinct and training, but she refused to come close enough, so I took matters into my own hands. I wasn't sure I made it look like an accident or not by I tried and gently moved my hand forward like I were gently swinging it. Before anyone could react my hand was touching her nose and I had started, what I hoped, was the acquiring process. After a second Sally stopped moving and I could feel something going on inside me that I couldn't explain in words, I just knew it was working. As soon as I somehow knew it was done the officer pulled the dog away and gave me a stern look.

"Not smart kid," leaning down and petting Sally, making sure I hadn't done anything to her, "she might be trained for drugs but she doubles as a personal protection dog, your lucky she didn't take your hand off for something like that."

"Sorry," feeling the dog somehow being added to my body, knowing that she was now part of me.

"Don't do it again," turning his attention back to Sally, "you ok right girl," scratching under her neck and messing with her ears for a moment. "Yeah that's my girl," as she moved past him and started sniffing me over again then moved onto my brother. After a few moment she was done and her handler nodded to Mr. Lancer in what I hoped was an all clear signal, a little surprised that Tobias' scent that had to be lingering on my body didn't somehow through her off. "They're clean," Narrowing his eyes as he looked at me, "even if they're not to bright."

"Good to know," Mr. Lancer looking over at us, "considering everything you've gone through over the last few hours I'm going to let you off, provided you all get to class here and now."

"Done and done," Tucker starting to walk away, Sam at his side.

"Oh boy," my brother rolling his eyes, "more class, where people hate me you things I didn't do."

"I've already heard your sob story Mr. Fenton, while you have my sympathy there's not much I can do to fix it at the moment."

"So I've been hearing," running up next to the others, "you will protect me from everyone that wants me dead right now right?"

"This day just gets better and better," shaking my head and walking down the hall to my next class, my mind on fire with plans, some instantly discarded as being to ridiculous others saved in the back of my mind to be considered later on the chance they could lead to something workable.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

After a few hours I was beginning to question just what I was doing, or more specifically what David was doing. I'd picked him up almost an hour ago, I gave him credit up till then he'd been quiet so I couldn't be how long he'd been on my tail feathers, but he couldn't maintain it. I couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't attacked yet, I was open, a free from almost all sides for a ghost, then again I had no idea what kind of skills he now had, for all I knew he couldn't do anything now but I doubted that was the case, I knew fate couldn't be that kind to me. No, whatever he was planning he wanted to drag it out, wanted me scared in the hopes I'd make this easy for him, I wasn't going to give him that opportunity.

Flaring my wings I sat down in a tree and turned to look in his direction, (lets just get this over with,) my thoughts going in all directions.

"So the feathered rat's smarter than he looks," becoming visible a few in front of me. He just hung in the air his arms folding over his chest, looking so much like he had in life with the exception of his color and clothing, he didn't even have a glow around him.

(Your not one to talk about rat's David,) narrowing my eyes.

"All these years and that's the best you can come up with?"

(I'm not here to trade barbs,) my feathers rustling, (and I know you didn't come back if that either.)

"Really what was your first clue the fact that I followed you or the fact that you ripped out my heart you miserable piece of excrement."

(Funny from what I heard you wanted to die,) lowering my head and snapping at him.

"I wanted to die by her hands," an animals growl in his voice, "one more little pay back for everything done to me. Letting you do it was no fun, she could still be knocked down a little, but you," his eyes a glow with black-purple flames, "you were already less than human, killing me wouldn't have done a damn thing to you. If I wanted to die by the hand of a beast I would've run into a cat the second I got off the island, I wanted to bring down someone with an ounce of importance to them, to show them what they were really like."

(Sorry to disappoint,) clutching the tree branch.

"It's for the best," a dark sadistic laugh flowing from his lips for several seconds after that, "thanks to you I'm so much more now, and I have plans now that I'm on this side, big plans, and it's only fair I get to start with you."

(Oh yes big plans, terrorizing a bunch of teenagers, your such a big man, you haven't changed a bit.)

"Teenagers that were important to you," giving me a feral grin while I almost slipped off my perch now that I knew what the others were my friends. "Oh yes I know all about them, a freak show with blue skin has a serious mad on for them and made me a little deal, I do a little something for him and I get everything I want, you being here is just bonus, but it does make things faster, you were going to be the hardest one to find after all. Just out of curiosity who should I go after next little Jakey with his high and mighty ideals or should I go after the little slut and make her scream till her throats raw?"

It took everything I had not to go after him after he said it, but I recognized something important when I heard it, something I could use later if I had to. (Flat out revenge, you've got to kidding me,) shaking my head, (I've met a lot of ghosts, I have yet to find you that just wanted revenge and power, and here I thought death would make you dangerous, that you might actually learn something over the years. You were a waste in life and just as much in death,) the feathers on my head rising. (You want to go after them, you couldn't even get through me.)

He laughed at that, the same dark violent laugh, "you think you can bait me bird, what do you think I've been doing on the other side, I've been getting stronger, better, you think you can do a thing to me, all you can do is morph, while I can do so much more." At that his body ignited in black flame and taking on a form resembling a burning lion. "What do you have bird, a couple of rodents and an ego, I remember you all to well, you don't morph unless you have to, and even if you did get into it there's no way you can hurt me with any little body you might've picked up."

(Really,) narrowing my eyes at him, I wasn't stupid I only had one form that I knew could take him out and I wasn't willing to use Denoxgo Lihnep, not if I couldn't control it, and not this close to the city. Without the others regardless of what body I took I could do any long lasting damage, at least not and still contain him. But then again I didn't really need to contain him, I just needed to hurt him enough to make him turn tale and lick his wounds somewhere else till I could find a way of going back and getting a thermos or one of the other weapons that could send him back to the Ghost Zone, that or find a way of getting rid of him here and now. "Lets test that little theory shall we you raping sociopath," dropping off the branch and head to the ground, my comment stunning him for the few moments I needed to get near the ground and morph into something that might stand a chance.

My options were small so I went with surprise as much as strength, hoping the two together could help me win this fight. I summoned the Deinonychus from my genetic archive, letting the ancient ancestor of the hawk regain it's former glory. By the time David's feet hit the ground I was done morphing and enjoying the look on his face as he slowly looked over the dinosaur body I was in.

"Well you are full of surprises aren't you," his flaming tail whipping back and forth, "this might actually be fun after all."

(Your not the only one that's gotten stronger,) as we slowly started circling each other.

"Please, I took out Jake remember and he was the best of all of you," his lips pulling back in a snarl.

(Try again, Rachel was the best,) shifting my weight while processing everything about or surrounding, my nose picking up every scent from the world around us, and more importantly him as I tried to figure out the strange mix of scents rising off him in the hopes it would let me decipher his moves before he made them. (And I've been in enough fights over the years to get pretty good at doing things one on one.)

"Funny I don't remember you being this talkative the last time we met, oh wait you didn't say anything the last time we met you just ATE ME," diving in at me, his claws out as he swiped at my long neck. The strike barley missed as I jumped back, only having to move again as he followed me using his ghost flight. "Come on freak I thought you said you were tough."

(Keep talking little mouse,) dodging again and turning it into a spin and leveling my tail at his head, a move that did little as he pulled back letting my tail pass by harmlessly.

"That's it, that's all you got?"

(Yep,) jumping forward and landing on top of him and sinking my killing claws into each shoulder, I was a little surprised the flames didn't burn me, and turning the strike into a flip and throwing him forward before he could counter attack. He only traveled a few feet back but it was enough to give me an edge in the fight.

"Alright so you're a little better than you use to be," rubbing his right shoulder as the flames seemed to flare around it for a few seconds before calming down. "If you think it'll save you your mistaken," jumping into the air, adding height with his ghost abilities then diving down in an attempt to come down on top of me. I held my position while he came, knowing all to well that if I moved to wouldn't make a difference, at least not if I didn't have it planned right. Relying more on my nose and ears and timed it out and darted just before his strike could connect with me, his claws cutting a chasm into the earth. When his claws hit earth mine hit him as I shot back in the second my feet hit the ground sweeping my finger claws down along his back earning a scream of pain from the dead human. With a lions roar he threw me off while doing a mid air spin, thankfully the Deinonychus had a few skills of it's own and I was able to twist my body in mid air and land on my feet, my claws leveling a small trail of scratches in the earth.

"Well the little bird has some teeth inside that beak, lets see if I can't rip them out," darting forward faster than I would've though he could with that much bulk and upper cutting me, his claws leaving bloody trails in my scaled flesh and sending me sprawling to the ground. Before I could bet up he did an aerial flip his claws sinking into my body and sending me skyward again, only to send me to the ground as another burst of speed allowed him to grab me by the neck and slamming me to the ground.

For a second I lost consciousness when I hit but by the time I was up I was greeted by a searing pains that I recognized all to well, a piece of my flank had just been torn out and claws were sinking into my neck. "How's that feel bird," he snarled bringing his face next to mine, "and this just is this the beginning for you and the others. One by one I'm going to track them all down and deal with them, I've had years to plan out everything I'm going to do, it'll be nice and slow for all of them, each one's going to take days to dies, and then when everything is over I'm going to find them in the Ghost Zone and really start the torture. I've had years to prepare for that time, you'd be surprised just how many sprits I've practiced on to make sure I could maximize the pain without running into the risk of anyone losing consciousness."

(You son of a,) snapping at him, his claws tearing a chunk out of my neck in the process, and unfortunately I didn't even making it to him and he flew down and went intangible and drifted down through the ground while I fell on my face. Growling I stood back up and sniffing the air ready for when he popped out of the ground.

"I'm curious who I should start with," the voice coming from behind me, making me turn and jump at him without thinking about the situation, only to pass through the intangible burning lion-man. "I have dreamt about killing Jake for a long time, but starting with him just seems so wrong, so easy, the same with Rachel," the name making me madder. I let out a snarl at the though of him hurting her and struck at him again I knew it probably wouldn't work but I could dream. "The things I have planned for her have to remain till the end other wise everything else will just seem anticlimactic. I suppose I could start with Cassandra, comparatively she's in for the least amount of pain since she actually had a shred of human decency. So that just leaves Marco and the alien and I just can't decide who to start with."

After the second failed attack I just stood there watching him, my growl growing louder by the second, my control over the Deinonychus dissipating in the wake of my anger. (YOUR NOT GOING TO TOUCH THEM,) the threat somewhat pointless at the moment but making me feel better as I said it.

"And what are you going to do, spit and snarl at me if I don't," laughing at me, "face it freak your old news, everything you can do I can do better and faster. No matter what you try I can counter and beat, this fight was over long before it began. As it is I don't even know why I'm bothering to fight you at all, I could be doing so many other things right now, like getting a hold of that little redhead at school," his voice suddenly going low and quiet, "the things I could do with her."

(YOUR NOT GOING TO TOUCH HER,) jumping at him in a blind rage, my claws out, the Deinonychus screaming in my mind to kill him.

"Pitiful," his body flickering into color as his fist connected with my snout, my head filling with a sickening crack that I recognized as bone breaking followed by a squish that I knew was a collection of skin, muscle and most likely my brain being punctured through as his claws extended into the strike, going further in than they should've. For a second I lost the ability to feel in my face while I fell back to the ground, angry at myself for falling for that trick and for underestimating him, but mainly sorry that I was about to be killed by a weasel of a human being. As I fell he moved in, his freakishly long claws out and tearing into me, my right leg met with searing pain as it was sheared off at the hip, while my left foot was slit into five pieces with a single swipe. His legs launched out and tore open my stomach forcing bones to fly everywhere along with several organs that were probably important. That same strike had him grab my small arms and rip them off me leaving twin streams of blood on the ground and essentially rendering me the first quadriplegic dinosaur on earth in a few millions years.

When I bounced off the ground my first thought was to morph, between all the things I was missing and given that I could see the lower part of my jaw a few feet away that seemed like a really good idea. In the space of a few seconds I shrunk, feathers replaced scales, my beak replaced the half mouth I was currently sporting and my limbs grew back, albeit in a different configuration. I was whole again after a few seconds but still feeling like I had been put through the wringer. And I also couldn't help but wonder why he'd even let me morph, after all if he was going to kill me that would've been the time, while I was hurt and broken and pretty much helpless.

"Now the fun begins," the black cat punching me in the face shattering my beak while the world went dark a few moment later, the sound of David's laughter reach my ears the last think I heard.

* * *

**Jazz POV**

All I could do was pace in my room, and try to figure out what I could do. Thankfully I'd managed to convince Danny to go after Tobias the second school ended so with luck they were safe with each other, but in my heart I knew something was happening that Danny couldn't stop. But to his credit he had gone anyway and made Sam promise to stay with me till he came back as an extra insurance policy in case David popped back up and wanted another shot at us, unfortunately getting Tucker to stay wasn't an option, his grounding was still in effect and couldn't be broken for something as trivial as a ghost might be trying to kill him. However with Sam watching over me it made it nearly impossible to get out and go look for Tobias in my newly acquired body, ok not impossible but I knew there was no way she'd let me do it, not after promising to my brother to keep me safe.

Of course just because she promised that, it didn't mean I'd let her fulfill that obligation, like my brother I was now a lot harder to pin down in any one spot especially if I didn't want to be there.

"Relax," I wasn't sure how many times Sam had told me that since she started watching me but I was getting tied of it in a hurry.

"Do you ever relax when my brothers out there?" the words coming out a little more hostile than I had intended.

"No," leaning back into the couch, "I don't."

"Then why should I?"

"Because you do it badly," folding her arms, "when they come back, and they will, they need to know we weren't here planning their funeral. Danny's good at what he does and so is Tobias, whatever this guy tries to do they'll be ok so don't worry."

"You sound like your mother," I hissed back at her.

"Low blow girl," narrowing her eyes at me.

"It's true," giving her a playful smile, "lately your all sunshine and kittens with words like faith and hope and trust escaping your mouth, pretty soon," wiggling my fingers at her, "your going to start wearing neon pink and dye your hair blond."

"Or I could just slit my wrists it'd be less painful," throwing a pillow at me, only to miss as I side stepped it, the action making me hopeful that what had gone on earlier was on the mend.

"Say what you want Sam we both know it's true, you've just been getting more and more peppy since this all started to happen, I wouldn't be surprised if you weren't asked to join the cheerleaders soon."

"Ok David get out of her I'm not falling for it."

"It's all me here," dropping down next to her and putting an arm around her, "and seriously I wouldn't be surprised to find Paulina trying to recruit you soon, we all know she's jealous of you, and we've all seen how Dash looks at you. The attention of cheerleaders and jocks, your just one step away from pom-poms, florescent colors, and chemically induced perkiness."

"Stop saying that," yelling in mock horror and holding her ears.

"You know it's true Sam don't fight it, you will be wearing pink nail polish by the end of the month at this rate!"

"NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!" running away from me and down the hall in mock hysterics, a few seconds after she disappeared down the hall I heard a door slam.

"That went better than expected," shaking my head knowing that would get her off me for a few moments, and with luck that was all the time I needed. Taking a deep breath I stomped up the stairs, making a bit of a scene, hopefully without over doing it, and slipped into my room, locking the door behind me and shucking off my outer layer of clothing, revealing a my newest addition to my wardrobe.

I'd picked it up yesterday after my first attempt at morphing, it had taken a while to find something I liked that wasn't to revealing, and considering it had to be skin tight that was a tall order to fill. But after almost an hour I'd finally found something I liked that didn't make me feel cheap. It was a spandex top with matching shorts, the top was a little more than what an average tank top would have, ending in very short sleeves and coming down all the way to the shorts. The shorts were the same deal, ending just before my knees, but it didn't change the fact that both looked like they were painted on my body. Both were a matching hunter green that bordered on black, the top however had a small stripe about an inch wide running from just under the left sleeve to my right hip that was a gray-red color.

I couldn't help but look at myself in the mirror, something I'd avoided up till now, not really wanting to buy into the sheer vanity of the purchase, let alone see if I could really pull it off. Grudgingly as I gave myself a quick look over I had to admit I didn't look that bad, it was still a little more skin than I wanted to show but it wasn't bad.

"Congratulations girl, your going to look good when you die," shaking my head and open a compartment on my desk and removing a large feather from it, one of few Tobias had left over his trips, and opening the window to my room where I places the long feather and absently rubbed my neck not wanting to slam into it all over again. Taking one more deep breath I focused on the hobby that was now part of me, this time the feather erupted all over my body, covering my in a fine layer, from what I'd read they were the layer below the outer layer meant for flying. Then I started to shrink while a set of wings ripped out of my back, looking over to the mirror I couldn't help but think I looked a little like an angle, a short freaky angel, but an angle none the less. The rest of the changes came quickly and I was soon a fully formed raptor, one that was ready for the instincts this time.

Like before they just kind of came, but this time I was ready for them, the need to be free was there but not as strong this time, the panic of being somewhere new not at great, but I could still feeling them all around me trying to take over. Keeping the thoughts to myself, or hoping I was, (you know what to do girl,) remembering Tobias' struggle with the hawk, focusing my thoughts I mentally gripped the instincts with my mind and held them still, making them be quiet and bending the to my will. (Keep in balance,) reminding myself, if I kept to tight a reign I'd have to fly on my own, and I didn't have the time to learn and let go just a little, just enough to feel the desires, the knowledge of the falcon at the back of my mind.

(Lets go girl time to track those two down,) spreading my wings, somehow knowing how to move each feather and flapped, slightly amazed by the feeling, my first time all over again. I landed on the ledge of the window and gripped the feather for later and looked out, still amazed by the vision, I'd thought my vision was good before, it was nothing compared to that of a falcon, compared to a falcon I was blind, hopelessly and pathetically blind. (Time's running out, time to decide looking down,) to the falcon it was an easy fall, nothing at all to be worried about, to the girl, it was a long way down that was really going to hurt if I didn't fly.

(You owe me so much birdie,) taking a single step and falling from the window and hoping the falcon knew what she was doing. Without thinking of it my wings spread I righted myself and I flapped and somehow got air born and caught a breeze and sailed higher into the sky, Weaver instinctively knowing how to fly and how to use the winds to get her where she needed to go. For a few seconds I panicked as we sailed higher into the sky and over looked the roofs of various buildings, and in the process tried to regain control of my body and nearly put myself into a tailspin. Luckily I remembered to release my control after a few feet and Weaver retook control of the body, (stay calm girl, let the bird fly, just tell her where to go,) reminding myself of the lessons I'd learned from Tobias' first flying experience. (That would be a lot easier if I knew where I was,) looking down and not recognizing any land mark from my current height.

Mentally sighing I dove down and landed on a roof and found my bearings and called up a mental map of how to get to the school from where I was and took off again following the road below me. I knew it wasn't the most direct route to the school but is was the best I could do at the moment since the last thing I needed was to get lost on my way to the one solid idea I had at the moment. For the most part I stayed near the ground during the trip, well near the ground compared to what I could do, I didn't get much above the roof tops.

By the time I landed at the school the sun was beginning to set and the thermals were starting to die down which would make flying in this body hard. From what I'd read off a website falcons were perfectly capable of flying under there own power but they were adapted to using naturally occurring thermals to get where they were going, combine that with their bad nocturnal eye sight and it was for the best if I lost the feathers for the rest of the trip. I quick circle around the school only showed a few cars in the lot, but hopefully that wouldn't cause to much of a problem for me in the long run.

I demorphed behind a few bushes on the side of the school and could help but look around, somehow being at the school at this time feeling unnatural, of course everything I was doing today felt unnatural so that wasn't really a surprise. Taking another deep breath I pictured Sally in my mind and let the changes happen, fur shot down my arms and legs while a tail seemed to drop out of me completely covered in fur. My legs shifted, bones mutating, and making me taller, the fur continued to spread over my body while I simultaneously shrank. My eras moved up to the top of my head while my nose and face elongated like something out of a werewolf movie. When my nose kicked in it was like getting hit in the face with a perfume from the mall, it was almost painful and made me forget about the other changes to my body till they were done. When the instincts kicked in I almost wanted to cry in relief, they somehow controlled the overload of sensory information. In addition to controlling my nose the instincts had one other benefit, I didn't have to control her, the dog wanted to work, it was the complete opposite of what I'd thought I'd be. From what I'd heard dogs were playful and fun loving, but this pup was a work horse, all she wanted to do was her job.

(Who am I to refuse then,) dropping my nose and smelling the feather, doing my best to take in every detail of the smell and trying to memorize Tobias' scent. After a moment I lifted my head to the sky and took a deep breath and let my nose get assaulted by the obscene number of other scents. It took a while to translate all the smells and narrow them all down till I finally picked up the multiple scent traces of Tobias and found the strongest one, somehow knowing it was the most recent. Yeah it was in the sky, but it still left traces on the ground and if this dog was half of what I was hoping I could follow the smell right back to the source.

(Ok lets see what we can do,) following the scent, the disorientation from the color shift wearing off rather quickly as my nose and ears made up for the lack of visual detail. The only way I can describe it was as if I were possessed, where the scent trail lead I followed blindly and without hesitation, and I was actually happy to be doing it. I didn't care where I was going, or at least Sally didn't, all she wanted to do was follow the scent and by doing that I was making her happy, giving her a job to do. I followed the smell for what I thought was almost an hour not caring about anything around me, at least on a base level I didn't care the human side of me was very aware of how badly this could go as I side stepped people on the side walks and cars on the road. At any moment I was expecting a the old cliché giant net to drop out of the sky and throw me into the back of a truck.

I stated getting conflicting information as the sun went down, the trial I'd been following leading my out of town, but a new trail that was somehow a fresher and different it was something the dog's instincts understood but was beyond my ability to know what the new smell on him was. The new trail lead back into town and slightly confusing the canines instincts but not my human mind. While Sally wanted to stay of the trail and simply run it down regardless of where it went I had other plans and forced my nose onto the new trail and headed back to town. At first I was just focusing in on birdie's smell, but it became clear after a while that he wasn't alone, that someone else was with him, it's smell something Sally didn't recognize, that however couldn't be said for the smell hanging on Tobias that I finally was able to understand as we went along, fresh blood.

My bird was bleeding and badly from the coppery smell that hung on him which told me one of two things either he wasn't able to morph and heal or he'd fought something and hadn't wanted to wash off the blood. Somehow I was doubting that he had killed something in the short span of time since we'd last seen each other. I also had a feeling that whoever was carrying my bird didn't have the best of intentions regarding his well being.

A growl started deep in my throat when I realized just what kind of shape birdie was in and picked up the pace, shifting from a quick lope to a sprint as I tried to cover the distance from where I was to where I hoped Tobias was as soon as possible. The trail ended up leading me to the docks, the salt air slightly stinging my nose tongue as it hung out, my body in need of a drink. I was lucky there weren't any new ships coming into port, having to deal with people unloading cargo was the last thing I needed to deal with. Unfortunately the smell of ship fuel along with the multiple other toxins swimming through the air made finding birdie's scent a bit harder than before and I eventually had to abandon using the nose all together, and decided to demorph and rethink my plan.

As my body shifted a terrifying thought entered my mind how long I'd been in morph to begin with and the thought chilled me, up till that moment I hadn't really thought about the time limit but now I felt it hang over my head like the Sword of Damocles. "Stupid girl, really stupid," the words escaping out of my perfectly formed mouth, "I have to figure out some way of telling time before I get myself trapped, the last thing I need to explain why I'm a dog to my parents."

I took a second to calm down, aware that I might have dodged a bullet back there and looked around, everything seeming a little different now that I wasn't in my dog form. "I can see why Tobias stays an animal," scratching my head and looking around, "birds have better sight, dogs better noses, compared to them the human body just doesn't cut it for processing information." I felt like I was blind, deaf and had socks shoved up my nose, I actually felt like I was in the wrong body for a few moments, it was more than a little unnerving.

I walked around for a few minutes, doing my best to navigate in the dark and hoping I did hit anything of value in the process. The more I walked the more I felt like I was wasting my time, the Sally's nose might have been over loaded but it was more productive than this. About the time I settled on going back to my canine form the choice was somewhat taken out of my hands as I heard a very distinctive scream tear through the night, one I knew by instinct alone, "Tobias."

Focusing my mind I retook my falcon form, not caring that it was dark out, and took wing. My eye sight wasn't as bad as I thought I'd be, it was about the same as my human eye sight at night, not great, but good enough to let me fly as long as I focused on what was in front of me. The first scream followed by others, each more painful than the last, and each helping me figure out where he was in the maze of dark building. Three screams later I'd found him and slipped through a broken window, or more specifically found them, someone that I assumed was David was hovering above Tobias and holding what looked like a cattle prod. Under normal circumstances this would be bad, but now it was all the worse considering birdie had at least one other little problem in addition to the maniacal ghost over him, the fact that he couldn't move. Wrapped around his body were yellow bands that put off an ethereal light and seemed to be connected to a table by a single strand, almost like a ghost aura, and knowing that it meant they probably had a few additional tricks other than holding him down.

My first instinct was to dive down and try and deal with him but my higher brain function won out, if Tobias couldn't deal with that guy what were my odds with only a fraction of the experience and bodies. I had to go about this in the right way, I had to be smart and wait for my moment to strike, so just stood there in the rafters of the building biding my time and waiting for the moment to strike. At the very least I knew Tobias was alright, that or this guy was a ventriloquist in his spare time and that made me fell a little bit better about doing nothing. I also couldn't help but wonder where my brother was, had he not been able to find Tobias, or had David already found him and left him bleeding in a gutter some where, these were answers I was intent on finding out before I left.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

I awoke to the sound of screaming and the feeling of pain, well more pain anyway something was really wrong with my beak and I felt like part of me was on fire. No not fire just a lot a pain, the feeling an type slowing making sense as I got my eyes open and realized I was the one screaming as a result of whatever David was stabbing into me.

(Thought you were dead,) the thoughts sounding weak even to me, (I didn't think it was time for this nightmare.) After I said it, my mind started clicking on, this wasn't a dream or a nightmare, it was reality as the last few hours came back to me.

"I am dead," he snarled stabbing me again with the stick and causing a jolt of pain to run through my body that felt like I was being burned from the inside out.

(What you've never been confused in the morning,) I growled lamely and focused on the mallard that had on stock at tried to morph it not caring what he did to me. Boy was that a mistake, the second I felt the change start it felt like I was being squeezed all over my body by something while being scorched and flash frozen at the same time, not a pleasant experience. In the end I couldn't take it and had to morph back in defeat as nothing at all was changed.

Above me David nearly laughed his butt off, even falling back in the sky and laughing on his back in hysterics, "that was so worth it, I LOVE THIS STUFF!"

(It wasn't that funny,) trying to sound menacing and knowing that I was failing.

"Oh yes it was," righting himself and hefting some kind of metal stick that I had a feeling was the cause of at least part of the pain.

(No it wasn't,) trying to stretch my wings and figure out what was around me only to be met by the same burning, freezing, constricting assault and more of David's laughter that chilled me to the bone.

"Do you like it," moving towards me and grabbing whatever was around me and picking me up by it, letting me see the yellow color of it. "I picked it up from the guy funding this let get together, it has some pretty ugly properties as you've seen, and it's going to be keeping you nice and calm while I have my fun with you. You should feel grateful, your going to be the test for it, if this does what I hope it will it'll find place in my plans for the others."

(You really are a sicko you know that,) trying to sound like a grizzled action movie hero.

"Your hardly one to talk there feather boy," running his free hand over the mess that use to be my face and poking me causing a new jolt of pain to run through my body then flung me back to the ground. "Now where exactly should I begin," floating away from me over to a tray who contents I couldn't see. "So much to do and so little time to do it in," running his hand over something in the container, "I really do have no idea where to start. I suppose the classics are the best," pulling something that looked like a fine bladed serrated machete out and testing the blade with his finger, "but what body part to start with."

(How about my ears so I don't have to listen to your miserable voice anymore.)

(I could but it wouldn't stop me,) still possessing thought speech and floating over to me, "but I prefer the sound of my own voice, that mind talking thing never did feel right."

(Then how about you just stab me in the heart so I can stop caring about all this and kick your tail on the other side.)

"Like you could," digging a free finger into the gabbing hole that was now my face, "and I told you, this can't be fast, that ruins all the fun of what I have planned."

(Well pardon me for ruining your fun time,) I hissed at him.

"How can you ruin it you're the guest of honor," fingering the blade, "but you can help with something, how should I go about dealing with the others?"

(You want my opinion on you torturing my friends, you've got to be kidding me,) at the moment I doubted telling him the others didn't even know who he was would be a good idea, and why he didn't know Rachel was already on the other side was beyond me.

"Not really," giving me a smile that made my skin crawl, "I just want you to know what awaits them when I get to them."

(Let me guess cutting skin off, a slow burn, eating them?)

"Oh no, your the only one here I plan on eating," grabbing my by the throat and pulling me forward, "but that's a ways off."

(So what are your plans,) wish beyond anything I've ever wished for to bite him in the nose.

"In due time little red tail, in due time," dropping me down on the table, "I can't tell you what I'm going to do, I have to show you," stabbing the knife between the bonds into my chest. The pain was intense, not as bad as the bonds but still pretty bad, "how does it feel, be honest," twisting the knife, "I'm planning on starting all my conquests like this."

(Go gargle with sulfuric acid,) I snapped not wanting to give him anything.

"Oh," pulling the knife out, "thanks, I'll have to add that one to the list," stabbing the knife into the middle of my leg and pulling it straight down cutting it in half. "Oh wait that was suppose to come later," shaking his head and removing the knife, "can't be helped, now where to next," picking up a rag and wiping off the blood.

(You were going to let the bird go,) I offered on the off chance it would work.

"Try again," putting the knife back in the tray and pulling out a syringe, "it's amazing the things you can get when you have full access to a hospital's pharmacy."

(I'm not going to like this am I.)

"Hard to say, this is meant for a human, I have no real idea how it'll effect you," tapping the plastic tube, "but it'll be fun to find out won't it," stabbing me in the chest with it. I didn't like getting shots when I was human and I didn't like them now, which was funny because I've been hurt a lot worse in the past. After he stabbed me he dropping the syringe back into the tub and hovered there watching me, "I really hope this doesn't end up killing you, it would be such a waste of a great opportunity."

(Seriously there are psychologists on the other side go see one you obviously need the help,) I growled at him while the world started spinning, colors changed, things seemed to turn inside out. (What did you shoot me full of you miserable waste of ectoplasm?)

"If the guy on the other side was right a very potent blood thinner with a few other things added, but really it's hard to say he was at least eighty years old and it was hard to understand him past the accent," his whole body looking like a giant blob with five mouths.

(Yeah I'm going to say you got it wrong,) my head swaying slightly as I felt warm all over, and this time not from pain.

"Huh, pity," I though he moved back over to me but I couldn't be sure, the perspectives seemed to be going to crazy and I was having a really hard time thinking straight. "So we'll just have to move on to round two then, holding what I really hoped was a knife and not a rattle snake that was spitting fire. The next thing I knew I was feeling something between my legs and I assumed it was whatever David was holding, however if it was suppose to hurt he was doing a bad job of it. "No screaming," his voice sounding like it was miles away, "have to fix that," doing something to my leg that I couldn't feel.

(That the best you got you donkey…,) the words trailing off as I lost control of my head and slammed into the table and for a second though I was going to start flying again. The feeling was so nice I spread my wings to catch the air and was greeting by searing pain that brought reality back into sharp focus.

"You know if your going to torture yourself if kind of takes all the fun away from me," folding his arms.

(Well if you were smart enough to know the difference between species this wouldn't be a problem,) I snapped, my anger coming back as full strength and feeling the drug's effect trying to come back to the surface.

"Don't get high and mighty with me bird," stabbing me in the chest with what looked like a pair of rusty pliers and opening them inside the hole they'd made.

(Hard not to when I'm looking down on an idiot,) trying to scratch him with my good foot only to discover that last slice had removed it from me completely.

"But I'm not the one with a stump," stabbing me again, the pain helping to keep my focused.

(No you're the one with the brain deficiency,) glaring at him.

At that his arm reared back to strike at me only to stop himself and running his fingers through stubble on his head, "no, it's not going to be that easy bird, we have so much left to do before I finish you." He put his hands behind his back and floated back and looked back in the container, "this isn't really going as planned, not in a bad way, but still not as I envisioned. Maybe things will go better with one of the others, they seem to know how to play their parts." That got a growl out of me, "So many choices and only one opportunity to do them in," running his hands along the contents.

My vision started to mess up again so I stretched and sent a new blast through my body to clear my head again. "You know he's paying me to deal with those little brats your running around with," not looking back at me, "granted he didn't say I had to kill them, but he didn't say I couldn't either, at least not all of them. Maybe I should start with them first, a kind of warm up for the main event, something to test out all my theories before I put them into practice." At that I surged against the bond out of instinct and wanting nothing more than to hurt him anyway I could and was rewarded by a new blast of the varying pains.

"Oh now I have to do it," glancing back at me, "if it get you that riled up, but who to start with, the little geek boy's a little to easy, and the goth freak might enjoy it, so I guess that leaves the redhead," pulling the previous knife out, "oh yeah she's going to be fun."

(Touch her and I will find a way of killing you all over again,) my thoughts deadly serious.

"Oooooo," running his fingers along the blade again, "the tough killer bird has a soft spot for her, tell me how does Rachel feel about you hanging around jail bait?"

(Leave them out of this,) my thoughts on Jazz and her friends more than my own.

"Can't do it," stabbing the blade into my wing and through a few bones, "now that I know all this, and here I thought I was the sick one," throwing his head back and laughing.

(I swear…)

"What, what can you possibly do," twisting the knife, "in case you hadn't noticed your not the one in control here. I'm going swallow you whole then I'm going down the line and killing each and every one of them after I have my fun till I get to that little skank you claim to love."

(YOUR NOT TOUCHING JAZZ!) the roar ripping out of me and going everywhere before I even knew what I said as I tried to snap at him with my nonexistent beak.

"Oh yeah I did not just hear that," his smile growing wild and frightening, "first the blond now the redhead," grabbing me by the throat, "I'm going to have so much fun with this. I was planning something special for Rachel considering how much you cared about her, but now I get to do it twice, oh this is my lucky day, tell me there are more. Tell me there's just a line of sick sick little whores behind you that can run through till the sun comes up."

(I will find a way to KILL YOU!) lunging at him the best I could and getting a massive blast of burning and freezing.

"You and what army?"

(Me,) the voice making me think I was hallucinating as David suddenly moving backwards and grabbing at something behind him.

"GET OFF ME," his hands moving back, clawing at something just beyond my ability to see, "GET OFF," the panic in his voice rising while he turned in the sky revealing his unwanted guest. For a second I thought the blood loss was starting to catch up to me I swore I saw a falcon on David's back, an old enemy from the wild trying to get a lick in before it was to late. It was almost surreal it clawed at the back of the ghosts head and flapped it's wings trying to hurt him, but the moves were primitive, more instinctual than the should be, almost like it had never been in a fight before.

(I NEED HELP HERE,) the words cutting into my mind like a razor blade, it was Jazz's voice but not, while a mental groan I struggled against my bonds getting another blast through my body and clearing my head and hoping things would now make more sense. (I CAN'T DO THIS BIRDIE,) her words hitting me again, this time I understood them, or not, I knew it was Jazz in front of me but I had absolutely no idea how she'd gotten feathers.

(Jazz,) the words almost hesitant as I focused my thoughts on the bird alone.

(Yeah we need to talk,) losing her grip on David as his body flared into his burning lion form and she impacted the table I was stuck on.

(Now that's an understatement,) watching her fall on the ground.

"I should've known," he growled lifting his lips in a snarl, "you don't go anywhere alone, you don't live alone, you don't fight alone, how could I believe you'd come here by yourself. So how'd he drag you into this Jake, or do you still just need to be the hero?"

(What,) Jazz asked me from below, already having gotten some of the finer elements of morphing down.

(You look like a peregrine, the same bird Jake had, he must not remember the scent, don't say anything we might be able to use it,) my mind on fire as I pushed aside the rising anger at the situation, at once more ruining Jazz's normal life, and tried to come up with a plan to get her out alive. (Fly, distract him, either make him let me go and find your brother…anyone in your family with the right equipment for fighting ghosts.)

In a bitter tone, (nice to know you have faith in me,) rising from below the table and flying at the burning cat.

"Once a hero always a hero huh," a deep rumble coming from inside his throat, "fine lets dance," diving in and sweeping his claws, his strike barley missing as Jazz flapped over the strike, her size giving her a slight edge. But while she avoided that first strike it didn't stop him from spinning into a kick than landed with a strike to her beak sending her end over end into a crate. "That's it," floating over to her, "all this time and that's all you got Jakey, I was hoping for so much more."

(Brave man aren't you,) sending my thought's into David's head, (all that power and this is all you can do with it, pick on those you know are weaker than you.)

"Well if I picked on those stronger than me this wouldn't be any fun," turning his attention back to me, the momentary lapse in focus letting Jazz get back into the sky and fly out of reach, at least for the moment. "Oh very cleaver," his ear turning, "the old distraction play, you really think that's going to save you? I'm unbeatable now bird and your all going to die, it's just a matter of when." At that he changed growing longer, losing the feline characteristics and replacing them with reptilian ones, becoming a bipedal rattlesnake, "lets see how you do against this Jakey boy," and diving at Jazz his speed going beyond what he had formerly had.

(Well this is different,) flapping up near some crates and out of David's reach, or so she thought as his jumped up on the boxes and coiled around the with the speed of his genetic donor. With the blink of an eye he ended up above her and lashed out with his hand hitting her in the back and sending her downward before she could even turn to look at him. She didn't get a chance to hit the ground however as David coiled around her and tried to squeeze the life from her as if he were a python.

"To slow, to confident, to easy," he hissed trying to squeeze the life out of her, his mouth moving closer to her face.

(CLAW HIM,) focusing my thought in on Jazz, hoping she could move enough to do it.

(I think they're broken,) her voice far away, this time due to her own problem instead of the drugs in my system, his body was crushing the life out of her.

(Fight him, morph, do something, don't let him do this to you,) struggling against my bonds and getting a massive wave of pain running all over my body.

(Can't) her voice almost not existent in my head.

(DANNY GET HERE IN HERE,) my thoughts going everywhere channeling my pain into the thoughts and trying to send the thoughts as far as possible in all directions. I had no idea if he was in the area or if he could even hear me but I had to try, at the moment it was all I could do. Well almost, (stop it David that isn't Jake!)

His hold to Jazz slowed at that as he looked at me, "really then which one is it, I do need to know for the count, no point in looking for someone here if they're on the other side."

I was kind of surprised that actually stalled him, now the problem became what was I going to tell him, at this point I didn't think the truth was a good thing but what could I tell him, there were only so many of us I could shift the blame towards. (One of the kids,) I lied pulling the idea out of my tail, (you think you were the last one we gave the power to morph to, we gave it to others, ones that weren't sociopaths, you were just a failed prototype.)

"Really," his coils tightening around her, "then I'll just have to make this one quick won't I."

(LET HER GO,) surging against the bonds again, the pain not is intense this time, whether it was from the ghost cord somehow losing it's power or my senses deadening I couldn't be sure.

"Sounds like someone important to me," turning his face back to Jazz and shooting forward with his face biting down on her.

(NO!) the hawk in me jumping to the surface and my desire to take this guy part overwhelming me.

"HA…," turning and looking at me, "GOT…YA," his voce trailing off as I started morphing again, the pain from the bonds no longer of any concern to me.

* * *

**Jazz POV (A few seconds earlier)**

I never felt so good as when that burning black snake head pulled away from me, those haunting eyes were the things of nightmares, those teeth ensuring I never looked at a snake the same way again. If I could've breathed I sigh of relief I would've but I couldn't feel anything below my neck, well not entirely I could feel a dull far away pain but that was due in part to not having any blood circulating in my body. As it was I wasn't sure how I have even managed to stay conscious, as long as I had.

(Not done with you yet,) he spoke directly into my mind, (I plan on making him suffer through you,) then turning to Tobias, "HA…GOT…YA," his voice growing slow as he said the words. For a second I didn't understand why then I saw birdie and began to understand what was startling him, if I was right about what he was becoming I'd be scared to if I was him. For that matter I wasn't him and I was scared because I knew things were about to get really hot, really fast.

The rope glowed, trying to contain or stop him from growing but if it was doing any good I couldn't be sure but I doubted it considering it wasn't slowing him down. Growing was soon met by burning, blue flames rising off his body, flames that had reduced a Howler to a quizzing mess of ectoplasm, flames that ate through the ghost bonds that tried to contain his power. He was becoming a demon in feathers, something raw and primal, something the likes of which this guy had never faced before, something that might do more damage than good.

I broke my silence to David while he became mesmerized by the sight before him, (you should be running.)

"What," looking at me, "I know you…," whatever else he was going to say was drowned out as Tobias screamed the call of the strange alien bird and looked down at us his body still forming.

(LET. HER. GO.) his words taking on a savagery I'd never heard before as it mixed with something that might've been concern.

"Well this might be fun after all," unwrapping from my body, I tried to suck in air but I suddenly became aware of the bones puncturing my internal organs making that very difficult and painful. "So this is the best you can come up with, some messed up bird body, at least it's a little more interesting then the dinosaur but it'll end the same way." With that said he changed again, his body growing thinker, his head shifting into a form I recognized by instinct alone now, wings followed shortly coming out of his back while his hands an feet took on an unmistakable formation. He had gone bird on me, granted he was still burning like his last body, but he was definitely a bird based on a bird of prey.

(This is very bad,) looking up at him as he finished morphing and really hoping that at some point while I was unconscious he had learned to control that body.

"Bye bye bird," spreading his wings lifting into the air and shot Tobias, his hands open showing the talon that adorned the end of each finger. Tobias looked at him, or at least I thought he did, it was hard to tell with his head on fire like that, the blue glow of the flames almost blinding and painful as they made the building into a sauna that would cook me alive inside the warehouse. A building that soon wouldn't be there as I caught sight of the orange yellow flames that danced around his head, his body igniting the roof of the structure.

With a roar from David, black ghost flame met blue alien flame, a confrontation I knew David didn't have a chance of winning. Something that was confirmed a few seconds later as he we thrown back and landed on the ground and slid into a crate, blue flame mingling with his own black and screaming.

"PUT IT OUT," slapping his body as he tried to stop the spreading flame, something I knew from experience wouldn't be easy.

(You have to fight it Tobias,) I called into his mind hoping it would bring him out of it, (that body is dangerous birdie you have to take control of it.

If he heard me he didn't show it as David went back at him, his talons out as fly up high and tried to slash at the top of his head. He didn't even get close to him as Tobias swatted him away with one of his upper wings and in the process setting the a larger section of the roof on fire. David on the other hand went careening back into a wall, the blue flames rising further over his body as they tried to engulf him.

Landing on the ground with a thud this flames died away and in the process taking the ones courtesy of Tobias with them. "Oh that is it," growling at Tobias, the growing flames on the building casting him in an eerie light and highlighting the burn marks that ran over his body, a lasting present from birdies flames. Thrusting his hand forward a stream of florescent purple ectoplasm shot out of it and hit the burning bird in the face but unlike Tobias' fire this one did little to the target.

The burning alien bird just shook it's head at the impact and looked back at the ghost and struck with it's beak, lunging through several crates and knocking them aside as they erupted in more fire, trying to grab him. The strike barley missed as the ghost rose into the air and let loose another volley of ecto blasts that only seemed to enrage the beast that had once been Tobias.

"Yeah how do you like that you feathered freak," shifting into a new form that seemed to be based on a cat and striking at the neck of his opponent and seemingly doing more harm to himself than the alien bird as he pulled back two burning fists. "How do I kill you," throwing his head back and swatted away by a wing to embedded him into a wall.

(Tobias,) trying again, (get a grip your going to get us all killed if you keep this up,) the fire growing hotter around me and flames starting to move near me. I could've demorphed but at the moment I had a feeling that might make me more of a target to the beast in control of that body. (Come on birdie I know your in there listen to me, you have to stop or at least take the fight somewhere else before you get me killed not to mention everyone who might be in the area!)

If he heard me or even understood me I doubted he cared as he snapped at David who was continuing to throw blots of ectoplasm at him, the bright purple a stark contrast to the subdue version of the color he was surrounded in. "Would you just die," lashing out with a larger burst and hitting his target in the back between the wings. At the impact the burning bird seemed to faultier then drop onto it's chest and David threw his fists into the air, "got ya." His moment of joy was short lived however as the upper wings of the giant flamed bird shot up and caught him between them as though he were little more than a fly, a slow fly, but a fly none the less. For a moment the cat just hung in kid air almost like in a cartoon then reverted to his human ghost mode and fell down on the bird's back, blue flames covering his body and making him disappear in the burning aura put off by the bird.

For a second I just stood there in stunned silence unsure what to do or say, part of me thought I should say something, but I couldn't put the thoughts into words. Then Tobias' body flared, it had happened before during the fight, from what I could tell it was normal, but that one was larger, brighter and apparently screaming. The noise was followed by what I hoped was David leaping off the bird, a howl of inhuman pain escaping his mouth as he flied erratically around the room seemingly trying to put out the blue flames that covered his body and leaving a trail in the sky like a firefly wherever he went. In response to the escape Tobias went after him again but wasn't able to catch him with his beak, the ghost running for his life instead as he shot through a burning wall of the building, his ability to go intangible either not working or forgotten in the wake of what had to be inhuman pain. Tobias tried to follow him, his beck snapping at the ghost, or at least where he had been.

That left the two of us alone and if what Danny had told me about this body was true that was a bad thing the Denoxgo Lihnep or however you said it, was suppose to be incredibly strong and resilient and completely wild. I had to get Birdie back in control of himself, so I did the only thing I could, I talked to him because I doubted a girl, a bird, or a dog could put a dent in that thing if a ghost couldn't.

(Tobias you have to stop,) his attention turning away from the ghost's trail and to my general direction it was had to tell considering I couldn't see his eyes, (you have to regain control and you have to do it now.) All I got in response was a roar that would've been at home in a monster movie accompanied by a stream of hot air that I was surprised to feel given the inferno around me. The force of the air actually pushed me back, sending my beaten body rolling but somehow avoiding getting forced into a outcropping of fire.

(Come on birdie get a hold of yourself,) I half whimpered half roared, (your letting the body control you and that's not something that should happen, not to you. Your stronger than that, better than that, you made a hawk part of who you are, this thing can't be any harder, you have to be able to control it.) All I got in response was another roar and him moving closer to me, although what he had in mind I couldn't be sure.

I had to change my strategy, I needed to get through to Tobias and this wouldn't do it, raw flattery wouldn't get me any where, the bird was to far in control, I needed to jar his memory, give him a reason to fight, a reason to come back. (So this is it,) I hissed into his mind, (you finally have what you wanted, an outside to match your inside, to let me see the monster within you. A creature of death and destruction something that can't be stopped and doesn't care what it does as long as it lives, I hope your happy there.)

When I said it the Denoxgo Lihnep through an upper wing out sending a crate flying in my direction that shattered a few feet from me. I wasn't sure if that was a sign he was hearing me but I took it as one, (a monster you claimed to be and a monster you are. I'm happy you finally got what you wanted, your better off this way you don't have to pretend anymore, now your free to be what you are on the inside, I'm happy for you, ecstatic really because I get to see you kick off your new life with your first kill, with me. You do know that's what's going to happen don't you I'm going to die here and you going to be the one to kill me, it doesn't matter what I do I'm going to die either by fire or by you directly, even if I demorph it won't save me, there's simply no what out for me.)

At that he seemed to slow and look around, but for what I couldn't be sure. (But what'll it matter it's not like you care about killing anymore, all the blood on your hands what's one more to add to the list. The way you talk your totally fine about snuffing out lives of anyone that gets in your way without a second thought, you almost seem to enjoy it. That why you don't want me around isn't it that your afraid the blood lust will grow to strong and you'll kill me one day, that the animal will win out, well congratulations that day has already come, you are an animal, a monster.)

If I could've covered my ears I would've as he screamed something that made the room shake and the fire flicker. (A happy little monster free to do as you wish with out regret or remorse, totally without concern for humanity or those you kill to appease your hunger. You'll be a true monster and true beast finally free of silly human concerns like friendship or love you can do whatever you wish. After all animals don't think about things like that, they don't need to, they just get in the way of being animals and surviving in the hash realities of the wild. They don't care about hurting things, they don't think twice about anything they do, they don't have to. But for someone that already claimed to be an animal you did a lot of that, how many times did I hear 'I killed people, that you wouldn't like me if you knew me, that I'm a monster, an animal'. Guess what birdie ANIMAL DON'T CARE ABOUT THOSE KINDS OF THINGS!)

(Animals don't regret, they may miss a mate but that's only a few species, humans are the only creatures on earth that truly regret doing things. That's what separates us form all other life on Earth, it's not power, or brain size or thumbs, it's about caring about what we do and how it effects other people. You've done horrible things I understand that, more now than I ever did before, but you didn't do them because you wanted to, you did it to protect your friends, your family, more importantly you regret what you did. I listen Tobias it's what I do, I hear it in your voice and in your thoughts when you talk about those moments, you hate them, hated doing them. Every time you went out there you knew what your were going to be forced to do and did it anyway to protect those you loved, that's not the sign of a monster Tobias that's the sign of a man. More importantly you regret doing it, it doesn't even matter why you did it, if you went out there and did all those things and didn't care about the out come you would have been a monster, but you didn't do that. You think about them all the time, think about what they did to you, think about who they hurt, monsters wouldn't do that, at least not in the way you do. When they think about those things they get a perverse pleasure out of them, you don't, you hate them, you hate what you did to them and hate what you did to yourself.)

(Listen to me birdie, I don't know you as well as I wish I did despite knowing your past the way I do, but I do know this, you're a good man. The things you do you don't do for yourself, you do them to protect life, protect those you care for and those that don't even know you. You've done bad things but your not a bad person and nothing will ever make you one. You're the nicest, sweetest guy I've ever known, you've opened my eyes to things I didn't know I never considered. You let me see the world around me in a new light, let me be with my brother in a way I wasn't sure I could be, you made me a better person for knowing you and the others will say the same thing.)

(You have to stop blaming yourself for everything birdie, it's not all your fault. No one is perfect, and you no exception but your not the creature you believe yourself to be. Think about it, I've dealt with monsters in my life, I dated one for a short period of time, I know freaks and monsters, and people that deserve to be locked up and your not one of them. If you were really as bad as you say you are would I be working this hard to get you back, would I put my life on the line? I need you in my life Tobias, I need to know your there looking out for me, to know there's one decent person lift on Earth that's willing to give everything for those that he loves. Birdie please I'm begging you, I need you, PLEASE WAKE UP, be the person I know you are, be the good man we all see, the one that forgot who he was, the one who saved my life, THE ONE I LOVE.)

* * *

**Tobias POV (A few moments earlier)**

The food-prey left, all who challenge me will run or die it is the law but I hunger, it won't get far, spreading my wings ready to pursue, the only thing that stops me is the buzzing. I feel it in my head, there but not, a distraction, something I shouldn't bother with, but I have to. All things are important, they all reveal food-prey if you know how to use them, the buzzing is no exception. I don't know where I am, nor do I care, it will bend to me, everything does in time, and I will find the hiding place of the food-prey.

There, food-prey, but a waste, laying there hiding, thinking it can escape, it will not, it's barely a meal but it will do. The buzzing starts again, is it the food-prey? Doesn't matter it will either be gone when I eat or it will not it doesn't matter. I roar at the food to see if it runs or others come, a meal may still be found here, they may come tome rather than run and anger me, but nothing comes and the food-prey flees or tires to stopping soon after. The buzzing beings again and I roar at it once more at the food prey.

No? Looking up not understanding something was changing, confusing me, food-prey is not food-prey? Small creature was food-prey looking at it, but not food-prey, if not food-prey what? The thought confused me, angry I removed part of the cave sending it at food-prey making reveal what I was.

The buzzing grew louder and caused pain, inside pain, I didn't understand was it attacking me? I didn't understand what was happening, was it food-prey, how could food-prey hurt me like this? I needed it to be quiet, the inside pain grew worse, nothing could hurt me, food-prey would pay. I screamed, I would make food-prey stop buzzing, stop hurting.

The buzzing didn't stop and the pain grew worse but different, close but far away, I didn't understand, food-prey had to die, had to be stopped. Food-prey did not hurt me, food-prey would…not food-prey? Looking at the creature again seeing something else, food-prey but not food-prey, food-prey…mate?

Food-prey not mate, the idea confusing me, to small for mate, could not be mate, beast must be food-prey. But was still mate, had to be mate, could not be food-prey. The buzzing, the buzzing was doing this, it made food-prey into food-prey mate, had to kill food-prey.

Then the buzzing changed, same but different, it meant something but what? I didn't understand I just wanted everything to be quiet and stop hurting so I could eat.

(good man,) I understood it, I knew what it meant, but it wasn't me, I didn't know what it meant, but I did, I didn't understand, I wanted food-prey-mate-Jazz to be quiet. Jazz? Food-prey-Jazz, the thought confused me, I didn't understand, what did that mean, what…who is Jazz? The thought burned in my mind the buzzing making more sense but not making sense, it was important but why?

I wanted to scream but nothing worked, it felt like threat brothers were attacking me, hurting me inside wanting me to do something but I didn't understand any of it I just wanted Jazz to leave me alone, I didn't want to hurt her anymore why couldn't she understand that, the longer she was with me the more she was in danger.

When that thought flashed through my mind everything made sense, just like so long ago it felt like the word turned inside out and upside down, I knew who I was, I knew where I was, I was Tobias, I was human, I was…in a burning building killing Jazz with my very presence.

(JASMINE,) screaming into her mind trying to get her to answer me, needing to know right here and now that she was ok.

(Hey…birdie,) weakly looking up at me everything she had said to me running through my mind, the photographic memory of the Denoxgo Lihnep laying somewhere between blessing and curse at the moment. (Glad to know your back with me,) her mental voice weak, but with a hint of a laugh still in it

(Thanks to you, but next time don't lay it on so thick,) watching the fire burn around her, and more importantly seeing the damage done to by David. She was a mess, feathers were gone, she had burned patches randomly littering her body, blood was everywhere, bones were sticking out at odd angles and I was pretty sure she couldn't move under her own power any more. (You are one ugly sight red,) shaking my head a little, the shift of my head letting me see what came next before Jazz even knew what happened. The roof was burning, but I already knew that, it was when the roof collapse that I became freaked out, a large patch falling right towards Jazz. With all the speed I could manage I shot my upper wings forward and tried to catch the material, unsure what would happen but needing to try something. I managed to catch part of it, most of it burning at it touched my wings and flipped it away but some still got past me landing on top of Jazz and I could only imagine the sound it made.

(JAZZ,) hoping to get something out of her to know she was still alive down there. When she didn't reply I had to get to her as fast as I could, but I had to shift forms first cause at the moment if I tired to help her I'd make the situation worse. As fast as I could I demorphed and flapped over to her, the heat rising off the burning building and igniting my feathers and forming blisters on my skin. (Gotta move fast,) focusing on the Deinonychus, it might not have been the best body for the situation, but it was that or a Hork-Bajir and I had a feeling I was going to need the extra jumping power more that the raw strength.

I didn't wait for the body to finish forming, the second I had something resembling hand and started digging in the debris and trying to find Jazz. (Come on red talk to me,) I growled into the mess hoping to get some response from her, anything to let me know she was alive but didn't get any. By the time I was done morphing I'd found her leg, unfortunately it wasn't attacked to anything. Forcing down the panic that was rising in my body, and the knowledge that part of me was on fire being pushed to the side, I kept digging, speed replacing caution not caring if the pile collapsed so long as I got her out fast as possible.

With a growl and a snarl I tossed aside the last chunk of material and found her and almost wish I hadn't, her internal organs were now on the outside and part of her head was crushed, bits of brain along with the rest of her frying on the ground. I couldn't stop the scream from coming out of my mouth, it was a roar of pain and sorrow the likes of which I didn't know I could feel. Growling to myself I held on the hope that it wasn't to late, that there was still enough of her to wake up and demorph. As gently as possible I scooped her up in my clawed hands, her body seeming so small now, and tried not to throw up like my human side wanted to do, or eat her like to dinosaur side was screaming. Looking around quickly I saw what I hoped was a way out, a window on the cat walk near the roof, I had no illusions that it was anything other than a bad idea but I couldn't see another way out and she was running out of time.

With my growl growing larger I jumped over a rising river of flame and bounded up crates as fast as possible and prayed they could support my weight and that they didn't somehow explode when I touched them. The whole trip I kept talking to Jazz, trying to revive her, hoping that it wasn't to late and that I was doing the right thing. After a few leap I managed to get onto the cat walk, however I probably left most of my feet attacked to various crates, the soles now bloody from the lack of skin, only my uplifted killing claw still remaining untouched.

(Time to do something stupid bird,) running at the window and really hoping I wasn't going to bounce off it and back into the fire. With a snarl I ran and jumped at the window, turning in midair and hitting the plane of glass head on in an attempt to shield Jazz, the material giving way under my weight and shattering outward and dropping me into the unknown. (Oh this is going to hurt,) I managed to get out still spinning in the air and landing on my back the impact jarring me for a few seconds but not enough to stop me. By the time I scrambled to my feet I became aware of something else, the sound of sirens heading my way, inside the building the roar of the fire had deafened me to their call but now I knew I would've had company rather soon one way or another. (Stay on target bird,) I reminded myself and started running in the other direction and doing my best to ignore the pain radiating from my body due to the fall.

I ran for a few yards before my concern for Jazz took priority over needing to hide and bolted behind a building and hoped it would be good enough. Up till now I hadn't been able to get her to respond to me but up till now I'd been nice about everything, that was about to change. Dropping her on the ground without any kind of ceremony, (your getting up now Jasmine,) the words more a statement of fact than anything else. My growl filled the air as I looked at her and put my bloody foot on her, adding a little more color to her misshapen form, and stabbing the long claw into her. (GET UP,) roaring inside her mind hoping to jar the last remnants of her consciousness to the surface, hoping the next time I saw her it wasn't inside the Ghost Zone. When she didn't stir I kicked her with the other foot sinking the claw into her back, (YOU WILL WAKE UP OR I WILL FEED YOUR BODY TO A RABID JUNKYARD DOG!)

When that didn't get her up I started to panic and knelt down next to her and sunk my finger claws into her, (please girl, please get up, please, don't do this to me,) rubbing my snout into her damaged face, (fight it Jazz I know you can, come back to me, I can't lose anybody else, I've lost to many people I love already I can't lose anymore.)

(And you say,) a groan tearing into my mind, (that I lay it on think.)

(Demorph girl, do it now because you aren't going to make it if you don't,) tearing coming to my eyes, up till that moment I wasn't aware this body even had tear ducts.

Watching her shift back to her human form was almost sickening, burned feathers grew back in to her body, reveling a body riddling in scars and open wounds. Watching her organs that poked out of her body get sucked into her body was one of the most frightening tings I've ever seen before. The wounds then knitted themselves back together her flesh healing and smoothing out, the beak sucking into her face and becoming lips, a nose and teeth. Red hair cascaded out of her head as her skull repaired itself and one eye regrew in it's socket, the sight making even my skin crawl. Her shattered wing fixed itself and grew into an arm, bones shifting and mend in a second, and another grew from a stump. Her legs were in much the same condition, one growing from nothing and one growing from mangled remains. For a second I considered turning away but when her body started turning green I figured it was safe to assume I wouldn't see anything she'd beat me for later on. After that the changes were more minor, limbs finishing taking shape and gaining definition and then it was over, but I couldn't help note the speed of the changes, they were all to fast for a normal morph capable person, in truth the only one I'd seen that could do it that was fast was myself, another piece to a very interesting story.

"Considering how much that hurt I'm guessing I'm still alive," she groaned sitting up.

(No your in a very ugly section of the Ghost Zone, with some really bad company,) the comment getting me slapped in the face before I knew what was happening.

"Stop saying those things," pulling my burned and tender scales into a hug, "just stop it."

(Jazz…,) I started, her fingers on my beck stopping me.

"I heard everything and I know you heard me, or at least if what Danny told me about that body was true I know you heard me, so lets stop with the games. I don't care what you've done, you're a good person and if you try and run away again out of some macho ego driven desire to keep me safe I will cut off you legs and bring you back home as many times as I have to until you get it." Holding my head in her hands, "I see past what you were to what you are, a good man who did bad things for a good reason and now you have two choice try and leave me at which point I will kick the crap out of you or stay with me and have a good a life as two weirdo trouble magnets like us can possibly have."

(Jazz)

"Those are the only choices here birdie, I'm not letting you run away anymore, from yourself or from me. It's time to let go of the past and look towards the future, it's time you forgave yourself for all the things you couldn't help and you couldn't stop, and know if nothing else that I forgive you for everything you think you did wrong with me, which in truth is nothing at all."

(I made you a freak,) I whimpered.

"You gave me wings," looking into my eyes, "you showed me who I am, that's nothing to apologies for you under fed turkey," playfully rubbing the top of my head. At that I hesitated for a moment the words slowly sinking in and in the end I buried my head into her shoulder, it was almost kind of a shame that the Deinonychus didn't fit into the small spot, or that it was so burned it hurt beyond words. We stayed like that for a few moments, Jazz's hand playfully running up and down my spine, somehow a feeling of calmness flowing through me despite all the turmoil I'd experienced. A moment that was cut all to short by the shots of people and sirens, whoever had been dealing with the fire starting to look around for anyone in the area that might need help.

"I think we need to fly birdie, that or have a really good story ready to tell them."

(I'm your pet dino and you're a pyromaniac,) offering the bad joke, the strange serenity still hanging on me as I demorphed to my bird body while she morphed her own. (Think you can fly at night,) looking over the obviously day light raptor.

(Um…maybe,) looking away from me a little embarrassment creeping into her words, (I kinda got her on foot and I'm not exactly comfortable flying really high up yet.)

(A bird that doesn't like heights, your pathetic,) cocking my head and flapping up into the night sky, (keep up, I don't want you eaten by a owl on the way home,) laughing a little as she followed me into the night sky while the warehouse burned and the sirens screamed and flashed filling the night with a creepy light that lit the way for several miles. Thankfully flying at night in the city isn't that bad, street lights and office buildings make the sky just bright enough to get around with a degree of safety, granted visibility was still poor over long distances but it was enough to get Jazz home with out much trouble, although I did have to coach her on a few of the more subtle elements of flying and make sure she stayed on my tail so she didn't get lost and taken down by any of the owls that roamed the area.

The trip itself was mostly spent in silence aside from those moments of guidance, my mind heavy with everything she had told me. As hard as I tried I couldn't make the words grow quiet, each one holding some element of truth I couldn't let go of. The more I thought the more it seemed to confuse me, everything that I knew, everything that I thought about myself didn't seem to make sense anymore all because of some girl that couldn't really understand me, yet somehow did more completely than I knew myself.

(This isn't good,) the sight in front of me breaking off the thoughts swirling inside my head as we approached the Fenton Works, a new problem making itself known.

(What,) Jazz asked behind me, at the moment I wasn't worried about anyone finding it weird that we were flying in formation.

(You don't have a twin sister do you?)

(Why?)

(Because I'm looking through your window and your already in your room,) looking at a very human Jazz pacing in her room.

(Wow I wonder if Danny ever had this problem,) sounding almost calm behind me.

(Let me try something,) focusing on the Jazz inside having an idea who it was but not completely sure, (open the window I'm coming in.) A few seconds later the glass lifted, the redhead doing so moving out of the way so we could drift in without concern. (Thanks Nikki,) looking up at the human Jazz who shimmered and retook her other hologram identity.

"Not a problem," looking at the real Jazz, "well that's different nice to know your not alone anymore Tobias."

(Not that I'm arguing here but how did you know to be here,) Jazz demorphing, the changes mesmerizing me as she changed with a subtle ease and beauty that she hadn't when demorphing from the burns and damage, a series of breath taking changes I'd only seen one other person manage.

"I know him and I apparently know you," smiling and crossing her arms, "I already had a good idea how this would end and I thought it would be for the best if I kept the others out of your way for as long as possible, that or run the risk of them destroying what you were trying to do."

"Say what now," Jazz regaining her human mouth.

(The dog out smarted us and knew you'd come after me at some point,) Looking from one to the other, (so she covered for you without you needing to ask. Don't try and figure out how she does it,) looking over at Jazz, (the Chee are just to smart and to aware for the likes of us to understand.)

"The benefit of age young bird," the ancient alien looking down at me, "and now that I know your in capable hands I'm going home." She looked over at Jazz, "Sam thinks you were here all night so don't worry and if you want to tell them about this morphing thing you'll have to do this on your own terms. Oh and keep him out of trouble ok, or at least as much as any one person can, and you," looking back at me, "drop me a line if you need me but I'm done going off world for almost any reason short of planetary extinction."

(That's the only reason who've gone off world since we've met.)

"I know, I'm just making it clear, be safe you two," nodding her head slightly and disappearing as her hologram kicked in, only to reappear a moment later. "Almost forgot, tell Tucker to check his PDA when his parents finally give it back, I made a few Chee level upgrades yesterday considering I knew Tobias would come back, they're all pretty straight forward but I'll let him figure most of them out. Make no mistake this is some serious equipment and is beyond what most people on Earth have seen before. It's nothing dangerous I've mainly upgraded all existing abilities to a considerable degree, you should find it useful for the future, I also threw in a few little things I thought might be useful. And make sure he knows he can't try and take it apart, if he does it will self destruct on him and I made sure no one outside the five of you can use it, I'm willing to help out a friend but some secrets are best left unknown."

(So what happened to not giving us technologies Nikki?)

"I consider this a loophole," and with that she disappeared again and while the room didn't change I had no doubt that she had left the room, her hologram extending to the door to prevent us from seeing her go.

Jazz just shook her head after a few moment, "that is a weird lady but I do like her."

(She does grow on you after a while,) nodding my head and flapping over to the window ledge and taking a deep breath of the night air.

"Where do you think your going," I didn't have to turn to know she was glaring at me.

(Jazz,) closing my eyes.

"I told you birdie…"

(I know,) cutting her off, (but I need to get out of here for a while,) turning and looking at her, (you don't know how confusing this is for me. I thought I knew who I was, but I'm not sure anymore, some of the things you said I'm not sure I believe, others I think you might be right about but I'm not sure and I can't be as long as I'm with you. Every time I look at you it messes with my head, makes me doubt what I'm thinking, both for and against. I just need to be by myself for a little while and try and get my head straight again, figure out where to go from here.)

"And if you decided to leave."

(Then you'll chase me down,) nodding my head, (not that you can catch me if you can't fly any better than that,) earning a little laugh for her.

"Consider that one more reason to come back," walking over to me and rubbing my back, "this is new to me and I'm going to need a teacher and I can't think or anybody better."

(That might seem touching if there were actually other people running around that could teach you,) enjoying the attention.

"You know what I mean."

(Yeah,) spreading my wings and jumping off the ledge before she could say anything else and flying off into the night and heading back to the park and hoping I could figure out what was going on inside my head. The whole night Jazz's words just ran through my head, the Denoxgo Lihnep might not have understood the words but it remembered them and so did I. For a years I'd tried telling myself those same things but they'd never worked, never lessened the guilt I felt about doing them, but now it wasn't like the guilt had gone away but the I felt freer, the words actually meaning something. (I'm not a monster,) the words somehow feeling right for the first time in years, the little voice in the back of my head that always told me I was deluding myself falling silent.

(So what am I going to do about Jazz,) the words hanging in my mind as I looked at the moon and tried to understand where I stood with her and how I could even be around her without losing my mind by simply looking at her.

By the time the sun came up I was no closer to those answered than I had been when I left her home, the thoughts simply to big to monstrous for me to hold on to. I cared about the girl there was no way around that, and for all I knew I really did love her but I couldn't really be sure, all I knew is that she confused the hell out of me and that I needed her more than I had the words to say. I don't know what it was about the girl, her mind, her heart, but she made me feel like a person again, made me feel worth wild or maybe I'd just been in the woods to long I honestly didn't know.

(So what's it going to be,) Jazz's mental voice almost making me fall out of the tree I was in. I searched the sky and didn't see anything that looked like the falcon body from last night and got a little nervous, people sneaking up on me wasn't something I was use to. (Look down,) the tiniest hint of a laugh in her voice letting me find her, or what I hoped was her.

(So how many bodies do you have,) looking down at the German Shepherd below me, hoping it was her.

(I'm pretty sure just these two,) looking up at me with a dog grin.

(Pretty sure,) not liking the sound of that.

(I think I might've acquired my brother on accident when I woke up but I haven't tested it yet, I'm a little afraid it might work.)

(Oh boy,) rolling my eyes, (when you make things complicated you really make things complicated you know that?)

(After the last couple of days I've had I'd believe anything,) her ears perking up, (but you still haven't answered my question, what's it going to be, run and chase or are you going to stay here and help me get a grip on this freak'n power?)

(Jazz…)

(And if you say your to dangerous to be around I will jump into that tree and bite your legs off.)

(Why is it I'm always surrounded by women that are crazy and can completely control my every move and thought with a few words and gestures?)

(Is that a rhetorical question?) cocking her head to the side.

(It means if you want me you have me, but know this isn't going to be easy, I'm still pretty screwed in the head, and I'm still not completely sure I believe everything you say about me.)

(You will in time, everything I told you it true, every single word of it and it's not like we don't have time, and I do enjoy a psychological challenge.)

(Isn't it illegal to practice that stuff on your friends?)

(It's illegal to do it on family too but that doesn't stop me from messing with my brother every chance I get,) lifting her muzzle and trying to smile at me, a rather disturbing sight all things considered.

(If I were smarter I'd leave your furry butt.)

(If you were smarter I wouldn't have a furry butt,) giving a little yip and jump up and down, bits of her fur coming off and drifting in the breeze of the early morning air.

(I've created a monster,) shaking my head and gliding down to her.

(Yes you have,) bring her nose under my beak and nuzzling me gently, something that might've seemed strange if anyone had been in the area.

After a few seconds I pulled back and considered morphing my own German Shepherd but shook it off as the time of day flashed through my mind. (Don't you have school today, or are you skipping that after everything that's happened over the last twenty-four hours?)

(No I'm going back,) her ears dropping in disappointment, (I just wanted to check on you first, I needed to make sure you didn't have a big lead on me yet.)

(Want some company?)

(You offering to come to school, this must be bad, you think David's going to come after us again?)

(No with any luck he's off licking his wounds, and right now I think if I don't come with you I think I'll end up doing something really stupid.)

* * *

**DP Style**

"I'm guessing things didn't go quite as planned."

"Minor mishap it won't happen again," David growled trying to work a kink out of his arm, the burns he had gotten from Tobias still evident on his skin and sending random blasts of pain through his body depending on how he moved.

"They didn't seem minor when the birds brought you to the plane," the Fright Knights voice cool and calm but with a hint of mocking to it knowing full well the ghost couldn't raise a hand against him.

"He had a few new tricks," growing defensive, "how was I suppose to know he could turn into some kind of demon bird?"

"I wise man know everything about his opponent before he strikes, to do other wise," looking at Vlad, doing his best to tread carefully, "is to invite defeat."

"I already know everything I need to know about him," he hissed, his body trying to spark into flame and failing at the attempt.

"Then you should have delivered him to me and shattered the bond Daniel has with his family," Vlad's voice cool but with an unmistakable edge of irritation. "You must face the obvious David you can't win against him not as you are."

"Meaning," he growled and flinched in pain as his burned flared up from the attempted use of his ghost power.

"Tobias is not the person you remember, he has gained allies, people with great power, people that I believe will help him, people I believe are already helping him. If you want him you can't strike on your own you will also need allies, people that can make up for you own ineptitudes."

At the words David tried to lung at Vlad only to be halted by the Fright Knights sword appearing at his neck, the blade keeping him from his target. "You think you can talk to me like that, do you know who I am you miserable piece of slime!"

"A sad little boy with delusions of grandeur," Vlad sighed rising form his seat and floating over to David, "who knows nothing of the powers at work, or the forces that he faces. While I admit," stroking his beard, "the bird was more dangerous than even I thought, for someone that knows him you do a poor job of showing it. Which begs the question," his hand shooting forward and grabbing David by the throat while the Knight pulled his sword away, "what else don't you know, or more specifically haven't told me," his eyes and hand glowing red. "You see David I already you were lying to me about your past, bit and pieces of the truth built into an elaborate falsehood. I knew and yet I let you tell me it anyway and do what you wish to attain my own ends, that's what separates us David, you think in a straight line, how to get what you want as fast as possible with the least amount of resistance. I however see the layers beyond the surface, I see all the choices that can be made and know how to make them happen in order to get what I want and make it seem like those I'm using are the ones that always wished it. That's what separates the small times players from the real one, that separates you from me," releasing his grip on the boy.

David coughed and clutched his throat the pain from his burn mingling with the ectoplasm from Vlad's hand made the feeling almost to intense for him to stay conscious. After a moment he managed to get his voice back, "you want me to kill you all over again don't you."

"No I want the truth," putting his hands behind his back, "all of it, everything about yourself, everything about the bird, everything about anything you know that might be of use to me in future confrontations with my enemies, both in the mortal and ghost realms."

"And I should give this to you why," coughing and hacking.

"Because if you don't I will show you everything you consider torture is merely a prelude to what I, and he," glancing at the Knight, "can do. Second you have potential and I hate to waste those that can be of use to me."

"But you just said…"

"That you were a pathetic waste of a ghost, quite right, but with the proper tutelage you could be so much more, someone that knows how to play the game instead of someone that merely moves over the board. So what do you say David serve me willingly and gain great power and experience, choose not to and face pain great pain and still give up everyone of your secrets."

"You think I'm going to work for you willingly, your insane."

"No David I'm quite sane," twin rings of black energy forming around him returning him to his human form, "and I'm also full of surprises. I know what you want and so do you and there's only one way of getting it and that is severing me."

"You know the second your back in turned I will find away to deal with you, whatever you are."

"Then I take it your answer is yes?"

"Oh yeah," adding a threatening growl to the reply.

"As I knew you would," walking past him, "I look forward to seeing just what your capable of."

"You would see it till it's to late."

"Somehow I doubt that, but if you do manage to surprise me then it means I've taught you well and you'll finally be ready to deal with my enemies for me."

"By the time I'm done with you, you won't be around to see it," he hissed.

"Lesson one David," glancing back, "I will only take so much insolence from anyone under me. Lesson two know when to yield to an expert," snapping his fingers and walking out of the room, the door slamming behind him.

"What was that suppose to mean?"

"Your not very smart are you," the Knight shaking his head and pulling the Soul Shredder out and advancing on the ghost, looking forward to finally venting his frustrations on something.

* * *

**Jazz POV**

"Ok what part of that was a lie don't you get," I growled at the boy, I honestly didn't even know who he was but he was asking about some rumor that had either gotten started by David or one of the endless mutations that always springing up.

"So you and your brother…"

"No," walking away form him, "this is getting really out of hand."

(No kidding, I'll give him this, the psychopath knows how to stir up trouble?)

"Between the four of us we've been using seven different drugs, making three of 'um, one of us is a pyromaniac, my brothers a cutter, I'm one of the two biggest racists in the school, three of us are pregnant," shaking my head.

(Your talking to thin air,) birdie offered from inside my backpack, (but you have to admit Tucker being pregnant by a ghost was pretty creative, that had to be someone other than David.)

"I liked you better when you were crippled by misplaced guilt."

(And I think you more attractive in feathers what's your point?) I couldn't help but laugh lightly when he said it, for a while I'd been really afraid I'd lost him, that he was buried down to far beneath the sins of his past to claw his way back to the light. But hearing him laugh and joke made me feel a lot better, he still wasn't quite himself, a lot of what he was saying had the tiny hint of being forced, but I had a feeling we were through the worst of it.

"Let me guess talking to yourself," Sam walking up from behind me.

(In a manner of speaking,) Tobias hopefully just speaking to the two of us.

"Where is he," the younger girl's voice dropping so only I should've been able to hear it.

In an equally low voice "backpack," the word being enough, then bring my voice up to normal levels, "your day any better than mine?"

"People either faun over me and treat me like a baby or I'm freakish outcast."

(You say that like being a freak is a bad thing,) the comment lightening both our moods.

"Anyway I keep trying to tell them everything was a mistake but at this point I'm not sure that's possible, no one will believe me anymore. To make matters worse from what I've heard Paulina's been pumping out new stories since yesterday, and some of her stuffs sicker than David's."

"Not that you have any proof," reminding her, I'd also heard about Paulina, well more looked into her, I knew Danny had a crush and I just wanted to make sure he wasn't walking into any kind of trouble. From what I'd heard the girl was a little self absorbed, had a pretty ugly catty streak and didn't let go of a grudge unless it was absolutely necessary. So to have some of the rumors trace back to her wasn't all that surprising, but never the less, "and after yesterday we more than any should know not to believe everything we hear."

(You sound like an after school special.)

"Shut your trap rat," I hissed trying to be nonchalant about it.

"You think I'd be use to having conversations with invisible people by now," Sam sighed softly.

(Not invisible just small,) he corrected.

"And annoying," I added.

(I can leave.)

"You can try."

Sam just dropped her head and held the bridge of her nose, "this is very strange."

"Try being on this end," I laughed.

"Sam, Jazz," Tucker barked down the hall and he bolted towards us with Danny and Val in tow, and I could see this ended in a train wreck.

Hissing to Tobias, "keep your beak shut we have company."

(Gotcha.)

"What is she doing here," Sam Hissed looking at the other girl, someone that I now knew was the infamous rouge ghost hunter of Amity Park.

"Easy Sam she's with us on this one," an air of tension in my brothers voice, not that I blamed him, I could only imagine his day was going much worse than mine. "Val tracked me down and doesn't even remember saying Jazz and I were racists, she's pretty sure it was a ghost controlling us."

Sam crossed her arms and glared at the girl, "and she knows this how?" When she said it I wanted to elbow in the ribs to keep her quite, reveling who Val was to the rest of the school wasn't a priority at the moment, not to mention we didn't need to explain how we knew what her after school job was.

"Um…I…," the girl looking for an answer to the question, "it's obvious isn't it? I'm surprised the two form the big time ghost hunting family didn't figure it out first, any time something weird happens in the school it because of ghosts. Getting attacked by meat, everyone losing energy, everyone in school liking the same band, going to the hospital and getting ghost powers everything weird is the fault of ghosts."

"She does have a point there," Tucker added getting a dirty look from Sam, not that I blamed her. I knew she liked Danny and lately Val had been showing signs of being interested in him as well, so it was only natural that she'd be jealous, especially since he was praising her for something we'd already figured out but didn't know how to prove.

"The question becomes what do we do with this," Danny sighed.

(Handle it maturely and let it go away on it's own,) the comment making me want to lean into a locker to shut him up.

"Well the fastest thing might just be to get on the PA and tell people it was a lot of rumors started by ghosts to discredit our family and that they don't mean anything," I offered a little surprised that I'd even say something that stupid, the bird was defiantly rubbing off on me.

They all remained silent after I said it, and Danny ended up being the first to speak, "you want us to break into the main office," a little skeptical, "you sure your even my sister."

"Yes I'm your sister and I didn't mean it that way," I pleaded knowing where this might lead and wanting to put an end to it, "I just think we should talk to Mr. Lancer and see if we can use it to plead our side of the case to the school."

"Or I can use this PDA to hack into the school mainframe and redirect the transmission through it and we can transmit it directly through the speakers without going near the office."

I grabbed the bridge of my nose feeling the beginnings of a headache starting, "Tucker we're in to much trouble al…"

"That's a great plan Tuck," Danny slapping him on the back, "no way this can fail."

"Guys," I warned.

(Give it up red, you've lost them, the best thing to do is let them go and hope that when their done it's not as bad as it is now.)

"You really think you can do that?" Sam asked more than a little surprised.

"Well I could on mine so I don't see why I can't on this one."

"This is perfect."

"This is stupid," looking at the girl in yellow that wasn't helping matters.

"How long will it take Tuck?"

"I don't know, end of next class maybe," scratching the back of his head, shifting his beret forward slightly, "there are a lot of unknowns here."

"Guys listen to reason here, we are not on good terms with this man we don't need to him a more reasons to be mad at us here," as I watched the four move off lost in a plan that had grown to wild to fast, a plan that might work or might get us expelled, or both.

(They got away from you didn't they?)

"Yep." sighing and leaning into the locker suddenly like all the energy had been drained out of me.

(Well on the plus side they do seem to know what they're talking about, of course that's not saying much in the grand scheme of things.)

"So what are the odds they can do this without getting all of us in trouble?"

(I never finished high school, I never got involved in crazy pranks from a purely human perspective, if you want to know if I thought they could pull off stealing a tank I could give you that, but this is even beyond me and my years.) The answer making me shake my head and filling me with a sense of dread as the back of my head touched the back of the metal locker. (One other little thing,) his voice coming in clearly, (would you move your crushing me.)

"Sorry," jumping forward, momentarily forgetting where he was.

(Just let them go they probably know when to stop, they do seem to have a little bit of common sense.)

"You talking about common sense, that's got to be an oxymoron," walking down the hall to my next class and trying to ignore all the looks and whispers I was getting.

(Yeah keep talking see if you don't find a present in here when this is all said and done,) the idea making me laugh. The class went by more or less like the others had, for the most part normal but with the distinct hint of hostility towards me. That wasn't exactly something new to me, but this time it was for something other than ruining the curve on the latest test. Almost at the end of class I could here the distinctive click of the speaker letting me know something was about to happen, along with a feeling of terror something was about to go horribly wrong. I put my head on my desk and buried it with my hands, not wanting to see or hear what was coming next.

"Attention students of Casper High," a raspy and obviously artificial voce announced through the speaker in the corner, "we have a special announcement to make."

A new voice that sounds an awful lot like Mr. Lancer took the place of the old voice, "it has been confirmed that a group of ghosts entered the school yesterday and possessed several people and began spreading tales in order to discredit the Fenton's in an attempt to make them leave Amity Park so they could enact a hostile take over of the town. At three A.M. this morning the culprits were caught and deported back to the Ghost Zone, regrettably unlike many of the other attacks this school and town have faced the results will not be wearing off in time since the damage they caused was not a direct effect of their ghost powers. For the continued safety of the school and the town we ask that you please cease and desist all attacks to everyone in school that may have been directly targeted by the ghosts until the mystery of what they wanted and what they did has been determined. Thank you for your time."

In the back ground of the final moment I could hear someone say, "hurry up we have company."

The whole time I just shook my head, not believe for a second this was going to work, although I had to give them credit it sounded better than I thought it would. "I'm going to have to have a very long talk with those guys after this."

(Well think of it this way, at least nothings on fire.)

"Not helping here," Sighing into the table knowing he could here me.

"Makes sense to me," someone said a few moments after the speaker went dead, followed shortly by a multitude of voices saying, "totally does man," and "after everything that's gone on in this school I don't know why we didn't see it before, " and "I told you Jazz was to cool to do that," along with a several others that I didn't pay much attention to. I was in total shock as everyone in the room seemed to shake off the hate they felt for me and my brother in a manner of seconds for no other reason than someone the sounded like Mr. Lancer told them to.

(Un-Be-Lievable)

"Everyone in this school needs serious medical help because they must all be brain damaged if they let it go this fast."

(Don't look a gift horse in the mouth,) birdie whispered into my mind, (the sooner things get back to normal around here the better, besides you'd be surprised what people will accept if you give them a good enough reason to do so.)

"I still can't believe it."

"Look I'm sorry Jazz I never believed that stuff for a second," Nick whispered over to me, "yeah me to," Carla added from in front of me with as little cattiness as she could muster, followed by everyone else in the room apologizing as well.

"Yeah sure," lifting my head up and straightening my hair, "it's not like anyone could've seen something like this happening or anything. " The statement got a whoop of agreement, the mob not even recognizing that I was being sarcastic as they continues to talk about how it was so obvious as to what had just happened and not believing they hadn't seen it sooner.

"Alright everyone," the teacher tapping a piece of chalk on the, "calm down we need to get back to work." But by that time it was pointless, the whole class was lost in stories of how they had always known, or how they suspected, and a thousand other ways of trying to save face. After a few moment he just gave up and sat down behind his desk and let the class run out.

(You know what I said about people believing anything?)

"Em-hm," not wanting to say anything.

(I take it back, the people in your school are just weird.)

"Oh yeah," shaking my head, glad when the bell went off and running out the door and through the hall to the restroom and opened up my backpack, equally not wanting to face everyone in the halls on the off chance the class room I had been in was the exception to the rule and needed to get Tobias somewhere to safely demorph. The mouse crawled out of bag and shifted back to a red tailed hawk and looked at me gold eyes, something about eh situation very funny as he sat on the back of a toilet.

(Thanks I was afraid I'd have to remind you of that.)

"You don't need to, I'm very aware of the two hour time limit, especially now," patting him on the head.

(Good, I hate to see if you have that to,) looking up with me, his eyes somehow growing soft and full of concern.

"Don't worry birdie," stroking him under the chin, "I'm going to be ok, after all I'm learning from an expert aren't I, someone that won't let me get hurt under any condition as long as he can prevent it."

(Jazz, I'm serious here, you don't want to cross the line.)

"I know birdie," rubbing him a little slower, "I don't intent to temp fate, but don't think you have to coddle me, this is not a lesson I want to learn because I don't think I can live the way you do."

(Few people can,) leaning into my touch, (I won't let you go through what I do.)

I stayed like that for a few moments till I realized I was having a tender moment with someone in a restroom, "Ok enough of this time to go, get back in the bag."

(I guess that's for the best,) leaning in one more time the going mouse again and crawling back into my bag, (but please promise me you'll be careful when you morph.)

"My word is my bond," shouldering the backpack and walking into the hall where people were a buzz about what they'd heard from the PA. To my surprise and shame they all seemed to believe it, which meant my belief that humanity was self destructing before my eyes might not be that far from the truth. Thankfully the day seemed to fly by after that and I wasn't able to get back to my brother or the others till after school.

"Looks like things are getting back to normal," he happily barked as I approached him.

"What did you guys," I hissed when I was close enough and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, "do you have any idea how stupid that was?"

"What it's not like you said anything."

I just stared at him not believing what he had just said, "I can't believe you…I told you…the hall…BAD," my body actually shaking in rage my mind and my mouth no longer on the same page.

(Jazz calm down you'll burst a blood vessel or something.)

"Well it's not like it didn't work," breaking my grip.

Taking a deep breath and calming down, "how did you do it," I hissed.

"Well," Tucker started looking around and lowering his voice, "I was going to run voice synthesizer program through the mike on the PDA that would make us sound like Mr. Lancer, but Danny had a better idea," patting my brother on the back. "He overshadowed Mr. Lancer for us instead and just had him say it over the intercom to save a lot of time, it turns out Sam doesn't have much in the way of upgrades on this model somewhat I was planning probably wouldn't have worked anyway."

"And you did what with Val?" almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Danny overshadowed her first," Sam smiled, "and locked her in a closet."

"Nice one bro," my voice dripping with sarcasm, "tick off the girl that already wants you dead, really bright."

"Ladies and gentlemen the redhead is about to blow, step away from the redhead for you own safety," Tucker doing an impression of a public safety announcement.

"You know what forget it I don't care, I have a date," pulling off my backpack and freeing Tobias and letting him scurry on the ground and over to a tree that he climbed with a skill I didn't think a mouse could pull off.

"Sister," lifting his fingers as he went, "date, rodent," looking up at me, "yeah this isn't the slightest bit creepy.

"Shut up Danny," tossing him my backpack, "do whatever you want today I'm off the clock I'm spending time with him."

"Mom and dad aren't going to like that, we do have tutoring today."

"And ask yourself this, 'do you really want to be alone with me right now'?"

"Good point, have fun, I'll be doing something else," and turning to walk away with his friend.

"One more little thing," making him turn around and look at me, "get everything I leave ok," looking around and making sure no one else was around. Thankfully most of the people had already left by this point as I slipped into the shadow of the building.

"What do you mean 'everything you leave'?"

(You'll see,) Tobias taking the words out of my mouth as I focused on Weaver, feeling the unmistakable tingle running over my body as feathers grew, organs changed, bones hollowed out and I grew smaller, all my clothing falling off me save my tight fitting morphing outfit under my cloths. The others just stared in stunned silence as they watched me change, Danny's mouth even hanging open not that I blamed him, it must have seemed awfully strange.

When I was done I flapped up next to Tobias and looked down on the other three, (shut your mouth little brother you never know what might drop into it.) I looked over at Tobias, (alright teach me, give me your worst,) spreading my wings as best I could, (give me everything you can, I'm a blank page, an empty canvas, show me how to do this.)

(Lesson one, getting away from your brother before he kills me,) spreading his wings and jumping off and soaring into the air with a speed I wasn't sure I could match.

(Later bro, looks like your not the only one in the family that gets to fly anymore,) spreading my wings and following the red tail into the sky, into his home and world, with total faith we'd come down soon enough and rejoin my world in the end.

* * *

**DP Style**

"I'll ask you again," the voice slow and smooth with a distinctive aura of menace to it, "Where. Were. You?" each word a statement and threat unto itself.

"You really think I'm going to tell you anything."

"Maybe I'm not making myself clear here, I can stay here as long as it takes so your going to tell me what I want to know one way or another. The others they don't understand you, I do, I know just what kind of a creature you are, I know what you've done in the past and I know what you'll do in the future, and I'm going to make sure that never happens."

"Then good luck, there are power at work here beyond your ability to control, powers that can crush you like a bug at any given moment."

"Your going to have to be more specific there four eyes I know a lot of creatures like that, and most of them don't scare me."

"You'll discover in time," showing each of his sharp teeth, "and when you do you won't like what you find."

"Let me put this another way you sack of crap," standing up and kicking him across the face and leaving trails from her claws on his face, "you are going to tell me what I want to know or your never going to walk again, or eat, and if I do it right reproduce," punching him in the face.

While she questioned the man she was being watched by her employer through a elaborate monitoring system only available to ghosts.

"I'm confused," as Bullet looked over to the Warden of the prison, "doesn't protocol require a 'good cop bad cop' scenario? For that matter doesn't it require that we not damage the only source of information that we have?"

"Under normal circumstances," Walker putting his hands behind his back a small smile on his face, "but she does this so well, and she has been known to get information this way."

"From alleys, not from with in these walls, what she's doing is going against almost every rule that governs this facility."

"Escaping violates every rule of this complex as well Bullet, and that creature has done just that, more importantly he was stupid enough to come straight back to his cell, I want to know where he was, and how he got in and out. We have a security leak Bullet and I want it plugged, until that happens I'm authorizing her to do whatever it takes to find out, nothing is off limits now."

"I fear you are making a mistake," shaking his head, fully aware that he had to be careful or run the risk of angering the warden.

"I know," sighing slowly, his eyes still on the monitor, "things are changing my friend, I've been getting reports that Vlad is up to something. I don't know what it is yet, but I have a bad feeling about it, so right now the last thing I need is to fight a battle on two fronts, especially against that halfa and the most dangerous inmate in my care."

At first Bullet considered arguing with Walker but decided not to, the older ghost's words made sense, they could fight a battle against one or the other but not both, and while they couldn't control Vlad while he slipped from the mortal realm to the Ghost Zone and back, they could deal with Visser while he was held here. And he had to admit that the situation made him nervous, the super max wing of the prison was suppose to be escape proof, yet this alien had somehow done just that, so what did that say for the rest of the compound, were their walls on the brink of collapse? Could they be failing in their task of protecting all of the Ghost Zone, it was something they needed the answers to.

With a sigh or relent he turned his attention back to the monitor and to the bounty hunter's interrogation of the alien shape shifter. "Is that the best you can do," Visser growled staring at the half human half wolf ghost.

"Oh no," her voice cool as ice, "unlike you I'm not a one trick pony," extending her claws as the wolf side was replaced by her grizzle side.

"You realize when I get out of here you will be the first creature I deal with."

"So you keeping telling me," backhanding him across the chest, the chains the only thing keeping him from colliding with the roof.

Groaning quietly, unwilling to let her know just how badly the blow had hurt, "then I'm going to kill Elfangor's spawn and I will show that flame winged monstrosity what it means to anger me just as I did his father."

"I thought you would've learned by now," thrusting her right arm forward and embedding her claws in his face, right through the lower set of eyes, "you don't get talk about MY BELOVED," and pulling down and leaving oozing trailed down his face.

* * *

**DP Style**

Countless interconnecting lines ran in all directions, each a different color, even if only by the slightest fraction, many not even having human names. Each line belonged to a living individual somewhere in existence, showing their past, their present and the many roads of their future. It was in many ways the home of The Ellimist, not that he had a specific home, he had no need for one, but this is where he found himself so much of the time, continually trying to figure out how to beat The Crayak and how each of his piece was progressing. Even his power had it's limits, and while he could feel out everyone in existence at once, observing them this way was just so much easier for him.

The ancient game master slowly moved through the realm of his devising check on his various pieces and seeing to his greater plans, never knowing what might occur when he was away. His form continually shifted, taking various shapes as he moved, something he enjoyed doing every now and then, shifting from human to Hork-Bajir to Leeran and a thousand other species, some the dominant life form, other not, but in it's own was important to him.

Then one of the lines shifted ever so slightly, a sight one of his fifteen eyes caught and made him focus on with interest, unsure how this might effect the future. Almost tentatively he touched the line, afraid what he might see, then filling with a sense of calmness, a smile forming on his face as he became human. Well humanoid, it was his typical earth mode an old man, very short, with hair traveling down his face, looking almost mystical by human standards.

"Well it's about time," speaking to himself as he let go of Tobias' line, "I was beginning to think that boy would never forgive himself," shaking his head in amusement. For a long time he had been afraid that his former emissary would never let go of the anger he felt, that he could never forgive himself for his actions. "I was right about that girl," feeling a little smug, it was true he'd arranged Tobias with her to help deal with The Crayak's forces but it was not quite an accident his former emissary had found Jazz first, he'd hoped the two could help each other, help them both heal old wounds the neither was able to deal with alone.

Standing a little straighter he looked at Jazz's line, it too had changed since last he looked, "so I was right, they didn't return her to normal," stroking his beard, "but it's not the worst thing that could've happened to her," remembering the possible dark futures that could've erupted had things gone badly, if Jasmine hadn't been awoken in one form or another. Even without the ability to see the many possible timelines what happened to her didn't surprise him, mixing only two different substances could result in strange and unpredictable results, and these two were mixing so many more. In those moments of dreaming Desiree had done far more than even she knew, she hadn't simply given Jasmine the memories of Tobias she had linked them in an inexplicable way. Her body may have remained with her brother in her home yet she had also existed as Tobias, part of her spirit in his body, and even then, before he received the Andalite morphing power he was already far from normal. Thanks to his lineage he had already been touched, a tiny fraction of The Ellimist's power was on him, just as it was on his father, marking him as one of the many warriors that were, or might become, agents in his services. Mixing those two elements with the ghost magic effecting her, and substances she came into contact with thanks to her parents, the unique reactions such as the ones he had foreseen were to be expected. "It'll be interesting to see how this new change effects everything on the board, very interesting indeed."

While he pondered the new shift to the futures of his chosen warriors of the past and possibly the future he caught sight of Tobias' line bend ever so slightly. The new wrinkle made The Ellimist look closer and examine the shift, it wasn't unexpected, but it was none the less surprising. He'd expected Tobias to move closer to the others, for their lines to slowly align as they had with his old friends, but even he had doubted that his former emissary would begin the first of many shifts to intertwine with Jasmines line, with her life.

"Now that is unexpected," smiling as he touched the line, looking at the many possible futures that might lie ahead for him, some lives ending horribly, others showing a bright future, and many more in between. But as all those flashed through him, one in particular stood out, a future featuring a young girl with long red hair that had a long rust colored feather intertwined in it and shining gold eyes who dreamt of nothing but the sky and feeling the wind in her face. She was in turn watched over by an older redhead with short hair except for a long braid running off the side of her face that watched her with a bright smile as she was held tightly by a man with slightly unruly blond hair pulled into a loose ponytail that watched the girl with equal fascination. "So many choices, I can't wait to see what comes next, and who knows Tobias may not be the last of his line to aid me after all."

Feeling pleased with himself he pulled his hand away and went back about his business, checking other lines and seeing to his more immediate plans, but all the same looking back, "maybe I'll finally be able to stop worrying about that boy."

* * *

Authors notes 

Damn this was long, but I'm done with this chapter, hopefully I kept everyone in character through out this, yeah I know some of the stuff with Tobias seems out of left field, but it was always intended to be part of the story, I just didn't look at my notes for 10 when I was doing ch. 9.  
With luck I wrapped up a lot of questions that have been hanging since I started writing this, most notably 8-9, but with bits from a few others.  
Yes I brought David back and I made him a monster, you thought he was bad in the books, I made him worse, and this is only the beginning of the damage he'll be wreaking under Vlad's tutelage. And I know it was questionable having Tobias be the one that kills him but I thought it worked, if for no other reason than I didn't thank anyone else could do it. And the raping think I also admit was questionable but come on if you had this power and very few morals your telling me you wouldn't abuse it horrible ways if you didn't think you could get caught, kinda makes you wonder what's in Vlad's past doesn't it (no he didn't do anything like that I'm just saying)

Up next hopefully something a little easer for our hero's

Please R&R


	11. Spectra's rise

Yeah I'm back, to put it bluntly I had a wicked case of writers block, I'd flip on the page, write a few words, say that sucked, delete the work, repeat multiple time over several months, but finally we're here and I'm hoping this is good in spite of that.

Ant Crown-yep, David is quite possibly the most evil thing running around on Earth right now, Vlad at least has redeeming qualities left, David is just evil.

Silverchild of the wind- Yep Rachel is nuts now (or on the border of nuts), she's suppose to sound crazy. And I did want her to sympathetic at the end, because she should be, it's not her fault she's nuts, it just kinda happened and she's doing what she can to survive, which at the core is what Rachel's all about.

Covert Weapon- If you've gone insane waiting I'm sorry, and this chapter is a great deal shortr

Phantomshadowdragon- as I said this ch. is shorter and by the end of this ch Jazz will have 5 forms- currently she a Hobby (falcon) and a German Shepherd, I won't spoil the other forms for you

Katreal- As I said I had a wicked case of writers block, but here's the next installment, I'm glad your enjoying it. And I'm glad about that because I was worried when I first started crafting this that blending 2 properties with so little in common wouldn't work.

And again to everyone, I'm sorry about the mistakes, I do try to get them, but I'm not a Chee or the Ghostwriter, I'm human and I make mistakes. Once more I'm sorry.

* * *

**Jazz POV**

"HOW CAN YOU BE THIS IRRESPONSIBLE!" the comment bringing a smile to my lips, I was use to the situation being in reverse. "HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL US ABOUT THIS! THIS IS NOT SOMETHING YOU SHOULD BE HIDING!"

"You done?" folding my arms over my chest and leaning into the couch, really glad our parents weren't in the area after that little verbal explosion. I also couldn't help but feel a little exposed in the tight fitting clothing that consisted of my morphing outfit, or would till I could figure out how to morph my normal clothing.

"I HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN STARTED!"

"Down Danny," Sam putting a hand on his shoulder and exerting that calming influence she always seemed to have on my brother, "let the girl at least say something before you jump down her throat."

"Thank you," giving Sam a small nod of my head, "as I was trying to say before you started screaming at me the second I closed the door, I don't know what happened to me, neither of us do. Tobias and I talked for the last few hours and we just don't know how I got my powers," shrugging, "or his as the case my be since they don't seem to act normally."

"Great so you have mutant morphing abilities," his voice calmer but his body shaking out of control.

"DANNY!" Sam barked gripping his shoulder tighter.

I thought that over before I spoke, "that's actually pretty close to the truth," blowing some air up my face and making a few strands of hair jump and dance.

"So…are they….I don't know dangerous?" an edge in his voice.

"If you'd been listening you'd know this already, two hour time limit, possibility of genetic duplicates of anything I acquire, possibility of instinct overload, possibility of something killing me if it's fast enough, oh and according to Tobias if I'm around Val while she's in her ghost gear I can be tracked and will be labeled a ghost and shot at."

"One more reason not to like her."

"Sam," my brother glaring at her.

"What I'm just saying," shrugging it off and sitting next to me, "so what's it like," the interest written all over her face.

"Hard to say I haven't really done much yet, it's alien and weird but at the same time it's like I'm home, like I was suppose to do this. If nothing else I get to fly, you don't know what it's like to fly."

"I do," he growled glaring at Sam, not happy with the turn of events or that his backup was now on my side.

"No you don't," shaking my head, "I've flown with you, what you do is nothing compared to what I do now. The words do not exist," my body quivering at the memories, just in the last few hours with Tobias everything I thought I new about flying had been blown out of the water, "I'm coordinating hundreds it not thousands of muscles and feathers, were talking numbers you can't imagine. I'm calculating things in my head I shouldn't be able to, I know how high I am, how fast I'm going, I didn't even know thermals and wind currents existed till I met him and now I know how to navigate them without even thinking, it's incredibly surreal."

"You sound like your on drugs you know that right?"

"I am Danny," glaring up at him, knowing what was coming next.

"I KNEW IT WHAT'D THAT FEATHERED NUT JOB SHOT YOU FULL OF!"

"Adrenaline and endorphins, or the falcon equivalents there of," smiling up at him, "naturally occurring substances in the body that show up in the body when it's exposed to excitement or stress. Right now to say I'm a little excited is like saying Sam likes a little black, like our families a little weird…"

"Like you need a little bit of psychological help," he added.

"Funny," giving him a smug look, "look Danny this wasn't intentional and I was going to tell you," looking over at Sam, "all of you, I just needed some time. For a while I wasn't even sure I had the ability, last night was the first time I really tried it, and even then I wasn't completely sure I knew what I was doing. You don't have to worry about me Danny, I have a good teacher, let's face it Tobias is the only one that really qualified to teach me here, he won't let me get hurt."

"No he just turned you into a…"

"Think before you finish the sentence LITTLE BROTHER," adding some emphasis to the words, "your not exactly in a position to judge me. You didn't tell any of us about your transformation, about the situations you found yourself in, at least I had the decency to show you what I had become rather than making you find out for yourself."

"Low blow sis."

"The truth sometimes is," meeting his eyes for several tense moment.

"Ok both of you stop it," Sam growled walking between us and breaking the eye lock, "there's enough bad blood between us without adding more." She looked at my brother, "she's safe and unharmed, and it's not like she did something stupid with her powers yet," while I couldn't see her expression I could see his and he grew red in the face. Then she looked at me, "but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have come to us sooner, after all you're the responsible one, you should know better than us what it's like to have loved one's keeping secrets from each other."

I sighed deeply, "yeah"

"I guess," not looking at me.

"Um…," moving some hair from my face as I could feel a blush forming, "about not doing something stupid with my powers, I can't technically say that's true."

"Meaning," Danny warily looking at me past Sam.

"Well I did something arguably insane last nigh," telling them about David, but left out the part about my near death experience, Tobias was right something were best left not said to those that didn't and shouldn't hear it. By the time I was done they were both sitting down, pale and staring at me like I'd lost my mind, then again I wasn't sure I hadn't.

After several minutes of neither saying anything Danny finally broke the silence, "how could you do that with out telling us…telling me?"

"Again your not one to talk given the situation," really hoping I didn't look as pleased with myself as I felt, "secondly if you'd gone after him when I'd asked you too he might not have been caught and I wouldn't of had to go after him."

"I…but…they…STOP DOING THAT," visibly shaking.

"Doing what?"

"TURNING EVERYTHING AROUND ON ME!"

I leaned forward and took his face in my hands, "I've been doing this to you since you could talk, you really think I'm going to stop now?"

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah I do," letting go of him but letting one hand linger on his face for a few moments, "I'm glad your worried about me, but I'm the older sister here, it's my job to worry not yours. Besides I've already been read the riot act by Tobias and I don't need it from you too, I'm not going to do anything stupid…," getting an accusing look from Danny and corrected myself, "…stupider, I've already had enough close calls for one lifetime and I'm not going to start looking for more. Just give me some time ok, this is a lot for me to deal with too and I'm already a little over whelmed and I don't need you giving me a hard time on top of everything else."

"I can't believe your this calm about this," Sam giving me a smirk and resting a hand on my back.

"I've learned to accept a lot over the last few weeks," shrugging, "after all my best friends a bird, my brothers a ghost, I now know two aliens by their first names, been attacked by ghosts on multiple occasions, and have had the rare pleasure of almost being killed on another planet, why should I not accept what's happened to me gracefully."

"When you put it that way, this isn't that weird is it," scratching the back of her head.

"I wish I was yelling at Tuck at least he accepts it and doesn't make me feel bad about it after words," as my brother flopped down next to Sam.

"We do have that effect on you don't we?"

"Yes you do Sam," leaning his head back, "you sure your going to be ok sis?"

"With all of you watching out for me I don't see how I can't be, just do me a favor don't freak out when you see me morph, from what I've seen it can get pretty ugly, horror movie ugly."

"Speaking of horror movies, why are you wearing that," Danny waving a hand up and down at me.

It wasn't hard to figure out what he meant, "because it's either this or I change naked and I don't think any of us really want that."

"Except Tucker," Sam's face growing red as soon as she said it and grabbing her mouth and holding her head down in shame.

Danny and I just stared at her for a second a little shocked she'd be the one to say it but eventually my brother broke the awkward silence, "gee thanks for that mental image Sam," mock shivering.

"Sorry," looking up sheepishly.

I rubbed my eyes, "I have got to get normal friends."

"And I have to kill my best friend," leaning back into the couch.

"Please like he doesn't hit on every girl in school."

"But this is my sister Sam there are rules, RULES THAT HAVE TO BE FOLLOWED!"

"I wouldn't know I'm an only child."

"You know what I mean Sam," and from there both slipped into their own little worlds as they argued and let me slip away and head upstairs to change. By the time I hit my bedroom I could somehow feel everything I had done that day, the aches and pains didn't really follow over into different bodies, but that didn't stop the exhaustion from following me around. I'd crashed and burned three different times in the process of him trying to teach me how to fly, or more exactly how to balance the human mind with the bird's instincts, and I knew for sure I ended up breaking my wing twice, the third time I snapped a couple of ribs and that was when we both decided to end it before I really hurt myself, or at that point tire myself to the point of walking home dressed like this.

Groaning, I pealed the layer of clothing off and looked at my closet in dread, part of me wanted to get dressed, but in an instant I knew that side wasn't strong enough. Sitting down on the bed I looked over at my door and was glad to see I had locked it when I came in even if I didn't remember doing it and that the window was covered. Sighing happily to myself I just dropped down on the bed, the blanket feeling great on my back as I felt the exhaustion spreading outward and making my body heavy, especially my eye lids. Struggling to hold onto consciousness I reached an arm that felt like it weighed a thousand pounds out and clicked the alarm clock on in case I needed it as the world slipped into darkness.

* * *

**DP Style**

"I still don't think this is a good idea."

"Would you stop worrying so much I know what I'm doing."

"Somehow I doubt that," the green blob watching the black flame being float around the room and making final preparations by lighting the last few candles with her fingers.

"I can't stay like this Bertrand," Spectra sighed looking back at her long time companion, it wasn't a secret that he didn't always approve of her schemes to stay young…to stay human, but lately he'd grown especially cautious.

"You don't look that bad," floating over to her and taking her hand in his.

Snarling she tore her hand free, "how can you say that," her body growing brighter, "this is not beautiful this is a monstrosity. Beauty is flawless skin, perfect lips, lustrous hair, a toned body, perfect legs, and a thousand other details. This," waving her hands over her body, "is the exact opposite, this is a mockery of everything I should be, everything I was in life and I won't stand for it."

"But you not human any more."

"That doesn't matter I can still look like it, other ghosts can still look humans so why shouldn't I, fate may have dealt me a bad hand but that doesn't mean I have to accept it."

"I thought physiatrists' preached acceptance?" earning the green blob a glare that chilled him to the core.

"If you think this is such a mistake then leave I won't stop you," turning away from him and back to her work, "I don't need you for this after all."

"You know I can't do that," floating over to her, "if you insist on doing this I will be here to see you through it, but I still think it's a bad idea Penelope, we don't know what this will do to you, we can't even be sure it's safe, this is ancient knowledge and there has to be a reason other ghosts stopped using it," glancing over at the open book that hung in the air.

"I don't care Bertrand nothing can be worse than existing in this substandard form," moving over to the manuscript. "This book dates back past the time of Pariah Dark, to a time when magic was freely practiced by the greatest sorcerers the Ghost Zone has ever seen. If it's true what they say this book was even held by one of the mages that stood against the Ghost King so long ago."

"But that can't be proven," he pleaded with her, "you found the book locked in a chest of other books Penelope and none of them were valuable. By all rights if it were as valuable as you seem to think it is don't you think someone else would've found it by now, this is something Walker would have stored away."

Slowly running her fingers across the page, "things slip through the cracks, humans and ghosts are always discovering things about their past they didn't know they never knew, it's not that hard to believe it's happening again. Besides I don't care if it's really as old as I was told, the end results are the only thing I care about right now."

"I still think this is a mistake Penelope but if you say so," floating away from her and outside the circle of candles, the intricate symbols written on the ground, and the artifacts hanging in the air, each carefully placed according to the diagram.

"I do," positioning herself according to how the diagram showed and double checking everything, she was hopeful, not stupid, this magic was older than her and she knew if she didn't follow the directions to the letter the results could be very bad for her. It had taken a long time for her to get this far, many of the artifacts had taken weeks to find, some of them had been common but more than a few were nearly one of a kind and took a great deal of effort to find intact. Perhaps even more difficult had been finding someone that could explain the text to her, much of the book was written in an extinct ghost dialect and speaking the words was just as important as setting up the physical elements of the spell. Finally satisfied that everything was were it should be she began.

"Ouysn abiuro feght dnots hatbna," spreading her arms wide, the marks on the ground igniting in ghostly pale pink light.

"Yacr emhlla," the artifacts in the air now glowing an almost blinding white light.

"Lekwaf teminw hisih amae," the candles flaring and shooting ebony jets of flame into the air and blocking Bertrand from seeing the ceremony outside of the light radiating from the floor and artifacts.

"Sil wkart agshad tfesd lsinanin," the light now growing to bright for even Spectra to see what has going on as she closed her eyes. But even without seeing she could fell what was happening around her as the artifacts circled her and stirred up the air, her always warm body growing even hotter as they passed by her.

"Behmho omlatw yigo kest ewhse," as the artifacts spun around her they began to pulsate an eerie silver light and lifted her into the air, in the space of every flash of light her body shifted from her ghostly flame form to something near her former human like appearance.

"Qthayneer gangh adnuot dethiu utho," as the last word escaped her lips the world erupted in a blind flash of black, pink, and white as the light from the spell flared one final time then died away leaving everyone in the room blind till they finally readjusted to the lower normal light.

"PENELOPE," Bertrand yelled flying over to the woman who now lay on the ground, her back to him and arcs of black flame still leaping from her form, not caring if he disturbed the patterns on the ground or the artifacts that now lay in various parts of the room, their glow gone and each now looking scorched and burned. As gently as he dared he touched the woman he had sworn himself to, terrified that he'd hurt her, or worse that she'd already hurt herself. As he rolled her over he almost leapt back in surprise, her flames rising off her while she lay there revealing a form very close to her former humanesque appearance.

Her form was nearly the same as her last two bodies but there seemed to be a few differences. Her hair was still red but it now fanned out instead of being locked in the mock horn pattern she had formerly used. Her skin seemed to be slightly more tanned than it had been with striking results. Her face was the same but different, the look of superiority that always seemed to be there was gone, replaces by innocence and something the other ghost couldn't place. Her figure was largely unchanged as far as he could tell, she was still curved in all the right places, her legs were still long, but again something was different something he couldn't place. Her body was now wrapped in a black and silver dress that hung to her like a second skin. The top was black with sliver trim and sleeveless and contained a plunging neck line that skirted the edges between elegant and trashy. Onyx glove ran up her arms to her elbows that sparkled with silver spider webs. The skirt ended several inches above the knee save for the back where it flared out and flowed to the ground, the outside a moonless black and the inside a vibrate sliver, that trailed behind her like a wedding train. Her ebony boots ended in stiletto heals and ran up to her knees, her toes and much her legs on display thanks to the spider-web like cut of the shoes that revealed more than they hid.

The more he looked at her unconscious form the more only one thought came to mind, radiant, it was the only word that seemed to fit and even it seemed woefully inappropriate. That became even more apparent when she opened her eyes and looked at him with green eyes so piercing that he lost the ability to move and think as he lost himself in those magnificent orbs.

She breathed a heavy sigh as she came around and looked up at her companion more than a little confused by the look he gave her, "not so close Bertrand," she whispered not needing to see him that close to her as her body radiated a dull pain from everywhere at once. Without a word he jumped back several feet but his eyes never left her. "Ok you might have been right about checking a few things," sitting up and putting a hand on her forehead as a headache tore through her mind and made her want to lay back down. That thought didn't last long as she pulled her hand away and looked at it for the first time noticing that she was now gloved and looked very human, "it worked," more than a little surprise in her voice.

Standing up she was more than a little surprised by the power she felt running through her body, it was similar to what she had felt from the body she'd created from the genetics from the humans in Amity Park, but different in a way she couldn't describe. Every movement she made seemed easier, like she couldn't help but be graceful, her very walk seemed to extrude poise and sexuality. A smile forming on her lips she floated over to the large mirror she'd placed in the corner on the room and looked at herself, even going so far as to hover over the ground and spin to get as good a look at the new her as possible.

"I don't like the hair," running her fingers through the now longer scarlet locks that followed down her shoulders in waves and shimmered like water in the moonlight, "but I can live with it, and the dress defiantly makes up for it." The dress hugged her perfectly, accenting everything about her form to an almost painful degree, somehow simultaneously showing everything and leaving it to the imagination. She'd seen countless dresses in her time both alive and in the Ghost Zone but this was beyond anything she had ever seen before, it was prefect. "Now this is how I was always meant to look," twirling in the air, "what do you say now Bertrand?"

When he didn't say anything she turned and looked at the gelatinous ghost a little surprised by what she saw, he was on his hands and knees, or at least his equivalent, and staring up at her with wide eyes. He seemed almost reluctant to move, or for that matter speak, in short everything anti Bertrand, the smaller ghost was never at a lost for words and never passed up an opportunity to give his opinion.

"What's wrong with you," cocking her head, her hair falling over her shoulder and not getting anything out of him. "This isn't funny," putting her hands on her hips, "stop it," again getting no response from the ghost. After several minutes of trying to get him to respond to her she began to feel lightheaded and weak and felt her knees falter and despite the fact she was still hanging in the air that she almost feel to the ground. "I need to sit down," her feet touching the floor and before her knees could drop her to the ground there was a chair under her, or more exactly Bertrand in the form of a chair was under her.

For a second she just run her fingers along the transformed ghost not understanding what was going on and slowly let her strength return and her head clear. Taking a deep breath she stood up and walked over to the book, hoping the answers to what was going on could be found in the pages. Pick up the book she slowly reread everything to do with the spell while grabbing looks back at the ghost in chair form who hadn't moved from his spot since she got up. Not finding anything she thought back to everything she had said to him over the last few minutes the one thing in particular sticking out.

"Bertrand I need to sit down," the words coming out in a haunting silky tone that made her flush in excitement both at the words and at his response as he retook his blob form and shot over to her and reformed as a chair under her perfectly formed rear-end. "Interesting," running her fingers along the arm rests and crossing her legs, "very interesting indeed."

* * *

**DP Style**

"Well it's always nice when things are back to normal," Sam sighed walking through the halls of school the next morning, a light black jacket on top her usual tank top, the deep purple interior occasionally flashing as she walked.

"Oh yeah things are really back to normal," Danny sighed rolling his eyes and growling bitterly, "when was the last time we could ever say things around here were normal?"

"What brought this on?" backing away from him a little.

"I had to wake Jazz up this morning."

"So?"

His voice dropped down secretively, "I phased through her door and went blind when I saw my sister's naked body sprawled out on her bed," shivering slightly.

Sam just stared at him for a few moments her body no longer capable of moving as she tried to process what she'd just heard. After a few moments however she finally retook control of her form, "I couldn't have been," her voice cracking slightly, "that bad or where there," wavering her hand, "side effects we weren't told about."

"Didn't see any, and I saw plenty, it's the principal of the thing here, there are some things I could live with never seeing, my sister like that was one of them."

"So why didn't you knock on her door?" raising her eyebrow.

"Tried that, didn't wake her up, but my screaming did, then she screamed," counting off the 'screams' on his fingers, "then I screamed again, then Dad started pounding on the door screaming about ghosts, then he broke it down but by that point Jazz had pulled a blanket up, then she screamed at us to get out, then dad screamed, then Mom came in saw everything and screamed, I screamed again, then Jazz screamed at us to get out again, then Mom pulled Dad and I out and screamed at us."

"The things that go in your house," giving him a scared and slightly disgusted look.

"Your telling me, I'd give anything not to remember that."

"Careful what you say remember around here it might come true."

"What might come true," Tucker asked running up next to them.

"You don't want to know," Sam waving him off.

"One of those things huh?"

"Always," the goth nodding her head, "how you holding up?"

"Alright, I actually think I'm getting over my technology addiction," holding his hand up, the appendage no longer shaking.

"The scary part is your saying that and being completely serious," rolling her eyes.

"Yeah yeah keep making jokes at my expense pretty soon I will be free of all artificial earthly needs."

"Twenty bucks say as soon as they give your PDA back you'll be back to normal."

"Never, I'm free of it, completely and totally free and I will never be bound to anything ever again."

"Oh I really hope that's not what it sounds like," Val's voice making the three turn, "your already on thin ice in most circles do you really need to add more fuel to the fire."

"He can say what he wants," Sam's voice going from warm and inviting to cold and threatening in the blink of an eye.

"And here we go again," Tucker sighed.

"Sure if he doesn't want to ruin everything we did for him yesterday…oh wait I didn't do anything for him," glaring at Sam, "I somehow ended up locked in a closet," narrowing her eyes, a tiny snarl in her voice.

"Oh so that's what happened to you, I was wondering where you went," Sam doing her best to stay cool in the face of what might've been an accusation.

"Don't give me that," she hissed, "coincidences are one thing but this is a little to much to swallow."

"If your accusing me of something get it over with," giving her a 'come on' motion with her fingers.

"I don't know how but I know you had something to do with that."

At that Danny broke out of his stupor at the thoughts of his morning ordeal, "ok whoa stop, like she had anything to do with that."

"Yeah I'm sure she, all of you, had nothing to do with that," Val glared at him.

"You getting at something," the goth hissed.

"No nothing at all," waking away from them, a look of determination on her face.

The three watched her leave with a sense of dread creeping over them till Tucker spoke, "alright I'm calling it this isn't going to end well."

"If it's not ghosts or the crazy bird, it's the hunter, why is it I can never have a normal life."

"Because you're a Fenton and Fenton's aren't allowed that?" Sam offered watching the ghost hunter walk away and wanting nothing more than to slam her into a wall.

"What is with the two of you," Tucker hissed when Val was out of sight, "I understand you and Paulina, but Val's different now, she's actually nice to people."

Between clenched teeth, "she also wants to shot him," pointing at Danny, "and in case you haven't been paying attention she's not that nice when you put her in red."

"Oh this is purely a protect Danny from himself kind of thing?"

"Yes," giving him a look that said he should stop while he was ahead.

"Funny I thought it was a she's hitting on Danny thing and your jealous of her thing," smiling like a cherisher cat.

"He's not my boyfriend"

"She's not my girlfriend," the two barked in unison, neither surprised they were once again synchronized.

"Yeah and denial is a river in Egypt," rolling his eyes and walking to class.

"I'm thinking he should wake up in a closet naked with a big tattoo across his chest."

"Problem is there are to many kinds of tat's to choose from."

"Very true," watching him round a corner, "so what are we going to do about Val?"

"Not sure, she might know something, then again she might not," sighing, "I'll check around after school see if I can dig anything up."

"Be careful Danny, this isn't like messing with Dash, if you get caught by her…," not needing to finish the thought, both knowing what would happen and wrapping herself in the jacket as a shiver ran through her body. "Maybe you could go get Tobias he seems to get into the spying thing.

"Yes but that would mean I have to go and see my sister again," a shiver running down his spine, "not to mention I don't want to know what he'd do to me when he finds out what I saw."

"Think of it this way, hopefully it's more than what he's seen."

"Sick and wrong Sam, sick and wrong."

* * *

**Jazz POV**

I wasn't sure my blush would ever go away, thankfully it had gone down since this morning but I could still see the slight redness of it and I knew everyone else in school could as well. I didn't blame Danny, not really, I knew he was just trying to get me up, and after a little while I did remember hitting the snooze button on the alarm a few times, and looking back I really should've put something on before I went to sleep, but I never thought I'd sleep that long.

I whole day I just avoided him, all of them for that matter, and just wanted to get out of here but stayed out of some misguided sense of needing to. Truth was all I really cared about was getting up to Tobias and feeling the wind in my face and pushing all of what had happened out of my mind, the desire building as the day went on till it was almost out of control. As soon as it ended I ran out of the school, not caring about anything else and jumped into my car and sped home, it was all I could do to stop myself from morphing in the parking lot but after everything that had been going on I figured a pile of my clothing might raise a questions or two I didn't want to answer. The second I was threw the door of my room I chucked the backpack into a corner and tore off everything else and lifted my window, feathers already sprouting as the desire to simply not be human overwhelmed me. The second the changes finished I jumped out of the window and into the sky, the falcon in full control of my body, the instability of yesterday gone as I simply let the unrivaled freedom of flight flow over my body and drive back all my insecurities, anger and embarrassment at the situation.

I was up there for almost half an hour, the falcon almost completely in charge of my body when I was snapped out of it, (very nice, but you might want to rein it in.) At his thoughts I felt the falcon jerk, for lack of a better term, and lose control of her flight for a split second. Looking around I spotted Tobias but all I saw was an enemy, something that wanted my territory, something I had to kill. When that hit me I took a strangle hold on the birds instincts and tried to push them to the side, which resulted in me forgetting how to fly and plummeting to the ground for several yards till I remembered the balance Tobias kept preaching and leveled out. (Yeah I doubted you were in control,) he called for above me, slightly following my fall, ready to grab me if he had to.

(Sorry,) looking at him, (I just…)

(Was distracted,) filling in the words, making me nod ever so slightly, (makes sense all things considered.)

(You mean being a novice at this,) sailing up next to him.

(That and what I heard from Tucker while I was flying around school.)

(Oh…) my mental words trailing off.

(Yeah I'm not sure how to approach that either,) shifting his wings and sailing below me, (but right now we have to beat it,) a slight edge working into his thoughts.

(What…why,) following him down.

(I know your new at this but feel the air Jazz, it's pulsing, like a rock thrown in calm water, sending out waves in all directions.)

(So,) I didn't understand what he was getting at.

(Just follow me,) pulling into a steep dive and slipping behind a billboard and landing on the scaffolding on the back.

I landed next to him a moment later, (what is it birdie, what's got you so spooked?)

(Do you remember what I told you yesterday,) looking at me with his laser like vision, (about what it meant when the air felt like that?)

I closed my eyes and thought back trying to sift through all the information he'd given me while trying to teach me the subtle art of flying but ultimately coming up empty, but becoming more aware of the beating of the air. (I'll bite,) I finally admitted, (I can't remember, what does it mean?)

(That,) looking away from me and nodding his head past the scaffolding, the source of the disturbance in plain sight now, it was now almost as if I could see the air getting displaced.

(Valerie,) I whimpered seeing the girl in the dark red suit flying by on her silver hover board with the giant gun in her arm. It wasn't long ago I'd secretly envied the girl knowing that she could fly among the clouds and now I was hiding from her.

(Yep,) nodding his head, (and in case you forgot she can see we're not normal and she will shot us,) giving me an accusing look.

(I know, I know,) nodding my head the information coming back to me, (I just got a little side tracked ok,) closing my eyes in embarrassment, something that would've been more at place if I were human.

(Relax,) his tail feathers caressing my cheek, (your not suppose to know everything and at least your still ok, that's all that really matters isn't it?)

(Yeah,) looking at the back of his head then past him to Val, her body hanging in air and scanning the area, looking very much like a high tech Grim Reaper and sending a chill down my spine. (I just feel kind of stupid all over right now, this, her, my brother, I should be better…should be smarter than this.)

(First off you are smart never doubt that, secondly I'm not really a good teacher so that might have something to do with it, I should be doing a better job of teaching you how to read the sky instead of expecting you to just know it, this is a hard thing to figure out. Third, I don't know what happened with you and your brother, and I don't care, but I know about walking into embarrassing situations with people you care about, this seems bad now but it'll go away after a while.)

I let his words flow over my like a blanket and wrapped myself in them, feeling safe for a few moments, (thanks birdie,) walking up and nuzzling him, (and you're a good teacher. Like you said, this isn't exactly an easy thing to learn how to do.)

(So who's making who feel better here?)

(We both are, it's half the charm of our relationship,) enjoying the moment even if it was utterly insane in the grand scheme of things. We didn't say anything to each other for a while after that, each just enjoying the closeness of the situation and hoping Val had gone away.

(I think that's long enough, the girls not that persistent, she wouldn't hold a trap that long.)

(You know that how,) feeling a little weird questioning him considering this was his element.

He looked back at me, (the girls come after me a few times, and I've watched her work more times than she knows, I may not know her personally but I know how she thinks, the girl doesn't have it in her to hold up any kind of long term stake out. She's all about the quick strike, not a bad thing by any means, but she could be so much more.)

(Oh yeah you don't sound even a tiny bit like a stalker,) jumping off the railing and flying through the gaps in the metal till I was free again, the red tail right behind me.

(Like the old saying goes 'knowledge is power' and from experience I can tell you it's true, the right information can save your life, doesn't matter if it's disarming a bomb, knowing how someone will react or knowing the difference between the sounds of a grizzly and a polar bear stomping through the woods.)

(Speaking of which,) spreading my wings wide and riding a thermal up into the sky and following him, my nerves finally relaxing, (when can I can I get a bear, I know they have a few at the zoo?)

He didn't bother looking back and flew into a head wind, (don't get a ahead of yourself till you get the other bodies down there's no reason to rush into any of this.)

I couldn't be sure but I thought I picked up a little condescension in his thoughts, (what's that suppose to mean,) I growled.

(I just mean there's no point in rushing it,) a definite hint of anger in his voice that time, (it's not like you really need to know how to use any other bodies yet.)

(Need to know and wanting to know are different, I have a rare opportunity here and I want to get as much out of it as I can.)

(Then learn the basics,) a surprising amount of venom in his voice, (if you can't control the bodies you have I won't help arm you with things that are bigger and more dangerous.)

(I can control myself.)

(Try again,) he snapped, (I was watching you Jazz, not only were not in control of the body you weren't even aware of the fact that I was there. Morphing is five percent physical and ninety percent mental, if you can't learn…)

(That's only ninety-five percent,) mentally jabbing.

(The other five percent is luck and as I was saying, if you can't learn the subtle mental balance of a falcon or a dog, two of the easer animals to start with then you can't be trusted to try other animals that will completely over power you if you let them.)

I'm not sure what was making me madder the fact that he was accusing me of all these thing or the fact that he was right, (ok,) I whimpered into his mind, (I wasn't in control but I can do better, it's just…)

(I don't want to hear it, this isn't a game Jazz, I know what it's like to want to disappear when things don't go your way, but it's not a good idea, look at me, I did that and for a while I had feathers twenty-four seven. Yeah I got lucky I have a choice to go human again you might not, if you can't balance the mental aspect and you can't prioritize when to use the power you shouldn't use it at all.)

(Where is this coming from?) not understand why he was yelling at me.

For a few very long moments he didn't say anything, the tension between up almost visible then out of the blue, (because I'm worried about you Jazz,) sighing deeply. (You remind me of me right now, someone that doesn't like her life and loves the power she's been given, the only problem is you don't have the need to use it properly. I'm worried your life will turn out like mine did and I want you to get it together, you got embarrassed, it happens, look under most circumstance I'd say go and fly, have some fun and get everything out of your system, but unless you can do it and stay in control I don't think you should be doing this at all, me watching you or not.)

(Birdie…)

(Jasmine,) his words growing softer, (you have a gift and I don't just mean the obvious, this should be easy for you and the fact that it isn't is scaring me.)

(What do you mean easy, I'm becoming other animals it's not like people are predisposed to doing this.)

(You are,) diving down and landing on the roof of a building where I followed him, having a feeling this was important. (Your not normal Jazz,) looking at me, (and I don't mean that in a bad way, you're an estreen, someone that naturally knows how to do this, someone that should be better at this than I am. Experience might play a little into this, but by this time I had more control than you do and that shouldn't be the case.)

(You know this how,) shaking my head not completely sure where this was coming from.

(Because Cassie was one, and every time you change you remind me of her, morphing shouldn't be pretty, but every time you do it you become this stunning figure everyone in drawn to. For Andalite's it's an art form, something respected and admired, a rare gift and no one knows quite what it is, and your one of the few that has it.)

When he said it I backed up and demorphed not sure how to take it or if I should be worried about it, "so what are you saying?"

(You should have it down by now Jazz or at least have more control over it and the fact that you don't is making me nuts. I see you change I see how easy it is for you, how breathtaking you are and I know what you should be capable of but I keep seeing you struggle with something that should be so easy and it makes me…I don't know, scared, angry, I don't have the words here Jazz.) He looked back at the buildings, (I know what your capable of and it hurts me to know you can't realize it, and more than that I know what it's like to not have control, to get lost in the body, to know just how intoxicating that is and I don't want that to happen to you. I've had to many close calls in my life and in the lives of those I care about and I don't want you to get swept up in those numbers.)

"Tobias," putting am arm around him, at first I'd meant it to be affectionate, then I looked down and nearly squeezed the life out of him as I got a blast of acrophobia, but to his credit he didn't freak out on me as I pulled him back as I fell on my butt. I held him like that for a few moments washed in a mix of confusion as what he said sunk in.

(Jazz,) he whispered into my mind after a while.

"I'm ok," I whimpered a new blast of embarrassment hitting me as I let him go, "it's just…."

(I know I should stop with the nagging it's getting old and it doesn't he….,) his thoughts stopping as I put my fingers on his beak and 'shushed' him.

"It's ok, your worried about me and that means a lot," putting him down and leaning back against the roof. "I'm just scared," sighing deeply, "you tell me all these stories about what might happen and it freaks me out a little. I know all the bad things that can happen if I abuse this ability and I know I should just use it for the sake of using it but I'm not sure….how to use it," scratching me head, "that makes sense right?"

(Yeah,) nodding his head.

"And everything your asking me to do, it just…it goes against everything I believe in, everything I've been working towards. I've tried to understand how the mind works and how to keep it in control, especially mine and now you tell me I have to learn to let go of all that in order to learn how to do this."

(A little unfair huh?)

"Beyond words," putting my hands behind my head, "I'm having to unlearn everything I am but I am trying," looking him in the eyes, "but it seems like I can't figure this out, half the time I think I now what I'm doing and it turns out I'm totally off. As it is all I can do vaguely direct the bodies to do what I want but it's not like I have any control over how it gets done, I'm just a passenger and makes me nuts because if I try and take control I'm liable to end up a smear on the concrete," the beginning of a tear welling up in the corner of my right eye. "It's just so frustrating, I don't want to let myself down, or you for that matter but I just don't get it, hear the words, and I understand everything inside my mind," pulling my arms forward and shaking them next to my head, "but when I change everything just goes out the window and it makes me crazy."

For a few long moments we didn't say anything to each other, Tobias just kept looking at me with the hawk laser vision and making it impossible for me to read him. Taking a deep breath that made his feathers spread and shift, (you want to take this from the top,) an uncertainty in his mental voice.

I couldn't help but laugh when he said it, I don't know why but I found it funny, the lameness of it just seemed incredibly amusing. "I'm not sure how that'll help."

(I know I just wanted to break the drama, come on I think I know how to deal with your problem,) walking over to the ledge, (this isn't about thinking, this is simply about knowing how to balance the human with the animal, and I think I know how to guide you there. It's really stupid and dangerous but it'll force you to balance the instincts with human judgment.)

"And that is?"

(We're going diving,) giving me a bird smile with his eyes, (if you can drop to the ground at a hundred plus miles an hour and come within only a few feet of the ground by the time you pull out you'll have a good idea of how to control the balance.)

"And your coming up with this how?" lifting my eyebrow not believing what I was hearing.

(The dive takes the falcons instincts in order to keep it stable, but it'll want to flare up before it hit's the ground or coming in at an angel, if you can keep those instincts in check and guide it to pull at the last possible moment your trust problem should be broken.)

"That or my neck will be," rolling my eyes.

(Trust me I know what I'm talking about, I do this all the time,) jumping out into the sky, (this is the ultimate test of balance, you have to trust the falcon knows what it's doing while figuring out the proper hold to keep on the instincts, it's not going to be easy but it's worth it.)

"I'll take your word on that," shifting back into falcon mode and flapping after him.

* * *

**DP Style**

"So what'd you find out?" as Sam tapped her foot on the ground impatiently as Danny dropped down next to her in the park.

"I'd say I'm in trouble but that doesn't begin to describe it," he sighed.

"You want to be a little more specific," Tucker asked, "trouble as in the box ghost or trouble as in Vlad?"

"Try she might know who I am," running his fingers through his hair.

"WHAT!" the other two speaking in unison as they looked at him.

"Guys keep it down," Danny hissed looking around and hoping they hadn't attracted any more attention.

Sam pulled him in close and whispered, "what do you mean she might know?"

"I went through her room," shivering slightly at the thought, her room had been completely filled ghost hunting equipment and he hadn't been sure it wasn't booby trapped. "I couldn't get into her computer but she had a dart board up…"

"So," Tucker cutting him off not understanding where this was going.

"It had my picture on it…both of them," he snapped, "you know the down the middle secret identity split, left side human me, right side ghost me. I didn't see anything that said Fenton equals Phantom but it's pretty obvious that's where she was going."

"I told you that girl was going to be trouble," Sam sighed looking up into the sky, "so what do we do?"

"Well who says this is a bad thing," Tucker shrugged getting a dirty look from Sam, "I'm just saying, if she knows who Danny is, why not bring her into the fold. We could always use a little more muscle, and this way she stops trying to hunt down Danny and focus on the real threats."

"That or she shoots Danny then hunts down Jazz and Tobias and the town get over run by ghosts that she can't stop on her own, not to mention she has some link to Vlad so who knows what that'll do to us."

"Oh come on your just…"

"GUYS," Danny barked stopping the coming argument, "look we know Val is trying to do what she thinks is right, but we also know she has some serious issues with ghosts. I've tried making piece with her in the past and that hasn't really worked very well at least in ghost mode," looking at Sam, "but that doesn't mean it might not work now," looking at Tucker. "The problem is if I tell her there's no going back, and that puts my family at risk since we don't how she'll take it, she might be fine with it or she might go ballistic and start trying to take them down too. I don't have much trouble putting my life and risk, or even yours," getting dirty looks from the pair, "but I'm not doing that to them unless I can avoid it. If push comes to shove I'll tell her and hope for the best but right now we need to try and find another way out of this."

"Uh-hu your going to do that how?" Sam asked raising an eye brow.

Scratching behind his ear, "off the top of my head, no clue but we'll think of something."

"Still say we should just tell her," Tucker muttered more to himself then them.

"Your just saying that because it'll be easer for you to get a date with her if she thinks you're a tough ghost hunter too."

"Shut up Sam," shooting the goth a dirty look.

Murmuring to himself, "these two are never going to get over it."

* * *

**DP Style**

"Now this is the life, so to speak," Penelope purred happily reclining on the deck chair that hovered over the ground and watching the approach of a ghost with a ruggedly chiseled physic and a tray holding drink with a little umbrella in it. She took the drink as he kneeled down and ran her gloved hand over his chest enjoying his presence before shooing him away and sipped the concoction. The cool liquid helped ease the pain in her head that seems to occur every time she made someone do what she wanted but the mild agony was well worth the joy she received.

"Bertrand," she cooed crossing her legs and taking another sip, the gelatinous ghost appearing at her side. As with the few other ghosts she had enthralled since her transformation he was still completely mesmerized by her, "I now have youth, beauty and power, everything I ever wanted, so what should I do next?"

"Do as you wish, we exist to serve your radiance," bowing to her, essentially the same thing the others said to her since she worked her enchantments on them.

"Revenge Bertrand, I want revenge, or should I saw repayment, if not for the halfa I'd still be floating around leeching the life off of teenagers instead of possessing this sublime body and power." Taking another sip of the drink, "besides, none of these muscle heads have any real power, they're fun to look at but that's it. I'm going to need someone with real strength if I'm going to spread my influence out to all the undeserving ghosts out there, and he has that is spades. If nothing else," stretching her back and standing up, "I need to know if my new power extendeds to the living as well as the dead."

"Your will be done my queen."

"Yes," smiling seductively, "now find me a way to the living world then gather the others, they may be useless but I'll need a few sacrificial lambs to draw him out."

"As you desire," flying away to gather the others as Spectra watched him go and sighed.

"I can deal with the blind obedience, but I have to figure out how to get them to talk normally because they're starting to become annoying."

* * *

**Jazz POV**

(WWWWOOOOOOOOOOYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH!)

(STOP YELLING THAT!) Tobias' words ringing through my head and meaning nothing as the feathers on my breast brushed with the grass in the field.

(NEVER,) shifting dozens of feathers and soaring up into the sky, the momentum of the fall giving me enough power to clear the trees and hit a head wind and sail back into the welcoming sky.

(You've been diving for the last hour and the last eight have been perfect, you need to give it a little bit of a rest.)

(Going for an even dozen,) laughing mentally and looking down at the ground and diving down again, the ground coming at me at over a hundred miles an hour, the hobby and the human minds in total sync as I plummeted before pulling up at the last second and like before my feathers just brushed the ground.

(I'm not sure if I should be impressed or jealous that you've managed to pick this up so fast.)

(Oh sure like I didn't break my wings about fifteen times today,) letting the wind shift my feathers as I landed a few branches away from him, my landings still needing a little bit of work.

(You still have three to go.)

(I'll get back to them,) hopping the final few branches to him and nuzzling him slightly, (and I said I did break a few things before getting it right and that's a learning curve you didn't have.)

He cocked his head at me after I said it and I wasn't sure if he was thinking it over or a hold over from his being a hawk despite all his big talk about being in complete harmony with the bird. (Still,) he finally spoke after a few long seconds, (you picked up on this much faster than I thought you would.)

(I just needed someone to light a fire under my tail, so have I finally proved I can control the instincts?)

(That would be a yes, at least for the moment.)

(So I can get something bigger?) bobbing my head slightly in anticipation and really looking forward to finally try something a little bigger than a falcon.

(Prove you can hold down the dog and I'll show you a side to the zoo you've never imagined,) doing a weird smile with his eyes that I can't quite describe.

(YES,) hopping up and down on the branch, temporarily letting the confidence and joy of being a bird, not to mention the adrenalin, or whatever the bird equivalent was, that had to be running through my body overwhelm me and act a little immature while leaves came loose and drifted to the ground. After a second I realized what I must look like to him and calmed myself and smoothed my feathers out and tried to recover some of my dignity.

(Wow, I knew you wanted to progress to the next level, but I didn't know you wanted it that badly,) huffing lightly in what I now knew was the closest thing a hawk could do to a laugh.

(Yeah sorry about that, not quite as in control as I thought I was,) glad falcons couldn't blush.

(It's not a problem,) nuzzling me with his beak, (sometimes you just have to enjoy the body your in. Hmm, you know, you have the Hobby more or less down, and I know form experience German Shepherds are basically point and click so maybe a little variety wouldn't be bad.)

(Zoo?) coking my head and doing my best to keep my mental voice calm and knowing I was failing.

(That would be the plan,) my heart starting to beat faster, (but your not getting anything big, not yet.)

(Why not?) mentally slapping myself because I knew I sounded like a little girl pouting.

In response he stretched out his wing and kind out wrapped it around me awkwardly, something I doubted a normal bird would do. (Your getting good I'm not denying that, but one good afternoon doesn't mean you've mastered all the subtleties yet. On the off chance something goes wrong I don't want a wild lion, tiger or bear…)

(Oh my,) the words slipping out on principle and earning me the dirtiest look he was capable of.

(As I was saying I don't want anything dangerous roaming the streets in case you lose control. Your brother isn't exactly thrilled with what we're doing to begin with and one of us having to hunt you down and stop you isn't going to help matters.)

(So your trying to take the fun out of being able to become any animal I want?)

(No I'm just trying to limit the odds of mass panic in case the instincts run away from you.) Before I could say anything he cut me off, (and this is nothing against you Jazz, your going to be great at this, but everyone loses it a little the first time they change into a new body. Over time it gets easier, you have a better idea what to expect and you learn how to anticipate the rush and I just want to give you a good base to work with before we get bigger and meaner You also have to remember it takes physical contact to absorb the DNA, are you really ready to walk into some of those pens as a normal human?)

The last part kind of hit me in the chest, I'd more or less forgotten that part of the process. It was true I wanted to add a few new bodies to my inventory but there's a difference between wanting to be something and walking up to it and touch it. (So let me guess, rodents?)

(Not a chance, most rodents are sugar rushes with four legs,) a hint of a laugh in his voice. (Actually I've been doing some checking at the zoo, I was thinking maybe a horse or a deer, you know something that probably won't try and kill anything but is still large enough to have a generally calm demeanor.)

(So why not just go with an elephant?)

(Because it can still go wild and a rampaging elephant is a little more noticeable than a crazed horse. Of course if you have something else in mind I'm open to hearing it.)

(I don't know,) closing my eyes and trying to remember the animals I'd seen there after my last trip with Danny. I had to click off more than a few animals because I wasn't willing to go after some of them, some I knew he wouldn't let me try, and others I just didn't want to deal with. But finally I did find one that he might agree to, (what about a fox?)

(Excuse me,) cocking his head to the side.

(Well they're kind of small so if I lose it it's not like I can really hurt anyone, and they're predators so they have to have some confidence but at the same time given their size they have to have some caution to them. And while I know it won't be the same as Sally, they're both still canines so some things have to be in common so the body and instincts won't be completely alien. And if nothing else you can lock me in my room till I get a grip on the body so you don't really have to worry about me running away.)

By the time I was done he just looked at me, with an expression I couldn't read, (you've put way to much thought into this,) shaking his head slightly.

(Actually I'm making it up as I go along,) fluffing my feathers.

(All the same, it's not a bad idea, I mean the first thing I became was a cat, and a fox isn't be that different for the most part,) shrugging his shoulders (granted it's a little more wild but otherwise it could be a good preparation for later. Alright lets go get you a fox skin coat,) and I watched him jump off the branch and flap into the sky.

I was a little shocked when he said it but wasn't going to argue and took off after him.

* * *

**DP Style**

"Home," Spectra cooed softly while tapping her boot on the roof and looking over Amity Park's skyline and enjoying the feeling of the sun on her new skin.

"Empress," the voice bringing her back to reality and causing her to turn to him, a smile on her lips as one question had been answered as soon as she had arrived, her powers did indeed work on the living. He was nothing much to look at, but he like all the men in the building who had seen her fell instantly under her power. The women had been another story however, for whatever reason they were completely immune to her power and fled, which was all the better since it would help bring the halfa to her.

"Speak," the pain radiating in her head growing worse.

"Your orders have been fulfilled, the building is empty of those save your followers, and the equipment is ready, we merely need your divine presence to complete your decree."

"Excellent," passing him without bothering to give him a second glance, her mind a buzz with the fortune fate had given her. "What were the odds I'd land in a TV station," she whispered under her breath, "if things work as I hope, I may not have to sacrifice those buffoons after all."

"If that is your desire radiance," Bertrand's voice making her jump slightly as he appeared next to her from where she couldn't say.

"I don't care one way or another Bertrand, they're just a means to an end," doors open to the studio opening before her by two of her early ghost victims. She casually looked around at her scurrying slaves, a smile forming as she once more released the full scope of her power, "are you ready," all eyes on her now.

"We merely wait for you your brilliance," one of the humans spoke as he bowed.

Her smile took on the tiniest hint of cruelty as she sashayed up to the set that was laid out for her, "then let us begin." With an unmatched elegance she seated her self on the plush chair/couch, her legs curled gently hanging off the long chair and looking every bit like a model in a photo shoot. On the opposite side of the room humans scurried right and left to arrange the cameras and finish the various last minute adjustments to the equipment.

"And we're going live," Bertrand barked to the humans and signaling to Penelope, "in five, four, three," and waving his fingers.

"Hello slaves," she purred seductively and looked into the cameras, the feeling of her mind screaming in pain not showing on her face.

* * *

**DP Style**

"This is a bad idea."

"No it's not"

"Yes, it is."

"This'll work."

"No it won't"

"GUY STOP IT," Danny barked turning away from his door and to his two friends who had been arguing about what to do about Val for the last few hours and wanting nothing more than to leave them both outside and sleep for a few days. "This is my call," his voice weary, "not yours and I don't know what I want to do yet."

"But Danny," Tucker argued waving his hands in the air, "an ally is an ally."

"And this is one you just happen to have a crush on and is, oh wait, completely insane," Sam snapped for what was easily the tenth time.

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT," his eyes taking on a green glow, "I know your trying to help but your not so give it up."

"Danny," Tucker started.

"NO! Whatever it is no," grabbing his door knob, "just go away for a while and let me think about this ok."

"But," Tucker started.

"Park...naked…upside down in a tree."

"Right shutting up."

"Finally," sighing an walking in the door.

"JJJJJJJAAAAACCCCCKKKKKK!" his mothers call ringing through the house and she waved a piece of loudly humming equipment in front of her husbands face while he stared into space in the living room, Sam and Tucker right behind him out of concern for his parents.

"Mom," the half ghost's voice full of concern as he ran over to his parents, any of the thousands of things that could've gone wrong flashing through his mind.

"Danny," Maddie's voice near somewhere between hysterics, intrigue and the odd calm that came over her when she went after ghosts. "Something's wrong with your father."

"I got that much," as came up next to her, both now behind him as she joined the three teenagers.

"He was just walking through the room," her voice barley audible over the whirr of the machine, "and then he stopped, I can't seem to get him out of it."

"I understood 'room, stop, and get out'," counting off on his fingers, "can you turn that thing off or down," pointing at the machine in her hand.

"Oh right," fiddling with the equipment, the hum soon stopping, and a new sound coming the ears of the teens."

"Come to me child, I'm waiting for you," Spectra voice instantly recognizable to the three, "I know you can hear me come to me, I want you alone, all others should stay where they are for now." Out of instinct Danny darted around his father, ready to go ghost in case she attacked, only to run in front of the TV screen and stare directly into it, her powers ensnaring him as they had his father.

"Danny what's gotten into you," his mother snapped running over to him out of concern only to find him as mesmerized as his father. "Not you too," her hands covering her mouth, the beginning of panic creeping into her voice as the situation began to escape her.

"This is not good," Sam hissed under her breath as she side stepped the prone Jack Fenton and looked at Danny then to the TV screen the message still playing than back to Danny beginning to put together the pieces of the puzzle. "This is not good Tuck," looking behind her only to find the other boy as frozen as Danny also having she the show.

"Oh this cannot be good," a slight rasp in Maddie's voice as she turned the machine back on and started scanning Danny and shaking her head. "The ecto reading are abnormally high," speaking more to herself than to Sam as she checked the read out.

"WHAT," Sam's voice coming out more a yell than intended as her mind began to race with cover stories to tell the elder ghost hunter.

"It's just like Jack's," sighing and repositioned her mask to hide the fear that was slowly rising for Sam's sake, "whatever is going on with these two is ghostly in origin but I won't be sure what it is till I run some tests."

At the comment Sam sighed in relief having avoided one problem, but in the grand scheme of things it was the smaller of the two facing her. After a few moment Maddie finished running her tests on the three and kissed Jack in the hope it wouldn't be the final time and started her way to the lab to search for clues in the data.

By the time she was out of sight all of Sam's attention was turned to Spectra's message that had largely remained unchanged from the brief snippet she'd heard earlier. "Come to me, all others stay, you're the only one I want so come to me."

"Well this almost painfully vague," rolling her eyes and running her hand through her hair as she looked back at Danny to make she he hadn't moved. "So what are you up to," as she manually turned off the sound and studied the woman on screen to see if see could learn anything. "New cloths, new hair, defiantly a new trick, but absolutely nothing that helps," she sighed and shook her head while sitting on the ground. Or trying to as she felt something hard under a second in accompanied by the volume on the TV rising quickly to deafening levels.

"COME TO ME GHOST HUNTER COME AND PROVE YOUR WORTH TO YOUR QUEEN."

"Crap," Sam hissed and fumbled with the remote trying to find the mute button on the overly complicated Fenton Remote, or at least that's what it said in tape at the top. But by the time it was done it was to late, Danny had already shifted to his ghost form and started phasing through the ceiling by the time she turned around. To make matters worse Jack and Tucker were heading towards the door, more than likely to the same destination as Danny.

"Of course she couldn't just say Danny could she," the goth hissed, "she had to say ghost hunter," as she tried to get in front of the pair and block their escape route, only to discover that despite the older Fenton's size he was good deal faster than she had originally thought and had vanished before she could take two steps in his direction. "Oh I am not getting beat by all three," jumping over to the couch and reaching behind it and grabbing the Jack-A-Nine-Tails she knew was normally back there. "Your getting back here," lashing the whip forward, the tendrils unfurling after a second and encasing him before he reached the door followed by an ecto discharge that rendered the boy unconscious.

"Sorry about that Tuck," pushing a button on the whip to recoil it while running over to him to make sure he hadn't been accidentally hurt. By the time she was at his side she heard the unmistakable sound of the Fenton RV tearing out down the street. "This is not turning out to be one of my better days," shaking her head, "I'm going to need a lot of help here," looking down at her friend. "I better call Jazz and hope her armor's still ready for bat…tle…" grabbing the bridge of her nose as she remembered the condition of the suit after the last usage. Before she could even give the thought words her cell phone went off , "spookular."

By the time she flipped open the phone she had a good guess what she'd hear, "let me guess problem?"

"So I'm guessing it's not just me," Jazz sighed, her voice a mix of anger and confusion.

"Only if your seeing our old guidance councilor on TV and a bunch of frozen males looking at her."

"That and Tobias just tore out of here like something was trying to eat him and let's just say I wasn't in a position to go after him."

For a second she almost asked what the other girl meant but let it drop, "great I was hoping he was immune to this," she sighed and closed her eyes.

"Please don't say what I think your going to say."

"Ok then your brother and dad weren't just put under her spell and headed down to wherever she is."

"I asked you not to tell me that, so what do we do?"

"Your asking me?" a wave of disbelief washing over the goth.

"You've been at this longer than me so I'm assuming you have a plan for kicking this ladies tail."

"Lets just say this is a new trick for Spectra," starting to pace, "where are you any way?"

"A few miles from the zoo at a pay phone and feeling a little exposed given how little I'm wearing, we were going to grab a few new forms, looks like I still will, only without his help."

"I think there are some more important things going on here," running her fingers through her hair.

"This lady has my brother, my dad, and my beast friend in her power, I have to try and stop and given a choice between gun and claws, I'm going with claw. In and out will only take me about ten minutes if I'm not subtle, and given the weirdness going on I don't think I'll need to be. As soon as I'm done I'll head back in your direction."

For a second Sam considered arguing but relented with a sigh, "meet at Bucky's we'll figure out where to go from there, chances are it's in the message that's playing on all the TV stations."

"Done and done…oh," the comment stopping Sam from clicking off the phone, "I have a small cache of weapons up stairs in the ops center just in case, you might want to go through it. If nothing else find the canister marked claw, I'm going to need it."

"Claw, got it thanks Jazz, see you in a few."

"Count on it," the phone going dead a moment later.

"Appreciate the offer on gear but I don't think I need it," running her hands over her backpacks shoulder straps and walking up stairs to the command center. As soon as she shut the door she shrugged off she jacket, the black sleeves of her hazmat suit on display. A few moments later the rest of her normal attire joined the jacket on the ground revealing a slightly modified version of the suit she wore to Hagsepla. While the former was essentially the same kind wore by the Fenton's with black being the main body with purple gloves, boots and collar this version was more a creation of Sam. Her body of her shirt was sold black while her sleeves, starting at the shoulder, were dark purple ending just before her wrists. The pants were still black but adorning each thigh was a series of three dark purple slash marks starting at the back of her leg and moving down around to the front. Her shoes, that had been hidden in her boots, were the same black as the rest of her suit and better suited for combat.

In her mind Sam could almost see the last few months that gone into the work on her creations as she pulled out the final piece's of her suit. Ever since the ghosts had started attacking she knew one day Danny wouldn't be there to help her and she was determined not to be some damsel in distress when it happened. She'd spent hours in her families private gym as she tried to rehone her skills as an armed and unarmed fighter. Nights in her room as she scoured books on ghosts and technical manuals and attempting to put them all to memory. Any time her parents were gone she'd pull out her suit or her 'toys' as she liked to call them and continue tweaking them on the off chance she'd need them.

"Moments like now," she whispered to herself pulling the black gloves on and slipping the dark purple belt around her waist, the weight of the equipment within making itself known, but not enough to hinder her in a fight. Sighing, a slight hint of trepidation running through her, she started checking her gear, or more precisely it was the Fenton's gear, at least in origin. "I really hope this doesn't blow up in my face," steadying a slight tremor that started running over her with a deep breath.

The process of examining her equipment was almost a dance as she pulled her pistol from the holster on her back and clicking on the power. After a second the all black sci-fi style gun lit up as panels and groves took on a soft red light, a sign it was powered up. With an ease born of practice her hands race over the small indicators as they displayed power levels, beam settings, discharge options and several other choices born from the Fenton's workshop. The gun itself, like much of her other gear, was custom made combining various elements of the Fenton's weapons and compacting it and modifying it into it's present form. Even with all the work she had put into it the real credit had went to the people she'd commissioned to make it for her, one of the benefits to being rich. Thankfully her grandmother had been willing to help supply the funds since she wasn't sure she could figure out a way to get the money from her parents.

After a few seconds she holstered the gun, once more secure that it was in perfect order and in turn pulled the rod on the right side of her belt. Like the gun it was black and also glowed from various groves and patches when the power was turned on, only it was a deep blue as apposed to red. A slight application of pressure later and it came to life, a long single coil of glowing metal shooting out of one end till it hit the ground. A quick snap of the wrist sent a tremor out along the coil of the altered Jake-A-Nine-Tails letting her know more than the read out that it was ready. A moment later the coil sucked back into the grip of the weapon and retook it's place on her hip while she removed it's neighbor on the left side.

As soon at the power was on the black metal glowed a muted muddy orange and one end erupted in an orange beam of ecto energy, followed moments later by the other end. Unlike the other equipment Sam hadn't really bothered trying to modify the design of the ecto staff, it was already perfect when Maddie had made the original. The only real change was slightly lighter, a little more efficient when it came to power, and the sides could be ignited independently of each other.

Extinguishing the weapon she holstered it and sighed, her nerve failing her for a moment. "I really never thought I'd have to use these," running her fingers through her hair. "I was hoping I could just leave these hidden away, something to look at an say, well I have 'um in case I need 'um. Heck they'd probably still be down there if it wasn't for David," a chill running over her body, "no way that body stealing rapist ghost is getting the drop on me again." Ever since Tobias had told them about what the ghost had done in life she'd been on edge and had taken to carrying her equipment just in case he decide to fall back into old habits, but she still never thought she'd really need it. Growling to herself, "this probably isn't the time for a field test, but it has to be done, I might've had enough sense not to do it on another planet, but here and now is a good a time as any."

Taking a final deep breath she pulled out the mask hidden away in the backpack and slipped it on, the black material hiding her face away from the world, leaving only a small visor to see through. In a moment of vanity she looked over at the various reflective surfaces of the room and took herself in, the material clinging to her body like a second skin leaving little to the imagination, yet completely hiding her identity. "Maybe the black and purple are to obvious, they are my favorite colors," absently to herself, "to late now," shrugging it of.

She took three steps towards the door then slapped herself in the head, "right Jazz's thing," and turning on her heal. It took her a few seconds to find the weapons cache hidden behind a console . Given the placement in the tight space Sam guessed either Danny or Tobias had helped in the placement of the equipment. It took a few minutes of digging but she finally found a small black canister, about the size and shape of a film tube with 'claw' written in gold. "Huh, well I've seen stranger weapons in this house," pocketing the device in her belt.

Taking a finally look around the weapon toting goth ran down to the second floor and to the second set of stairs then stopped having caught a look at her self in the mirror. "Right if I go out like this I'm going to be shot at aren't I," pulling her mask off, "so what's plan B."

Scratching the back of her head she ducks into Jazz's room a faint memory coming to the surface. "Lets see if it's even here," opening up the closet and fingering through the older girls clothing till she found what she hoped was there. "This I can work with," pulling out a high end black trench coat and slipping it The coat was a surprisingly good fit and ended just below her knees, just enough to hide her suit and keep anyone from becoming suspicious if they say her.

"Hope she doesn't get ticked off about this," a small smile on Sam's lips as she slipped her mask and gloves into one of the pockets of the coat and headed down stairs. "Mrs. Fenton," she barked on the way to the door, "I'm sorry I need to go, I have to make sure my parents are ok."

"OK Sam, be careful," the older ghost hunter's voice surprisingly calm as it rang up from the basement.

"I don't think that's an option," she sighed walking over to Tucker's backpack and pulling out his collapsible motorized scooter and out into the street and started off towards Bucky's hoping Jazz would already be there and that the situation would somehow work itself out before she got there.

* * *

**DP Style**

"This is taking to long," Spectra hissed floating off the couch and past the cameras, her head screaming in pain, "he should've come to me by now, are you sure the cameras are on?"

"Yes magnificence, everything is operating at peak performance," her unseen slaves voice rang out from a speaker.

"Well obviously it isn't so find out what the problem is," her voice making the assembled men quiver in fear and self loathing at having displeased their mistress. A choirs of "at once your radiance ," and the like filling the air. "AND SOME BODY GET ME AN ASPIRIN!"

"It won't work," Bertrand's voice making her flinch, "your not…"

"I know, I'm not human and the drugs don't work, it would still make me feel better."

"Then I'll bring them to you," the green blob bowing low and melting through the floor.

Sighing and rubbing her temples, "why can't I get rid of this freaking headache."

"I don't know mistress," the new voice making her spin around in equal parts fear and relief. Before her stood Danny, kneeling on the ground, "just know I was summoned."

"You serve me?" caution mixed with excitement in her voice, between her experience with him and the stories she heard from others she knew it could be a trick.

"In all things my queen."

Her mind raced as she looked for an appropriate test before settling on one of the camera men, "kill him," pointing at the man.

"Of course," his eyes shifting to the man, his hands glowing green before releasing the energy, fully intent on doing as he was ordered. The blast however was intercepted by a ball of fur dropping from the rafters, a ball that screamed in pain as the energy collided with him and knocked him just to the left of the human.

"WHAT IS THAT!" Penelope roared as the ball of fur began sprouting wings as it rolled.

"His name is Tobias your exquisiteness."

"Why is he here?"

(You called me your brilliance,) his thoughts invading her mind.

"I did not and where is that coming from," the redheaded ghosts head jerking from side to side looking for the source.

(You summoned the ghost hunter, I have that distinction now, thus I came your radiance,) his now hawk head bowing low as he got to his feet.

"Interesting," new ideas flashing in Spectra's mind, "you know him Daniel?"

"He's dating my sister," a great deal of venom in his voice.

(We're friends Danny that's….) the thoughts cut off as the doors to the room burst open catching the assembled by surprise.

"I'M HERE TO SERVE HOT MAMA," Jack's voice bouncing off the walls as he barreled toward the ghost woman.

Spectra sighed and held the bridge of her nose as the as her raging headache increased, "I should've worded that message a little more carefully."

* * *

**DP Style**

"Come on Jazz what's taking you so long," Sam hissed to herself as her foot tapped the ground as she waited in the alley next to Bucky's. "I'm just a little bit exposed here," as she wrapped the coat around herself a little tighter to hide her equipment and clothing.

(Well I'm sorry but it took a while to figure out how to slip in to a gator pit in broad daylight without getting spotted or eaten.) Sam didn't have to look for the morphed girl as the hobby dropped down next to her, (and that's my jacket isn't it?)

"Sorry, I was running low on choices," slipping a little further back and into the shadows of the buildings.

(It's ok,) hopping over to her, (you ready to go get the boys back?)

"Yeah except for one little problem, we have no idea where they are."

(Actually I think I might, I saw a little path of destruction on the flight over, given the tread marks it's either my dad driving the RV…)

"I'd say a good bet."

(…or someone's joyriding in a tank.)

"One problem solved, to bad it's the easy one."

(Well we'll figure out the next one when we come to it, and the longer we wait the less chance we have of finding the others.) Looking up at the sky, (if you give me a lift I'll guide you from the sky.)

"You sure you couldn't turn into something I could ride," picking the bird up.

(Sorry I don't have anything that would be inconspicuous.)

"You fly, your brother fly's, your boyfriend fly's, why can't I fly?"

(Not my boyfriend and not my concern, now throw me.) Growling something unintelligible the goth tossed her up, the bird righting herself after a moment and soaring of past the building. A few moments later Sam scooted onto the streets in hot pursuit of the bird, Jazz's mental words guiding her down the road and through the maze that was Amity Park.

It only took her a few minutes to pick up on the subtle clues that Jack had driven threw the area, damaged signs, turned over mailboxes, cracked side walks, and people still in a mild cases of shock. "And people say women are bad drivers." After about fifteen minutes the two came to a stop as they spotted the Fenton RV.

(End of the line.)

"So I noticed," the words barley audible by humans but perfectly clear to the bird over head, "so how do we play this?"

(First I need to recharge, I'm tired and I need a few minutes of rest,) the bird doing a quick circle in the sky, (meet me on the roof across the street.)

"See you there," watching the transformed girl fly to a roof, following her up a few moments later after she'd folded the scooter and slipped into the building and taking the elevator to the roof. Thankfully all the insanity next door had made it easy for her to slip by without much notice. "So," spotting the redhead looking over the ledge, "you have a plan because I've been making things up as I go along."

"Go in, get them out, hope to see tomorrow."

"I was thinking of something a little more detailed."

"Then no," crossing her arms and looking back at her, "we're in a lot of trouble aren't we?"

"Are my parents perky to the point of making me insane?"

"That bad huh?"

"Oh yeah," walking over to her and sitting on the ledge while trying to calm her mind to all the things that Spectra could be doing to Danny at that very moment. Shaking it off she donned her gloves and pulled her mask out and slipped off Jazz's coat, ready to go the second either one had an idea.

* * *

**Jazz POV**

"New costume," the words coming out a little shaky in spite of the control I was trying to exert over my emotions. I was trying to put on a strong face, but the truth was I was terrified, I didn't really know what I was doing and unlike the pervious times I didn't really have anyone else to fall back on. All the others times I knew if something went wrong I had Danny or Tobias or even my parents to keep me safe, but now I had to rely on myself and on Sam. If I was one of the others, I probably have more faith in Sam at the moment, but I could tell from a glace that she was in the same spiral of fear and doubt I was even, if she did try to hide it. Just like me she usually had someone else to fall back on and now she had to rely on herself and wasn't all that sure of her own skills.

"Yeah," blowing a stray hair up with her mouth, "I thought I needed something that didn't scream Fenton."

"So instead you have something that screams goth?"

"I looked in the mirror today and realized it was kind of a dead give away too, no time to change now."

"And the weapons, I don't recognize them," normally not knowing something they made didn't concern me given how fast their ideas came and went but the color made me wonder.

"Long story, lets just say having money has it's up side."

I shook my head at that, it wasn't like we didn't have enough secrets between all of us already, "if we live I'd like to hear it," looking up at the sky. "Well I'll be," a smile forming on my lips, "birdie was right, the sky does hold all the answers to our questions."

"What are you talking about?"

"Over there," pointing off into the distance past the building that we hoped had the others.

"Crap," my partner hissed standing up having seen what I did, "the last thing we need right now is Val blowing something up."

"Then we have to get her attention, cover your face, if I do this right she'll be interested in us real quick." I wasn't sure if Valerie's mask could really pick up morph energy but I was about to find out and called on the Hobby's DNA and started to change. Hands turned to wings, toes to talons, a mouth to a beak, and all the while I grew smaller while my eyes grew sharper, and I didn't have any doubt she saw me given how fast she was moving towards us.

Under her breath I could hear Sam hiss, "great the last person I wanted to see today," while she pulled a mask over her head that hid her face and hair.

(She also might be the only chance we have of getting to the oth…,) my thoughts trailing off as I saw her point what was essentially a canon at us, (…or she might try and kill us.)

"Alright ghost, I don't know what your plan is, but I'm here and your going to regret it," as she fired off a blast at us. Before I could even flap my wings enough to get into the sky I saw Sam reach around to her back pull out a black gun that now had an eerie red glow and fire and equally red volley from it that collided with Val's shot in mid air neutralizing it.

(You might be a better shot than my mom,) the words just slipping out of me yet staying on a tight beam so only Sam could hear me.

"High praise," she whispered back, then in a louder voice, "WE'RE NOT HERE TO FIGHT YOU," while raising her arms, the gun now hanging freely in her hand, her finger away from the trigger.

"Like I'm suppose to believe that," the red clad girl hissed, her boards vibrations hitting my in the chest as she came closer.

"You and the Fenton's don't have a monopoly on ghost hunting in this town." I was a little shocked when I heard it, not so much the words as the voice, it wasn't Sam's, at least not to the human ear, the girl obviously had some kind of filter build into mask, and she only knew what else.

"Yeah well," the comment catching her off guard," that thing next to you is a ghost," leveling her gun at me.

"They have they're uses," a quick shift in Sam's hand brought the weapon back in firing position and leveled at the other girls head, "and right now I value her more that you so point that monstrosity else where."

For a second I wasn't sure how it would end as the tension build between us, but thankfully Valerie relented and shouldered the gun. "I don't know who you are and I don't care, this is my city, get out."

"Your not one to make those demands," Sam lowering her weapon with a few fancy spins you'd generally only see movie cowboys do. In that moment it was obvious there was more going on between the pair than surface hostilities. I knew Sam didn't like Valerie, I also knew it was in part because she felt threatened by the girl and the attraction my brother felt for her. But it was also something else, Sam seemed to have some kind of rage that was focused in her, but with only body language to go on it was hard to get any more precise. Val on the other hand was acting very protectively, but there was defiantly an under current of hostility from somewhere else, but I couldn't be sure from where.

In the end I didn't have time to go deeper into their psyches as the outside world decided to break up the moment. From the other building several men started running out, exactly what each was yelling I couldn't be sure given how many were talking but I got the message, "kill the girl."

* * *

**DP Style**

On a tight beam to Sam, (we need to get out of here.)

"Why it's just a few…," whatever else Sam was going to say stopped when someone down below started firing his gun.

"What is wring with those guys," Val barked and shot forward onto the roof and out of the line of fire.

"I don't know," Sam hissed sarcastically as she duck down, "maybe what's happening to all the other men in the city is happening to them too!"

"Great so what are we suppose to do, those are living people down there, we can't hurt them."

(Yet she has no problem hunting down the dead ones,) the thoughts staying between Sam and Jazz.

"Look if nothing else we know this is the right place," a weird calm coming over Sam as the bullets continued to bounce off the side of the building, "and if we don't do something fast innocent people are going to get hurt."

As Val checked her weapon she spat out, "I'm open to suggestions here."

"Lets put ego aside for a second and assume that entire building is full of men with gun, and more than likely ghosts, if either one of us goes in alone we probably won't come out alive. On the other hand we hit it together, well the odds are still gunna be against us."

Another bullet pop came close to Val, "yeah I can work with that."

"Alright then we have to hit Spectra, whatever's going on is her fault, she has to know how to stop it."

"Huh, I use to have a guidance councilor at school by that name."

Sam ignored the comment and looked at Jazz and in hush tones, "think you can cause a distraction down there that'll get us in but not hurt anybody?"

(Maybe, I only have a handle on two bodies, and neither one's going to be useful, but I might have something that'll work.)

"Then do it and be careful."

(Don't have to tell me twice,) as she hopped over to the side, not confident enough in the cover the building provided to fully fly.

"Where's it going," Val's gun trained on Jazz, a small red dot now on the back of the birds head.

"To make sure we have a way in, that board of yours have enough power to carry two people?"

"Should, but in case you hadn't noticed it's not exactly safe for us out there."

"It will be soon, just be ready to go on my signal."

With a sneer, "I'll be ready just don't get in my way once we're inside," it took all of Sam's restraint not to throw the girl over the side after she said it.

Down below them Jazz had demorphed in an alley, a wave of fatigue washing over her after having morphed so many times and flown as fast as possible. "Hope birdie is right about this getting easier as times goes on, cause I'm not sure I can keep going at this pace much longer." Despite that she knew she had a part to play and had every intention of fulfilling it, even if her knees did feel like jelly. With a deep breath she forced all the other fears and emotions out and focused on one of her two new sets of DNA. Unlike what she had told Sam, she hadn't actually gone into an alligator pit, she'd thought about it but when the time came she just didn't have the nerve, that and given how they were all roaming around their habitat it looked like the zoo keepers had hopped them up on stimulants. She was pretty sure one of the forms wouldn't be much use, but she just wanted to say she'd managed to touch a komodo dragon and have proof that she'd done it. The other form she'd managed to get though was probably a bit more useful in the current situation, or at least she hoped so.

Like with the Hobby and German Shepherd the changes were fast, but she was still able to make out each and everyone. First her eye sight decreased slightly while her hearing perked up, but all things considered the changes were minimal compared to her previous forms. The small change was followed by a large one as her arms extended and bulked up, muscles she didn't know she had bulged and ripped through out her body. Her fingers grew out and became slightly thicker as the rest of her body expanded as muscle continued to appear on her. Her legs shrank a bit while the rest of her body grew and a fine red fur began sprouting form her body and quickly enveloped her. Before she knew it her sense of balance left her and she dropped to the hands, the now thinker palms easily taking it as if the rough ground were nothing. Her face lost feeling for a few moments as her skin grew thinker and more resistant while her teeth and jaw shifted and changed but adapted to the new sensations after a moment. Then the final change hit, the one she had found strange in the initial morph, her red fur grew pale till it hit white, except for a strip she couldn't see on her back, that had a rather distinctive look to it.

(Ok here it comes,) she moaned to herself as she readied herself for the instincts, unsure just how strong they'd be and determined to control them. When they hit she was taken back, the mind was calm, it wasn't looking for a fight like she had suspected, it was just calm and curious as to where it was, but other wise it didn't really care one way or another. It knew it couldn't be hurt, it knew few things would dare challenge it, the only thing that slightly made it nervous was the noise from the crowd.

(Right,) Jazz mentally slapping herself, the total serenity of the body having more of a hold on her than she thought for a moment. (Remember, your big, your strong, don't hurt anyone,) she reminded herself as she walked forward, her fingers curling under her out of instinct as she knuckle walked her way towards the controlled people.

"Kill the girl, the great one commands it," one of the men barked as the assembled continued to fire.

(Not on my watch,) the words not going any further than Jazz as she ducked her head out, the sheer number making her nervous, (this is going to be a bad day.) Taking a deep breath she hopped out and roared, "HHUUUURRRROOOHHHHH!" The sound instantly cutting through the crowd and making them go silent as they started at her in shock.

Up above them, Sam and Val were equally shaken, but given the momentary laps in fire Val dared a look below to see what it was. "There's a white gorilla below us," a total amount of disbelief in her voice, enough to make Sam take a quick look herself.

"Actually that'd be a Purpleback gorilla and her name is Delilah, or it is now, not to mention our way in," then as an after thought, "you can't shoot her either."

"These are the kind of days I wish I stayed in bed," Val moaned banging her head lightly on the roof of the building.

"Ditto," Sam hissed under her breath and grabbing a final look at Jazz and smiling under her mask.

(Here's goes nothing,) looking at the men and focusing on all them, (GO HOME!) In response they just stared at her in disbelief none believing they were seeing a talking ape. (Yeah I didn't think that was going to work.)

With a growl filling the air she charged the men, a faint hope that they'd disburse when faced with her still lingering in her mind, a dream that soon faded as they trained their respective weapons on her. However getting a shot off proved a more daunting task as the two hundred pound beast came down on them with surprising speed and barreled through the sea of meat puppets and knocked more than a few off their feet and onto the ground.

(Alright nice and easy,) Jazz hissed one last time to herself as she grabbed one of the men by the collar and tossed him up with one hand, only to send him sailing into the air like a rag doll till he collided with several others and brought them all to the ground. (Ok mental note, be very careful this body is way to strong.) The thought however didn't really have time to take hold as she pushed her way through the crowd and occasionally swung one of her arms out and easily forced whoever it hit backwards. And more than that she could feel the sickening crack of bone as her arm's collided with them in spite of her best attempts to be gentle.

"What your monkey trying to do," Val snapped looking at Sam. From above she could see the men being flung around by the great ape, seemingly without care or concern for their well being.

"Giving us an opening or had you missed the fact that we aren't being shot at anymore."

"BUT SHE'S KILLING THOSE PEOPLE!"

"If they were dead they wouldn't be moaning in pain, and the longer we have this conversation the less time they have to get medical help so we need to get going." With a grunt she pulled the red clad girl to her feet and pointed to the building, "don't bother with the door just blow a hole in the window now lets get moving things aren't going to stay calm forever."

For a moment Val considered arguing with the other ghost hunter, but the way the other masked woman carried herself stopped her. She didn't doubt that she could take the interloper, but there was something about her that made her wary, and she was right after all, those men didn't seem to be stopping despite the beast's attack, so their was a good chance this wouldn't stop till they got to the ghost responsible for all this.

"Fine," she hissed under her breath as she jumped into the air, her hover board unfolding from her feet as if by magic, "but once we're inside stay out of my way."

"I have every intention of that," nodding her head slightly as Sam hopped onto the back of the board behind the other teenager.

With a jerk the board shot forward, "then try not to fall off!" It only took a moment for the pair to soar into the sky, and less time for Val to aim and fire her weapon, opening a large gap in the side of the building and showing those below with a rain of glass, metal and other construction materials. By the time the debris hit the ground Val and Sam were already inside the TV station.

"Thanks for the lift," Sam hissed hopping down.

With a fair amount of venom in her voice, "stay out of way and we'll call it even," the ghost hunter's words fading in the distance as she took off through the open door and flew down the hall.

"You're the one that needs to stay out of my way," the words barely a whisper as Sam darted into the hall and headed the other direction, not sure where she was going, but having a good idea Spectra would end up finding her.

* * *

**DP Style**

"Well this isn't going as planned," Spectra muttered to herself, one of her servants having just told her about what was going on outside. "What's a monkey doing out here?"

(Ape actually your splendor,) Tobias interjected now perched on a camera, his thoughts going to her alone, (and it sounds like Jazz.)

Raising her eyebrow in curiosity and surprise, "so you know what that creature is then? How to deal with it?"

(Yes on both your eminence,) bowing his head.

Without bothering to look at him, "then do so, prove your loyalty to me," extending her arm, the lights catching the silver spider web pattern on her arm and making them glow and shine.

(At once,) bowing his head and spreading his wing and flapping towards the door that was opened for him by one of her guards.

A few feet from her and dazed Danny had already put much of the one sided conversation together, "she won't be alone," his loyalty to her compelling him to tell her everything.

"What Daniel?" the spectral beauty looking at the half ghost.

"She won't be alone, others will come to find out what's happened if they haven't already."

"Oh yeah," Jack barked in his usual exuberant tone, "Maddie'll burst in that door any second guns a blaze'n looking for me!" A semi smug look on his face, even in her power, the other man couldn't help but feel proud that he was essentially being fought over by two gorgeous women.

"I really don't need this today," Penelope whimpered holding the bridge of her nose while trying to work through the situation while her head continued to pound. "Alright," she sighed, "fat man take some of my ghosts and protect me from invaders."

"Ghosts," the orange clad man whined, "I don't work with ghosts I, JACK FENTON, shoot them."

"DO AS I SAY DRONE!" the words making everything in the room jump in fear.

"Um…right…you got it hot stuff, lets get going you ghost slime," waving to them as he kicked the door in and charged down the hall, weapons held high in the air.

Spectra shook her head, "that one is going to be a trouble maker," then looked over at Danny, "what do you say we take this someplace else."

"As you desire my empress."

"Bertrand," snapping her fingers, the blob appearing next to her a moment later, "tell Fisto to open a rip back home, we're leaving."

"That might be difficult your extravagance."

"Why?"

"He just left with the ghost hunter," averting his eyes from her.

"Then find him," a growl in her throat, the gelatinous specter vanishing into the floor. "All I want are beauty and slaves that bow to my ever whim as soon as I have them if not before, is that to much to ask?"

* * *

**Jazz POV**

(Sorry, sorry, oh didn't mean to do that, sorry, oh that's going to hurt in the morning, sorry,) at this point I was apologizing nonstop, no matter what I tried to do I ended up completely over powering it. On the plus side however I was managing to maintain control over the body, thanks in large part to the lessons I'd learned earlier today with Tobias. I grabbed a guy by his pant and tore them off him, I hit someone they ended up flying through the air, I stepped on a couple of guys feet and I'm pretty sure they'll need surgery to walk again. But in the end I was making progress most of the people in the way weren't anymore and didn't seem all the interested in moving. (If you guys would get away form me I stop hurting you!)

Even while I was fighting I couldn't help but laugh to myself at the situation. (I'm breaking everything I touch, I'm fighting ghosts, and I have to weigh at least two hundred pounds, I have never been my fathers daughter more than at this moment.)

Regardless of hurting them though I'd managed to come out of the fight relatively unscathed, or as unscathed as I could in a morph. I'd already been shot at least three times, I didn't even know it the first time, a glancing shot off the side of my head, since it barely registered, gorilla skin might not be bullet proof but it was really hard to hurt. The only down side was the other two times, once in my right arm and the other on the same shoulder, the pain wasn't that bad for having a piece of metal go though my skin, but the instincts kinda surged in anger for a second and nearly made me lose control, again thank you Tobias for teaching me control.

Finally thought I was done, or at least done with those outside because I wanted to get going and try and find the others in case they needed me. (This is going to seem weird but thanks for letting me see if I could do this, and again I'm really sorry about hurting you.)

(Don't be,) the words hitting me like a hammer, (they fought for the mistress, there is no greater service.)

(Birdie,) the word slipping out as I spun looking for him, not sure what side he'd be on but having a good idea.

I found him up on the steps to the building, decked out in his deinonychus body, his jaws snapping and a growl filling the air. (Give up Jazz, I don't want to hurt you, but her luxuriousness wants you stopped, and her wish is my only concern.)

(Your being controlled Tobias, come on of everyone in the city I'm the last one you want to hurt.)

(I know, that's why I want you to stand down. If your not a threat to the magnificence then we can end this now without anyone else getting hurt,) I could see his claws tapping on the steps in aggravation and anticipation.

(I can't do that and you know it, your boss has control of you, my family and a good chunk of the men in the city and I have to stop her and you know it, part of you even wants me to,) my fur bristling as I could feel a rage that was partly mine and partly the gorilla's building inside of me.

(Then we have a problem,) his fingers flexing.

(Yeah I guess we do, but it's different this time,) loosening my shoulders up, (last time I was inexperienced kid in armor, now I can fight on your level,) baring my teeth and roaring.

(A fur coat doesn't put you on my level little girl,) answering me with a snarl of his own and charging towards me with a speed that somehow seemed faster now that I was on the receiving end again. For a moment the gorillas instincts took over as I reared up on my hind legs while pounding my chest and roaring in a bluff. A move that did little as he leapt at me before I could even respond, his hand claws dug into face while he kicked me in the chest, both middle claws digging in for a brief moment before using the power of the kick to jump back into a flip and skid back along the ground, a trail of blood coming from his claws.

With a growl filling the air I grabbed my gut, the claws easily cutting into my flesh and blood slowly flowing from the two puncture marks. (Damn it birdie,) pulling my hand away, the wound not as bad as I thought, yet by far the worst I had received since going ape.

(You should've been smart Jazz,) shooting forward again, (then I could've let you live.) Using legs that could kick in a door he leapt into the sky, between the shock and the pain I couldn't react fast enough and watched him do a half spin in the air then vanish from sight, unfortunately that wasn't a good thing. A moment later I felt a sharp pain and weight on my back as he landed and dug his claws into me. (I'll make this as painless as I can,) as I felt him shift on my back and knew I had to get him off fast.

I let my control on the gorilla's instincts go, realizing that it would have a better idea of how to handle the situation than I did. Next thing I knew one of my arm was grabbing towards Tobias' head and having the tips of my fingers bit while the other arm snuck around and grabbed his tail. With a snarl I grabbed it and yanked, the strength that once been a hindrance now my salvation, sending Tobias off my back, along with some fur, flesh and muscle that was stuck in his talons. He landed on his back a few feet away with a bounce only to recover a moment.

(Your learning, to bad it's not fast enough queen kong,) despite his bravado I could tell by the way his arm hung at his side and the kink in his tail the landing had hurt him.

Bringing my hand back to my stomach, (bring it on raptorzilla,) baring my teeth.

* * *

**DP Style**

Val zipped through the halls as fast as her board could take her, the readout in her mask not telling her much in the way of where ghosts might be.

"Come on it's not that big a building they have to be somewhere," the weight of the gun feeling greater as her agitation grew. She didn't like not knowing what was going on, and liked having others running around that could get in her way even less. "One little read out that's all I need, just one, I can follow a trail from there to the stiff in charge."

"SHE WANTS TO HURT HER HOT PANTINESS," the scream making her lose her balance on her board for half a second before righting herself as Jack jumped into the hallway while his ghostly followers materialized from the walls and surrounded her.

For a second Val just stared at him, not totally believing what her had just said, "you have got to be kidding me."

"What are you putrid poltergeists waiting for get her!" raising his gun into the air.

"Well I haven't seen this one before," back flipping off her board as part of the ghosts jumped where she had been, while other fired off ecto blasts. "This is going to be too easy," squeezing off a few rounds from her gun into the crowd on her board taking them out of the fight. She didn't have time to congratulate herself those as those that fired at her continued to do so. The shots however didn't hit their mark as she dodged and weaved past the blasts, her years of martial arts training paying off.

The amount of danger she was in however dropped drastically as Jack joined the fight, firing off his weapon in an attempt to stun the younger ghost hunter. Due to his aim and wildness of the shots however all he managed to hit were the walls and the ghosts that momentarily worked for him, the specters being blasted through the walls by the over sized weapon.

"Well that make things a lot easier," a slight giggle coming from Val, in spite of the danger she was in she couldn't help but find that the humor in being helped by the man that was trying to stop her.

"I um uh," a slight blush on his face, "I meant to do that, Jack Fenton doesn't need the help of any ghost scum to get the job done, he…I'm a man of action, a lone wolf on the prowl…."

"Shut up," Val snapped leaping onto her board then jumping again laying a round kick across his face, fully expecting the heavyset man to drop like a brick, only to discover the man was also as solid as one. With a grunt she hit the ground after her recoil from the fall at his feet and for a second was dazed by the turn of events and the throbbing in her leg.

"Ha and Maddie says I need to lose weight," pumping one arm into the air while pointing his weapon at Val.

"That and a brain implant," she hissed slipping into a leg sweep that allowed her to miss being hit by the mans gun and knock his legs out from under him, bringing him to the ground with a heavy thud, and a rumble to the floors. "Part of me is almost sorry to do this, the other part's going to enjoy this," continuing the leg sweep and using the momentum to rise to her feet and back flip a few feet away.

Before she could even conceive another attack on the downed man she was struck in the back, a blast of white sparks shooting out in all directions from the hit and forcing her to her knees. "On knees hunt-hunt, pretty lady say no-no," the words coming out slow with a vague cliché gangster accent as the sound of knuckles cracking filled the air. Moaning from the hit Val managed to get a quick look at her attacker, a ghost that looked almost comical, his was essentially a normal looking ghost except his left side was thin and almost sickly looking while his right was heavily muscled to the point of looking freakish. "Pretty lady say hunt-hunt go bye-bye, Fisto make crush-crush."

* * *

**DP Style**

Sam sighed internally, partially to relive the stress, but mostly to breakup the boredom of the situation. For the last few minutes all she'd been doing is wandering the halls, unable to find any clue as to where Spectra was or where she hoped Danny might be. Initially she'd stalked the halls like an animal on the prowl, doing her best not to make a sound and to blend into the shadows but now had chosen to conserve her energy since there didn't seem to really be anyone in the building aside from herself and Val.

"Figures I decide to play the hero and I can't even find the fight," shaking her head, no longer even bothering to keep her voice low, almost hoping someone would hear her. "Maybe I should've just left this to Val, I'm no hero, I'm just a sidekick at best, whatever made me think I could do this."

"I don't know, what," the voice making her jump in shock before she whirled around only to be kicked to the ground by a green ghost ninja.

Rasping lightly, "Bertrand, wonderful," the voice easily recognizable to the despite his form.

"Why don't you be a good little ghost hunter and stay there so I can make this quick and rejoin her eminence before she gets to fresh with the little ghost boy," a twinge of jealousy in his voice.

"So wrong thing to say," her hands moving on automatic as she gripped her whip and lashed it forward, the coil firing out filling the area with a blue glow. With a quick twist of her wrist the coil encased his neck before he had a chance to respond, his belief that she was an easy mark vanishing before his eyes as the energy circulating through the coil disrupted his ectoplasm. With a snarl that belonged more to an animal she pulled back while grabbing the coil with her other hand and pulled back adding more power and ripping the ghost off his feet and slamming him into the ground and dragging him in front of her feet. "Lets have a little talk shall we," a twist of the wrist caused the whip to unfurl from his neck, and with a little flick the coil arced back across her shoulder and loosely coiled around her body.

"Alright nightlight ninja," pulling the other pod off her hip, the orange beam growing from one end a moment later, "your going to answer a few questions or things are going to get ugly."

"Then they're gunna by ugly," smoke enveloping his body even as Sam slashed her blade down into it trying to hit his head. However it became clear as the mist shifted and flowed that Bertrand's was the smoke and he wasn't going to let himself be hurt. After a few moments however he reformed himself back in his ninja form, his sword in his hand.

"Can we go back to the point when nobody knew I was here," slipping into a defensive stance, old instincts clicking onto high gear.

"Stupid question," he snapped leaping into the air, throwing his hand outward shurikens launching from his palm and flying towards her.

"It was rhetorical," gripping the hilt of the whip with her free hand and launching it forward, the whip sliding against her suit till it was free and intercepting the blades with a single swing. Darting forward she met him before he hit the ground, their blades clashing in midair and sending Bertrand back, the tip of his blade hitting the ground having been cut clear through from the ghost hunters saber.

"Lucky shot," the ninja taking on a slimy sheen and changing into a giant wasp, "let's see just how good you really are."

"And me without my bug spray," dropping down into a roll as the ghost tried to stab her with his stinger as he flew over her. Huffing as she rose she lashed out with her whip, the energized metal severing one of his wings as he passed causing him to loose control of his flight for a few moments till it regrew and allowed him to regain control. "Ok plan C," a quick flex of her hands causing the saber and whip to retract and extinguish respectively and slip both back into their compartments on her belt only to pull her gun a second later. Her hands danced over the controls as the metamorphosised ghost dove back at her, what she hoped wee the proper settings being imputed as he drew closer. A guttural grow escaped Sam's lip as Sam arced her back and dropped, the wasp's stinger passing inches over her face, even through the mask the goth could feel the wind beaten by his wings slap her in the face. "That the best you got," jumping back up to her feet and firing off her weapon, the first shot taking off the regrown wing, the next taking off the other, the third removing all right his legs followed by a moment later by two shots for his left. The blasts continued for several seconds, large chunks of the ghost flying right and left taking off more than he could regenerate and heal from.

After a few moments she walked over to him, confident that the now blob Bertrand trying desperately to reform himself. "You have two choices," aiming the gun between the slime ghosts eyes, "one you can tell me where Spectra is, or two," shifting her gun and blowing a hole in the floor nest to his head.

"Oh more of the same," he mocked trying to by time to put himself back together.

"Actually I meant this," tapping on the control panel and firing again, half his regrown arm being torn off as a portal to the ghost zone formed next to him, soliciting a scream of inhuman pain from the ghost. "Good," Sam doing her best to sound tougher than she was, in truth the act of torturing him didn't sit well with her, but she didn't really see another option. "I was told the weapon at this setting would create a portal just small enough to tear a chunk off of you but without the strength to pull you completely through, the technicians could only guess at how painful it would be but from your reaction I'm guessing quite a bit. So," aiming the weapon back at his head, "you want to see how long it'll take for all of you to get sucked in to the ghost zone?"

"I won't betray her, you'll never get anything out of me."

"Yes and she's out here, and in a minute your going to be in the ghost zone. So tell me how long do you think it'll take you get back out here?" A small smile adorned Sam's lips as she saw what she hoped was a sheen of sweat forming on the gelatinous ghost's brow.

Bertrand's eyes shifted back and forth, fear growing in the orbs, the idea of being separated from his beloved Penelope was physically painful. He knew betraying her was an unthinkable and unforgivable crime, but was it better that than being away from her radiance for even a few moments. His jaw shaking, a thousand thoughts popping in his mind, "up stairs, right above us, three floors up, room with the red light on the outside."

"Thank you," slightly dusting herself off and adjusting her gun before holstering it and walking off past him, her mind on what lay ahead. After a few feet however her ears perked up as she heard the subtle sounds of shifting liquid and knew what was to come.

"YOU….," Bertrand never finishing his words as Sam pulled her gun and fired straight back, the weapons new setting opening a larger hole into the ghost zone and sucking the blob into it and out of her hair.

"Oh yeah you are defiantly worth the extra money," rubbing the weapon and reholstering it, "lets hope you do as well for his boss."

* * *

**Jazz POV**

Despite my best efforts not breathing wasn't an option, unfortunately doing so hurt like hell. Tobias' last few kicks had done more damage than I thought, I was just lucky I'd torn his claws off a few moment earlier or my guts would probably be spilling onto the ground. Not to say he hadn't been doing more than his fair share of damage without them, my right arm was numb from the chunk he tore out with his teeth leaving it little more swaying hunk of meat. Of course I'd done some damage myself, his tail now as a ninety degree angle after I'd gotten may hands, it might not have seem like much when I did it, but it was becoming clear without in he wasn't all that balanced which was probably why I was still alive.

Opening his mouth Tobias let out a call I'd only heard in the movies, the noise sending a chill up my spine out of reflex. (You can't keep this forever Jasmine,) the call never stopping but his mental voice growing weaker, (I've taken down bigger and meaner in my life, and you just don't have what it takes to finish me off.)

(There are ways of stopping people without killing them,) pounding the ground with my good hand.

(Normal humans yes, not us,) forcing his weight forward, continually shifting his weight so he moved from side to side to make sure I've have to wait for the last moment to attack or risk missing him. Running wasn't going to do many any good, I knew that, the only way to stop him was to knock him out, which meant spilt second timing on my part.

Our roars intertwined as the distance between us grew shorter and he jumped, and my window of opportunity grew shorter. I watched his teeth grow closer, the light glinting off my blood that adorned them and made my move upper cutting where I hoped he be in a second with my still working left arm. (Oh crap,) the words slipping out as the world seemed to slow down for a split second as I missed him, my arm going up a second before his jaw came into contact with me. But where I missed him, he didn't miss me, his face collided with my forearm, cutting gashes into the limb and turning more of my white fur red and probably saving my life.

For a second the instincts screamed at me fling him lose, but my human mind was somehow cutting through all the primal needs and staying in control of the body and recognized an opportunity had presented itself. Tobias didn't care about how he'd gotten to me, he was still clawing with his hands, tearing chunks of my body away and kicking me with legs that might as well have been jackhammers. Without a sound to give my intentions away and fighting through the pain I slammed my face down onto the top of his head, forcing his teeth deeper into my arm and giving myself one major headache. (Ok Jazz, try that again and this time get it right,) hissing at myself internally, the pain in my face proving I either wasn't head butting him right, or dinosaur skulls are a lot harder than gorilla skulls. This time with a roar I slammed the top of my head into the section between the eye's and snout and was rewarded by a crack I could feel and hear as his face collapsed under my assault. It was true it forced the fangs deeper into my arm and forced him to start struggling more, but it helped build some momentum for me.

Not letting him recover I repeated the head butt two more times, by the time I was done, his blood had mixed with mine on his face and gave him a read death mask, along with a caved in snout that was now useless for fighting and had to be effecting how well his brain was working. Letting out another primal scream, in part to prepare myself for the pain, I lifted one leg up and kicked him as hard as I could, surprisingly I felt something in his chest give way in the process of him skating back. He also ended up taking a hunk of my arm as a souvenir, but given how his face looked I guessed he couldn't control his jaw anymore. Making matters worse that little stunt had made the other hand useless to, I could still move it, but there was no way I could grab with it any more.

(Ok birdie,) trying to put myself in a pose that looked like I could still fight, (stay down and we'll forget this ever happened.) The only answer I got was from the look he gave me but it was enough, he wasn't going to stop, which meant I had to put him down hard. With a snarl I ran as fast as my little legs would carry me, my balance not quite what it should be, my mind drifting back to my exercises with my parents combat simulator, and while I wasn't sure I could do to, is was worth a shot.

His head was done for, and if I was right I'd crushed a few ribs, but that didn't stop him from kicking me with those killer legs, his target seemingly my head, to bad for him, I was ready. Shifting the bulk of my weight as best I could, which would've been hard under normal circumstances, I ducked down and spun my body while sliding in, my right leg pivoting while the left thrust out into a back kick when I was in range and delivering a perfect blow into his ribs that sent him up into the sky, a muted gurgling scream somehow escaping from him. With a grunt I ran after him, knowing that at any second he'd start to demorph and fix himself and then shift into a body I probably couldn't counter. Timing, precision, balance, control, they all came into play as he came closer, his shadow growing larger as he fell to me, at what I hoped was a right moment I fell into a summersault my feet rising over my head as he came in range and grabbed hold of his arm, my weight combined with his momentum and forced him into the concrete with a sickening thud. Not willing to stop though I hopped to my feet as best I could and body slammed him just to be on the safe side, his body being crushed under my weight.

Pulling myself off him, I looked down at the bloody mass he had become with a degree of horror. I knew I didn't have much time, he might not have been conscious but he was still breathing which meant at any moment he could wake up and demorph then we'd start this all over again. (I'm sorry birdie,) rubbing my hand against his face as best I could with the little control I had over it. (I'll get her, I'll make her pay, if you remember any of this, know I'm so sorry.)

With a tear in my eye I turned from him and loped to the building as best I could, fully intent on making that ghost pay and hoping Sam had left me something to get my hands on.

* * *

**DP Style**

"AAGGHHHH," the roar mingled with the sound of breaking glass as Fisto missed his mark of Val and hit the wall instead, the material not withstanding the force of the ghosts huge right arm.

"What is wrong with this situation," Val panted, her muscles screaming for her to stop and rest, something that wasn't an option. Nothing about this ghost made sense, he looked like he should be as easy win, he talked like he should be easy, but for some reason he was kicking her tail all over the place. His right arm was shattering anything it hit, he was keeping her away from her hover board so she couldn't out maneuver him, not to mention the other problem lifting her gun. She wasn't sure if it had been luck that lead into the office or if he'd herded her into it from the hall, either way it was severely limiting her options since she couldn't run away. With a grunt she rolled slipping to his side and firing only to watch him once more intercept the beam with his arm, the energy stream essentially fracturing on impact and going off in other directions seemingly harmless to the ghost but not to the humans who scrambled out of the way to avoid the smaller ricocheted blasts. "How does he do that," she moaned her mind going a thousand miles an hour as she looked for a way to drop him.

"Fisto say stop-stop hunt-hunt, so can go squish-squish," his right arm glowing sliver-white and punching the air, a shockwave coming off it that tore up the wall, floors, and the few windows that had somehow gotten off without being shattered by this point. With a whimper Val braced herself, holding her weapon in front of her, and took the blast straight on having learned there was no use trying to avoid it. The wave sent her sliding back, and later falling end over end as she tripped over some debris.

Coming to a sliding stop Val just stared at the ceiling for a moment, contemplating whether it was really worth getting up, a thought that didn't stay in her head long as her resolved steeled once more. "I don't stop, I don't get beaten by ghosts, and I don't care what it costs me you," pointing at the ghost as she stood up her voice a mix of a hiss and a rasp, "are going back to whatever afterlife spawned you."

"Ha-ha, hunt-hunt no hurt Fisto, Fisto king," charging at her his right arm held high and still glowing white to the point of almost blinding the girl.

"Fisto also needs a tutor," pointing her gun down and blowing a hole in the floor and slipping through it to the debris filled floor below as the ghost missed her by a narrow margin, his fist's impact sending bit the ceiling down on Val's head. "Ok that's a few extra seconds smart girl now what?"

The answer to her question came a moment later as he hit the floor and shattered it, covering the ghost hunter in building material. "Hunt-hunt no escapes, hunt-hunt go squish-squish," landing with a thud on the ground.

"I HEARD YOU THE FIRST TIME," dusting off the top of her head and running out into the hall a moment before the ghost could get to her, "AND WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST PHASE THROUGH LIKE NORMAL GHOSTS!"

"Oh-oh, not know?" looking at her with a perplexed gaze.

At the response she shook her head, "maybe I am fighting a chimp," disbelief tinting her words. Regardless she continued run down the hall, trying to gauge where everything should be above her, a plan born of desperation on the tip of her tongue. With him in hot pursuit she counted off her steps, and hoped she was right about this and started firing into the ceiling, keeping her ears open.

After a few moments she heard it, "YEAH, NO ONE SHOOTS AT JACK FENTON!" followed shortly by several blasts of weapons fire coming floor above them, at what Jack thought where his target should be, only to instead come down in the general vicinity of Fisto. Like with Val's Jacks shots where blocked by the ghosts large arm, something she had hoped would happen.

"Say 'so long specter'," the words coming out as Val fired her weapon off and catching the ghost in a cross fire and preventing him from blocking both attacks. The energy stream hit him dead in the chest and hurled him back several feet before his larger right foot carved a groove in the floor and stopped himself. Without a word Val moved in, knowing that if she hesitated she might not get another opening on the ghost. "CATCH," tossing the blaster at the ghost, everything riding on his reaction as he instinctively reached out and caught the weapon. Before he could even process the move the red clad girl was on him, with a leap she used her gun as a platform and palm thrust him in his the face, and used the recoil to spin into a heal kick into his throat, using the speed and falling her hand gripped her gun and pulled it from his grasp and fired off three blasts, one to the face and two to the body, before she hit the ground. With a light thud she landed in a crouch and swept the legs out from the dazed ghost bring him to the floor with a shake and followed up with a final blast to the head that pounded his body a bit further into the ground. "Go bye-bye fist-fist," she mocked pulling out a modified version of the Fenton Thermos and sucking him in and removing him from her life.

Off in the distance Jack was still firing off blasts from his gun at where he thought Val was to the amusement of the other hunter. "Hard to believe we were ever safe with him on the job," tapping a pad on her arm and summoning her hover board to her through the hole in the floor. "Now to find the lady calling the shots."

* * *

**DP Style**

"On a scale of one to ten this ranks about a fifty seven on the bad idea-o-meter," the words hushed as Sam looked through the small window leading to the studio of the station and seeing more than she wanted to. From what she could see there were at four ghosts that didn't look that impressive wandering around, but as she knew, what they looked like rarely had anything to do with their power. On top of them were seven humans, including one with graying hair that looked like a slight wind would knock him over. To top it all off was Danny still in ghost mode literally hovering around the overly dressed Spectra who was holding her temples and seemed to be in a great degree of pain.

"Where are the others," very worried that she didn't see Tobias and Mr. Fenton anywhere and knowing they, with Danny, would be the real threat in the fight. Taking a deep breath she ducked back out of the way of the door and pulled her gun, adjusting it to drop humans as well as ghosts, it might not have been as effective that way, but at least she knew it would stop the humans so she could focus on the ghosts with her melee weapons. "To bad that still leaves the walking zoo to deal with," the thought of fighting a bear or a tiger not helping her confidence level.

"Come on girl," tapping her palm against her head, "get it together everyone's counting on you, no pressure or anything." Taking on more quick look through the window and gauging her targets she made her move and kicked the door in, hoping the momentary surprise would be enough. In quick succession she brought down three of the humans and two of the ghosts before they came out of their stupor.

"STOP HER," Spectra roared, the pounding in her head growing worse as the order escaped her lips.

"Of course your luminosity," Danny flying after Sam, his hands glowing green with ectoplasm.

"Uh oh," the words slipping out on instinct while diving for the cameras, hoping if nothing else they provided a little cover and popping off a few more shots and taking out two more humans, like their companions they crumpled to the floor after being hit. "Ok I know this probably isn't going to work, but Danny it's me Sam, your best friend, don't do this."

"He isn't going to listen to you," Spectra sneered, "he belongs to me, Kill Her."

"Yes your ravishingness," throwing a blast of ectoplasm at Sam, only to miss as she wheeled a camera in it's path.

"This better not be one of those things where I have to kiss you to fix this, cause I'm not willing to go there," the goth ducking behind another camera as the half ghost hurled another blast of energy at her. "Great, no snappy repartee he may not be in there anymore, which means I don't have to hold back as much."

"Stop fighting this Sam I'll make it quick," as the halfa phased through a camera and cut the distance between them.

"How about no," snapping the whip forward the coil unwinding as it went and filling the area with a blue light and disrupting the shadows. Even though he wasn't tangible the whip had a marked reaction as it went through him, everywhere the whip hit that should've been flesh, or ectoplasm as the case was, crackled and small arcs of blue energy shooting through him. The effect caused him to shift in and out of phase, the whip partially materialized within him for a few moments before falling away and getting a scream of pain from Danny as he hit the floor.

"This isn't good," the seducing ghosts' eyes growing wide and she backed away from the black and purple clad girl as her champion fell to the ground, "the rest of you STOP HER!"

"Do you not know how to lose gracefully?" Sam sighed darting in around the cameras ready to finish off the last few ghosts and then set her sights on the ghostly premadonna. Pulling her gun she fired in the mock shrinks direction only to have her moment of triumph fell flat as a ghost appeared and took the shot intended for Spectra. A moment later several other ghosts appeared phasing from the walls and ceiling, the two she shot rising back up and one coming out of the old man each taking a position between Sam and their new master. "I've gotta learn to keep my mouth shut."

"Lose? Look around little girl, I have everything I want, I'm never going to let anyone take this away from me, not you, not your little partners, not even Walker. For the first time in my after life I have everything that should be mine and I'm never going back to what I was."

"Yeah I wouldn't go back to being a school counselor either," darting out from the bank of cameras and turning into a slide as her whip shot forward and caught the leg of a human like ghost who skin seemed to be melting. The reaction was automatic as the energy coursed thru him sending him into convulsions, but rather than pull back the goth jerked the weapon with all her might turning it into a flail and hitting the now entangled ghosts into two of the other phantoms, taking them both out of the fight.

"Come on," snapping the whip free and sending a cracking sound throughout the room, "I don't have all day." Her moment of confidence was cut short as a small ghost that had a mouth that looked like it belonged on a shark jumped out of the floor and bit into her wrist. "AARG," despite the appearance the fangs phased through the skin but still sent felt like they'd cut into flesh, and the resulting pain made her drop her weapon and cradle her arm, the ghost letting as so as his job was done.

"Not so tough after all are you," Penelope chided, once more relaxing in her chair, however despite her relaxed posture the look on her face spoke that was far from the truth and the ghostly equivalent of sweet poured down her face.

"If your going to sit on your butt you don't get to criticize," the quip more to try and raise her own spirits than hurt the overly feminine ghost.

"And your offending me," waving her fingers, a signal for her servants to move in.

At the on coming onslaught all she could do was whimper "help."

(You want it, you got it,) the thought speech followed by Jazz, in a now fully healed Purpleback gorilla body, punching in the door and sending it flying across the room and causing the ghosts to pause for a few moments. Looking at her fist, (not quite the entrance I was hoping for but it works.)

"Your timing is impeccable," the goth hitting the whip with her foot and catching it in her other hand and sheathing it then pulling her saber from her belt, both ends igniting with orange energy.

(Would've been here sooner, but the bird didn't want to go down,) lumbering into the fight and taking a swing at one of the ghosts, her meaty arm passing right through it as it went intangible. (Right, forgot about that,) directing her thoughts to Sam, (remember what I wanted you to get, throw it at me.)

"You sure," Sam grunting as she jerked her body around the lower beam of energy passing through one of the ghosts and causing it to vanish. Where it went Sam didn't know and at the moment she didn't really care.

(Just do it,) as a ghost that looked like he could've been a body builder uppercut her with a blow that sent her into an overhead light that coursed electricity through Jazz that sent shards of glass raining down on those below.

"JAZZ ARE YOU…"

The words not finishing as the other girl screamed out mentally while emitting a primal roar, (NOW SAM!) The hunter didn't have to be told twice as she pulled the small container out of her belt and chucked it at Jazz, not sure what it would do. The moment it hit her slightly charred furred body the canister exploded in a cloud of light green smoke that slightly obscured her from sight. She didn't stay that way for long however as she barreled out of the smoke towards the muscled ghost. The gorilla's roar growing louder as she punched at him again, as before he went intangible, only this time it didn't help as Jazz's punch still connected, the full power of the ape's body sending it hurtling back to the wall and, like with Sam's staff, it evaporated.

"Very nice," the black clad girl side stepping one of attacker and ducked from another in the sky as she was double teams. From below she stabbed back and up into the ghosts groin region sticking him like a roast pig, then recoiling and stabbing up hitting the flying spook in what would've been the breast bone and taking them out of the fight. "Which one of your parents inventions is that?"

(It's not one, I stole Tucker's deodorant formula,) elbowing the closest ghost to her in the face.

"Don't tell him that, he'll want to use you as a spokes model," blocking a ghost's ecto blast with her staff and back flipping forward cutting the beam through another.

(Yeah because everyone knows gorillas make the best commercial models,) a laugh ringing through her thoughts as she began to enjoy herself. Rolling back on to her hands and thrusting her feet out, essentially palm thrusting two ghosts descending on her.

"What about that commercial with the luggage, that one was cool," doing the splits in the middle of the room as a ghost that appeared to be made of pink fire just missing her. "This is on principle pinkie," throwing the staff at the ghost, the weapon going right through him then bouncing off a wall, then a rafter over head and back into her hand as she jumped onto her feet.

(Ok now your just showing,) elbow thrusting behind her and taking out a ghost that doing a bad job of being stealthy.

"What can I say, I'm beginning to see what he sees in this, it's actually kind of fun," leaning the staff against her shoulder and looking around most of the ghosts having been defeated.

(All things considered that was pretty easy,) taking a typical gorilla stance.

"You had to say that didn't you," Sam hissed pulling her weapon off her shoulder.

(Why what's the problem?)

"Ghost's have a really funny sense of timing is all."

"DANIEL HEAR MY COMMANDS," rising to her feet and lifting her arms her skin growing pale as the sweat continued to flow down her face, "YOUR EMPRESS COMMANDS YOU TO RISE."

"Told you so," Sam snapped shooting Jazz a dirty look while turning to face Danny, not sure how to handle him at the moment given the slightly out of it expression.

"STRIKE THEM DOWN, RELEASE THE FULL BREADTH OF YOU POWER UPON THEM, YOUR QUEEN SO ORDERS!" At her words his eyes grew all the brighter to the point of being blinding with licks of flames rising off them. His hands ignited in green ectoplasm, the energy traveling up all the way up to his elbows as he became a raging inferno of green light.

"As you wish my queen," the inside of Danny's mouth glowing green as well. All around him licks of flame were leaping off his body leaving a trail of fire underneath him with the promise of going out of control in not contained. Energy literally seemed to be pouring out of him like someone had turned a facet on.

(Oh)

"Crap," the pair ending each others sentences.

(Your right they have a funny sense of timing,) the great ape backing half a step up.

"Make way ghost scum, the best ghost hunter in…" Val not finishing her battle cry as Danny turned and fired his out of control energy at her. The blast catching her by surprise, lifted her off her board and sent her hurtling back through the broken door and into the wall, her hover board meanwhile continuing it's flight and heading straight for the girls.

(If we live I'm never talking again,) Jazz howled and dove out of the way of the board while Sam jumped up and rolled along the length of the metal surface while it past over her and collided with a teleprompter that sent it end ricocheting back in towards the trio.

"Great I'm in a game of pinball," Sam snapped and ducked down as the board sailed overhead, going where ever it wanted to with Val no longer in control. Grabbing a quick glance to the other hunter, Sam guessed by the way her head was moving she wasn't totally out of it, which meant she was probably the best chance of getting it stopped, but if they weren't careful she's find out about Jazz. With a deep breath and dodging back to avoid Danny as he stormed over to her in a fireball and punched into the floor, melting it as soon as he connected.

"RED," Sam barked out, her eye's on Danny, "can you get that board under control?" Only earning a small moan from the girl, she shifted her attention, "WHITE, stop the board and if you can try and stomp the fire out before the building burns down around us and do it _quietly,_" adding an accent on the last word in the hopes she got the message to keep her thought speech private from Val.

(Got it,) ducking down as her brother released an ectoburst the size of his head. If she were human it would've worked but with her immense size, the blast still connected with her back and tore a layer of skin and fur off her and forced a scream of pain out of her mouth.

"Back off phantom," Sam barked tossing her staff into the air, the weapon spinning at it went and pulled her gun, her still hurt hand flying over the control and firing a blast that by all right could've stunned an elephant at him, the blast however never hit as Danny waved his hand and materialized a burning ectoshield in front of himself that held off the blast. "Oh this is going to be a long fight," sheathing the gun as the staff fell back into her hand.

"The empress say's die," lifting his hands into the air an ectoplasm burst growing between his hands that looked more like raging ball of barely controlled green fire that was about the same size of a toaster.

"Oh my…when did you learn to do that," a slight giddy feeling coming over her as a surrealness began to flow over her. With a grunt she ran as fast as she could away from Danny, and being followed by in turn as he spun in the air, the fireball still being trained on her and growing larger between his hands.

Away from Danny the hover board continued to bounce off whatever it hit, walls, floor, ceiling, the equipment, nothing stopped it and it's movements continued to grow more erratic. A heavy breathing Jazz was on it's trail, trying as best she could to capture the board, wishing she could be doing something more constructive and help Sam. (Come on,) she snapped to herself diving with all her energy at the board, her fingers brushing the metal but still not managing to get a grip despite her strength and landed with a skid on the floor.

Before she had a chance to get up the board did a double rebound and came back towards her. (Oh this is not my day,) watching it come closer and not willing to waste an other chance to catch it and stood up directly into it's path. Rather than bounce off her the metal board cut into her stomach but none the less stopped even if it did keep trying to go forward with the strength of it's thrusters.

(Ok now what,) the glare of Danny's fireball once more catching her attention, the concentrated energy now the size of a small car and still growing. (That works,) as she saw Sam trying to get out of the way only to remain in the line of fire regardless of were she went. Gripping the board with both hands she pulled it out of her gut and hobbled over to Danny as quietly as she could.

"SLAVE," Spectra barked in an attempt to warn him but it was to late.

With a grunt Jazz hit her brother with the board putting all the strength she could muster into it and knocking him out of the sky. Without anyone to hold it the ectoball slipped from his grasp and hit the floor, the energy melting through and slipping to the floor below, a process it repeated through each subsequent floor, each time growing smaller till it was virtually nothing by the time it hit the basement.

(Sorry bro,) the move making her wince as the board continued to rage in her hands.

"RISE PHANTOM, RISE AND SERVE ME," Spectra roared, pounding her fist into a wall, lines of pain evident on her face as she seemed to be straining against some kind of force.

With a groan he did just that, his fire now a great deal smaller, but still more than he'd ever manifested before. (Danny, it's me,) Jazz grunted (your sister, you have to fight this, you ha…,) her words not coming out as he back handed her and knocking her to the ground, her fur now burning with green fire while sliding across the floor and into a small burning patch, the board once more coming free and bouncing off the ceiling. With a snarl that was more primal than anything his sister had managed that day he turned to Sam who was trying to catch her breath. Lifting his hand he released another blast of energy, only to have it intercepted as the board came straight down and took the hit sending it sliding across the floor and to Sam's feet. With a snap Danny's hands ignited once again, ready to turn Sam to ash.

"I knew it, I KNEW YOU COULDN'T BE TRUSTED," Val screamed and fired off several rounds at Danny, her senses finally returning to her. The attack was enough as he turned and fired the blast at Val, the girl in red easily dodging the attack, "gunna have to do better than that ghost boy."

"Die," firing off more blasts, the fire around him growing smaller. Off in her chair, Spectra collapsed, lines of pain running over her from a source she couldn't figure out. Her head screamed in pain even as she watched her champion attack and serve her, doing his best to kill the girl in red.

Coughing Sam looked at the world around her, never having realized just what Danny were capable of, and wondering if he himself even knew. She knew he was growing weaker, she also knew with Val in the fight and the board under control she could strike directly at Spectra now. She knew she couldn't make it directly, she was tired, and there was to much open area between herself and the ghost woman, but that didn't mean she didn't have options, her eyes on the hover board. Putting her staff back on her belt and sliding to the board on her knees she scanned the vehicle, as far as she could tell nothing was really wrong with it, but she couldn't be sure.

"Ok, you were built to hunt ghosts, so how about you hunt the right ones for a change," flipping it right side up and stepping on it. "Ok how do I turn this on," rubbing the back of her neck and tapping her foot on it, only to have to start with a jerk and jump into the air and forward. "Wow," the word coming out quietly in spite of her shock. Hurtling forward she pulled her gun and fired, the blast intercepted by one of Danny's blasts right in front of the ghost woman, the impact knocking her hair around and making the pain on Spectra's face even more obvious.

"You will not hurt her," Danny snapped the light in his mouth having gone out.

(Shut it bro,) as Jazz punched him as lightly as she could in the ribs, knocking him back. Jolting forward Danny grabbed her arm and spun half way around in midair, his face now pointed at the ceiling, and pitched her forward over his head into Val, sending both to the ground.

"DANNY STOP HER," Penelope howled as she fell to the ground on her knees, the pain in her head increasing ten fold as she willed Danny to her side. He bolted over to her as fast as he could fly, getting between Sam and Spectra, his energy growing in his hand.

"You will not pass," releasing the blast at her, only to miss as she ducked down, and flattered her body against the surface of the body like a luge rider and sailing under his hand, the look on his face almost worth the pain she was going through. Forcing herself to a crouch she fired her gun at the seducing ghost, the blasts however never connected as red haired ghost collapse, the pain from her head going to intense. She fell face down, a small trickle of ectoplasm escaping from her nose as though it were blood and crept a along the ground forming a small river on the floor. With her fall came a return to awareness of all the males under her power, each one coming out of a daze the she spirit had created.

"Ok, that was weird," both Sam and Danny speaking in unison, out of reaction they both turned to stare at each other. Before the half ghost could respond Sam was on top of him and kissing him through her mask, his fire thankfully having extinguished.

"Whoa, whoa," the half ghost pushing her off him then pulling her back as a wave of fatigue washed over him and threatened to revert him back to his human form. "Sam easy," the words making him pause a look of shock coming over him. "Sa…"

The rest of his thought not coming out as she covered his mouth, "we have company," tilting her head over to Val and Jazz who were slowly untangling themselves.

In a whisper "right," then louder, "thanks for helping me, craze masked woman I've never met before."

Through clenched teeth she hissed, "smooth, she won't possibly see through that," and rolling off him.

"I'm not buying that ghost," Val firing several blats of pink energy.

"Told you so," pushing off him while her shot the other way and missed the blasts.

(Ok that's enough from you,) Val not hearing Jazz's thoughts as she grabbed the ghost hunters arms and pulled them behind her and forcing her into a wall.

"Hey what do y…" the words stopping as Jazz let go of one arm and grabbed the red clad girls head while flinging her body with the other arm and sent her flying through the hole made by Danny's ecto energy ball, the hunters visor and bits of her mask still in the ape woman's grasp.

(Sorry was that to much?) crushing the eye piece in her hand and letting the piece's fall to the ground.

Waving her hand in the 'sorta' motion, "a little over the top for my taste but it works," slipping over to the hole to check on Val, the girl already on her feet and glaring up at the other girl. "Yeah she's not happy with you," looking back at Jazz.

(Am I really suppose to care,) then turning her thoughts to one person, (Tobias if you can hear me give me a sign, I don't care what it is, just tell me your ok.

(As long as you've known me, have I ever been ok?)

(Good to hear your thoughts birdie,) opening her thoughts to Sam and Danny, (the rat eating birds still in one piece.)

(Why do I get the feeling that was an insult,) his thoughts ringing out to the three.

(Take it how you want it,) the redhead demorphing back to her human form.

"So someone want to explain exactly what's going on," as the half ghost scratched the back of his head.

"Another time, another place," Sam sighed picking up the hover board and putting it under her arm, "and I'm going to be taking this, no reason for her to have all the fun,"

Holding the bridge of his nose, "I don't want to know what's been going on do I?"

"Probably not," Jazz flicking some hair out of her face as it lost it's last vestiges of white and returned to red.

"Ok just checking," folding his arms, "just wanted to…"

His words stopping as Val interrupted started screaming, "YOU MUST THINK WE'RE ALL STUPID DON'T YOU DANNY, BUT I FIGURED IT OUT, I KNOW WHO YOU ARE, AND I KNOW JUST HOW DANGERIOUS YOU ARE NOW. I'LL MAKE SURE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY NEVER HURT ANYONE AGAIN!"

"Oh crap," Danny and Sam speaking in unison.

"So much for bringing her into the fold," Sam snapped looking back at the hole as a grappling hook fired out of it.

"Ok I'll just expl…," never finishing is words as Val leapt out of the hole, her eye's clearly visible through the torn mask, her gun shifting between the half ghost and the girl in black and purple.

"No more lies, no more tricks Danny Fenton, and to think I liked you, trusted you, and all this time you were just using me, ME, that's going to be your last mistake ever," the tip of her weapon glowing pink as she prepared to fire.

"Um can some body help me," the new voice making Val jump and pull her shot, the beam going just over Danny's right shoulder and Val spun the weapon now pointed at the new comer. Her eyes like those of the others going wide as they saw the source. Before them was Danny Fenton, albeit a naked Danny who was wrapped up in the state flag in an attempt to hide himself. Before anyone could react his blush spread further, "this is going to sound weird, but does anyone know where were my pants are," holding the flag a bit closer to himself.

"You there…him…but…naked…NO," Val spinning around and holding the gun on the white haired Danny, "how can you be there if your him and he's over there but you're here when you should be over there."

"She gets articulate when she's upset," a smug look on her face under her mask.

"Shut up," the gun being pointed at Sam, "I just need to figure this out."

"Let me guess this either has something to do with my parents or ghosts, or both," the black haired Danny asked and jumped back as the girl in red pointed the gun at him. "OK whoa, put that down, I've been shot enough by my parents stuff to know that sucks."

"DANNY," his father's wording ringing down the hall as the large man bounded towards him, bruises beginning to form on his face. "What are you doing her, is your mother with you, your sister, no it was that ghost wasn't it," coming to a skid next to him and jumping forward and pointing the weapon into the hole and beginning to fire without looking. "EAT THIS GHOST SCUM NO ONES MAKES MEAT PUPPETS OF JACK FENTON AND HIS SON!"

The blasts created the perfect cover for the white haired Danny as he grabbed Sam who still had her hand on the hover board. "I usually don't help strange women with guns, but I'm making an exception here," pulling her through the floor before his dad could shoot them. On the other side Val had already spring boarded away from the fire, the momentary loss of her sense gone in the wake of saving her skin and jumped down the hole she's just come out of.

After a few seconds Jack finished firing, only a still passed out Spectra still in the room, "Yeah you all better run," hefting his gun in the air and bounding over to the ghost, "you ok lady."

"Um dad," Danny coughed carefully walking over to him through the torn up floor, "I think that's the ghost responsible for all this."

"She is?" looking back at her and noticing the glow, "SHE IS," pointing her gun down at her, and flipping a switch on it. "EAT FENTON PEELER GHOST SCUM!"

"DAD WAIT," Danny not getting to her fast enough and watching the man fire the gun, but instead of being pealed nothing happened for a second as he shot her in the chest only a second later to be sucked inside herself and vanish.

"Oh right," scratching the back of his head, "left peals, right sucks them back where they came from, have top talk to your mother about making alterations to he weapons and not labeling them."

"So much for getting answers from her," Danny muttered.

"That's my boy," jumping over to him, whatever embarrassment he had felt vanishing, "we should've pumped her for information, the Fenton Stockade still needs a test run on ghosts. Ah well we'll get another chance boy we always do," putting his meaty arm around his shoulder and squeezing it. "So where is your mother?"

"I don't know, I'm not totally sure how I got here," pulling away from him, the blush growing redder.

"Oh right that ghost made us come something about her….oh Maddie's not going to be happy about this," as he realized he had come to her because she was so attracted to her, "we better get her some flowers on the way home, maybe some chocolate too, and explosives, defiantly some explosives. And you need to bye something for Sam, never to late to say your sorry to your gir…"

"DAD!" he barked glaring at the man.

"Oh right your still in denial," putting his arm around him and walking him out, "and where are your pants anyway?"

* * *

**DP Style**

"How did this happen," Val hissed as she tore down the photo of Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom, "I know it was him, everything fit perfectly, they even look alike." With a snarl she balled it up and tossed it over her shoulder and into crash can, "I can't believe I almost…AARRG," punching the bag in her room, the heavy piece of equipment gently swinging back and forth from the force of the blow. "That thing isn't Danny, I don't know what it is, or why it looks like him but it can't be Danny, I can't believe it actually made me doubt him," kicking the bag and making it swing even more wildly.

Flopping down on her bed she stole a glance at her equipment, a good chunk of it was trashed, between the falls, the monkey manhandling her, and the fight her stuff was in worse shape than when she's gone toe to toe with the ghost army. "Looks like I'm out of the job for a while anyway, it might be for the best if I screwed up that bad," sighing deeply and leaning her head onto her pillow.

After a moment exhaustion over took her and pulled the pillow closer to her body, somehow getting it away from her head and pulling it next to her body and clutching it tightly. A tear ran down her cheek as the thoughts of what she might've done haunted her dreams.

"Oy, this girl sure knows how to ruin a night," the disembodied voice whispered coming out of the floor.

"Your telling me, poker all-stars was on tonight, why this couldn't wait I'll never know," another answered him in an equally hushed tone.

"Then lets just drop this off so we can go already," a third squawked, his voice making Val turn in her bed as her restless sleep continued.

"Shut your beak," the first ghost vulture hissed materialized in the room followed by the other two, between them holding a large package in their talons. "The boss said deliver this to the girl, the last thing we need is this crazy ghost hunter coming after us."

"Yeah we have enough problems with the flame'n fur ball, we don't need to add more."

"Either way, we're here, it's here, lets go," turning his attention to the window and sailing through it, the others right behind him.

The package it self was in a plain brown wrapper, with a small card Vlad's corporate logo on it and a small message:

_For a brave girl  
__Facing a new world  
__A little upgrade  
__Good luck  
__V.M._

* * *

**DP Style**

"So you have no idea what was all about do you?" Tucker asked biting into a nasty burger looking over at Sam who was pocking at her salad.

She sighed and gave him a dirty look, "again that's relative," putting the fork down while the wind kicked up a breeze and sent her hair shifting this way in that. After everything she'd been though that day she liked being able to sit on the strangely deserted park in her normal clothing with the others and relax a little, the on set of dusk giving the world a calming glow.

"Hey as long as it's over that's all I care about," Tobias munching on a fry. "Do you know how incredibly wrong that I'm getting mind controlled more here than I was fight the brain stealing aliens."

"Well that's something I never thought I'd ever hear," Jazz letting her straw slip out of her mouth.

"The scary part is him saying that doesn't seem weird in the slightest," the girls sharing a high hive across the table.

"Still what was this even about," Tucker's hand waving in the faces of the girls, "she takes control of almost every guy in the city and doesn't actually do anything with them. There has to be something we're missing, there has to be, she wouldn't be doing this unless she had a plan."

"Well if someone hadn't let her get sucked into the Ghost Zone," Danny barked pointing a french-fry at his sister.

"Hey that was not my fault," putting the cup down, "I had no control over the situation, there's no real way to stop dad, and oh yeah I was naked."

"No I was naked, you were stealing my body!" the mental image flashing in Sam's as Danny said it made her blush. "What was that revenge, I see you mostly naked you become me naked?"

"Danny that's disgusting," throwing a french-fry at his head and watching it bounce off.

"What were you even doing with my body anyway," pointing at her and rubbing his head, his eye's glowing green as he made the accusation.

"It was an accident, I thought I might've absorbed it when I woke up from the ghost induced one sided mind switch thing I had with Tobias. But I wasn't sure, and considering Val seemed to know who you were I thought a might deniability would be a good thing for you."

"But I was naked, you two aren't naked when you do it," pointing at the morphers.

Tobias shook his head, "as I explained to you, you have to be wearing clothes to manifest clothes."

"She was wearing clothes."

"Each human body has to be wearing clothing you can't pick and choose what wears what, it doesn't work that way."

"I just want to know why I don't have any powers," the redhead then taking a sip from her straw.

"What," all eye's on her.

"Come on like you wouldn't have tried the second you were alone if you were in my shoes."

"You can't go ghost," Sam lifting her eyebrow.

"Thank you, it's nice to know she doesn't get everything," Tucker lifting his hands to the sky.

Danny ignored him, "you sure sis, I mean you are me now right?"

"I'm not really you, and if I can I don't know how to trigger it, and believe me I wanted to disappear the entire ride home with dad. Father son talks should not happen between a father and a daughter."

"So don't need to hear that," Danny pointing at her, "still don't know what you can't do it, I mean you should right, that is how that things goes. You touch them, you become them, you get everything they get right?"

"Not really no," the bird turned human shook his head. "We absorb DNA, that's it, as long as whatever we're acquiring doesn't have a genetic defect we'll be fine. We could absorb someone with chickenpox's or missing an arm but when we become them we'll look totally normal, mean while their still a one armed spotty dude. So it's possible whatever you have isn't effecting your genetics, it's also possible because this is a ghost thing and it's not transferable."

"Yeah but you said ghosts are like the second cousin of whatever it is your doing."

"No your sister said that, and just because I'm the distant cousin of a duck it doesn't mean I can swim, it doesn't work that way."

"BUT WHAT WAS THIS ALL ABOUT!" Tucker barked and stood up.

Sam grabbed him by the shirt collar and pulled him down, "I DON'T KNOW, STOP ASKING!"

"But she had to be doing something, she couldn't have just been gathering men around her for no good reason."

"She's a beauty obsessed wacko, she's basically Paulina with super powers, how much of a plan do you think she really had? She probably just wanted people to worship her, I mean come on with the way everyone talked who was under her power it seemed like she just wanted people at her feet doing what she wanted, and probably Danny to be her slave."

"So basically it was Paulina with super powers," Sam and Jazz sharing another high five.

"Ok how do you even know about Paulina," Danny hissed at his sister.

"You're my brother I make it my business to know everything that goes on in your life. Besides she's been dating guys in every grade, there's not a girl at Casper high that doesn't know her, and there's not a one of us that trust her."

"That I did not know," Sam leaning in closer.

"Guy's focus," Tucker waving his hands again, "what's happened today?"

"I don't know, I only remember about fifteen percent of it, and that's mostly gorilla fists," the transformed hawk glaring at the redhead.

"I said I was sorry birdie"

"Better than me," Danny growled, "most of what I remember is telling Spectra I love her, and I still want to know why my back hurt's so much." At that his sister looked away, not really wanting to tell him what had happened.

"At least you weren't passed out on a floor the entire time, except for the times I can remember your mother poking me with something, and your missing the point, why did she do this?"

"Here's an idea go grab the Specter Speeder and head into the ghost zone and ask her because I. Don't. Know."

"Well I'm just asking," Tucker no longer meeting Sam's gaze.

"Ok how about something you can answer," the question on Danny's lips that everyone wanted to hear, "where did you get the weapons, and why are you stealing Val's hover board?"

"Ok the board is easy, you get to fly," pointing at Danny, "you get to fly, and you get to fly," pointing at Jazz and Tobias, "meanwhile I'm stuck on the ground and I'm tired of it, this will let me fly."

"Oh ok," Danny rolling his hands, "and you aren't worried about her, you know, having some kinda tracking device in it," going deadly serious at the end.

"Already thought of that, it's taken care of, you'd be surprised the things I have access to."

"And can you even ride that thing, or repair it for that matter?"

"Again you'd be surprised the things I have access to."

"Still, it's stupid and dangerous…"

"And I don't see you getting on Jazz's back for breaking Val's mask," folding her arms.

"Hey don't bring me into this," pulling her straw out and pointing it at them, bits of soda hitting them in the face. "That thing let her see birdie and I," waving the stray between the two morphers, "I'm just trying to keep us safe, if we're lucky her replacements might not have the glitch that let's her see our energy signature."

"Can't really argue with that," Tobias shrugging.

"And if you'd hurt her doing that?" her brother's eyes tacking on a slight glow.

"It wouldn't have been intentional, and it's not like she didn't start this by firing the first shot at anything she doesn't understand."

"Points for the girl that can now bench press half a car."

"Whoa I can do that now," Jazz looking at the older boy.

"Ok not a big car, but yeah,"

"Oh I could've killed those people," running her fingers through her hair.

"Yeah you could've, hence why I keep saying you need to train…"

His words trailing off to Danny's ears as he pulled Sam and Tucker slightly aside, "ok we lost those two but it this case I think it's for the best. Sam where did you get the gear because I know you didn't get them from my parents."

"Ok you know I'm rich right…."

* * *

**DP Style**

Penelope hung in the air, her legs crossed as she continued to slowly scroll through the tome that had put in this mess, as before as had no real idea what she was looking for but she knew something was wrong. Her beauty had given her great power, but also a great weakness and she needed to know what had truly happened to her before moving forward. She'd made the mistake of road testing her powers without understanding them, something she wasn't about to do again.

"Stupid and impatient," she muttered under her breath, something she'd been doing since waking up back in the Ghost Zone. Out of fear and confusion she'd returned to the same place it had all begun, the candles still melted to the floor, burn marks still adorning the walls, the artifacts still scorched. "Power, like beauty, must be understood to utilize properly, I won't make that mistake again, I can't believe I made it this time, I should've been better, more disciplined. But as they say you can learn more from failure than you can from victory," slipping back into school counselor mode, "but victory is so much more rewarding," shaking her head, her hair flowing down and framing her face.

"It has to be here somewhere," flipping the page and absorbing everything at said as best she could, "it has to be, they wouldn't put this spell down without the side effects."

"This isn't a side effect Penelope," Bertrand's word making her lose her control over her flight for a moment.

"Then what is it," looking his way a little shocked that the green gelatinous ghost was wearing a blind fold and holding a book, "and why are you wearing that."

"It did exactly what it was suppose to do," floating over to her, being guided by the sound of her voice and giving her the manuscript that looked nearly as old as the one Penelope held. "Open to the marked page, I think you'll understand."

Lifting her eyebrow in curiosity over the ghosts behavior she none the less did as he asked, the page filling with the image of a ghostly woman who's beauty was indescribable. In many ways she looked like Penelope now did, yet at the same time was so much more. Quickly scanning through the text, unlike the other book it read more like a encyclopedia describing in great detail what the image was and what it did. "I'm not sure I understand Bertrand, what are you telling me?"

"That's you now Penelope, you're not a normal ghost anymore your a Siren now," his words hitting her in the chest as strong as any physical blow.

With a thud she hit the ground unable to control her flight anymore, "are you serious," all the stories she'd ever heard of them both in the living world and ghostly realm passing through her mind.

"Completely," nodding his head, "everything matches, the mind blowing beauty, the ability to control any man in you presence, even the pain you complained of."

"What," looking back at the page looking for that section.

"It is the price you pay for your power, you may control any man who sees and hears you, how I'm not sure but you do, but for each of them your mind comes under a great stress. Each of them will do as you say to the best of their ability, some even tapping into powers they didn't know they had, even to the point of burning themselves out, but to push them to that limit adds even more stress on you. Where this stress comes from the book doesn't say, but it makes it clear the more under your power the greater the weight in your mind till your finally unable to support it and it overwhelms you."

"So I noticed," rubbing her temples.

"It also says it can be controlled, but how I'm not sure, but it's clear you weren't doing so, everyone…."

"….simply became my puppet, so I was beginning to piece together. In any case it's an impressive range, to control that many, both living and dead, with a limit like that I may not need to worry."

"It also said that no Siren ever controlled more than five ghost or two humans at any time despite their powers to enslave entire communities of ghosts…."

"Fools," folding her book under her arm and floating off.

"….BECAUSE it had a detrimental effect on their well being. It said that to control more than those numbers for more than twelve hours would result in a horrible effect on the Siren, the loss of their beauty, the end of their very existence. Had you continued Penelope you would've burned yourself out, become nothing more than a burnt out husk incapable of even moving under your own power. If that's true I'm not sure, but to abuse your power is dangerous especially since we don't know it's true limits, or how to control it," moving over to her, guided by the gentle swish of her skirt and reached for her hand and missed only to have the woman take it for him, a small smile on her lips.

"What would I do without you Bertrand," a small tear running down her cheek as her body stiffened from learning how close she had come to destroying herself and vowing to take control of herself and her new abilities before making another move.

"You'll never have to know," reaching up and stroking her face in an attempt to comfort the woman even if he couldn't look at her.

* * *

**Author's notes**.

Why did I do this, well a lot of factor, 1. I like stories where the good guys have no real idea what's going on, they go in, they try and fix it, but in the end they have no clue what just went on. 2. I like it when the villains don't even know what's going on, Spectra's doing all this crap, she doesn't know how, she doesn't care. 3. I wanted to do a story that brought the girls out, and focused less on Tobias, granted he was still a big part but he was by no means the star this time around. I may not have really done that but that was the attempt.

Yes I'm slowly forming Sam into Danny's partner, and surprisingly the show ends up supporting some of the leaps I made when we found out Sam was in better shape than the guys. I'm just taking that a few steps further and expanding on what I did in Ch. 8

If your a glutton for punishment Spectras spell actually spells things out, I don't know what anymore since I lost the master translation, but it does spell something out

Yes Tucker is kinda falling by the way side, but I do have plans to make him big in later chapters

Yes expect and upgraded Val in the future, Vlads been doing something with all the data he's been gathering.

Provided the wave of inspiration lasts I have 2 possible chapters (one is big coughclockworkcough , one is small coughdashcough) I want to do before kicking off a chapter I've wanted to do for a while but couldn't without the proper set up, and said story has significant changes for the other chapters

Please R&R (I have no idea why this is at the end, by all right it should be at the top, asking you to read at this point is kinda stupid isn't it?)


	12. Future Imperfect

Warning- as if you haven't guessed by now I have some weird views, and this story contains a view of them, if you are offended by weird couples read at your own risk. There's nothing dirty, although the really young might learn a few new word, this isn't and R story, but still I'm just letting you know. And no this is not an endorsement of any of these ideas.

* * *

**DP Style**

"Man it's Saturday morning, the sun isn't even up yet and I'm pretty sure there's a rule somewhere that says I should be asleep, especially considering I was out hunting ghost's all night."

"Not really my problem Danny," Tobias sighed, fully human, sitting above the half ghost on a tree branch and watching as the sun came up over the horizon. "Look at that man, you don't get that in your bed or on TV."

"Oh yes because cameras will burst into flames if they if they try and record the sunrise," cover his face while sitting on the wet ground.

"You know you don't have to be here, someone else can help you try and figure out what on earth Spectra did to you to make you light up like a burning Christmas tree."

"When I asked daylight was implied you son of a turkey," glaring up at him, in spite of his protests he was grateful Tobias was there. After what Sam had told him what had happened he'd been a little bit afraid of his powers, he'd always been willing to try and push himself, but with what she'd told him, something about it seemed off, like he wasn't really in control of his powers at the time, like he could've hurt someone if he went to far.

"Hey, that's Mr. son of a turkey sir," dropping down next to him and offering him a hand, "now lets get going," pulling him up to his feet so they looked each other in the eyes.

"So tell me again why we can't fly," Danny asked as he fell in step next to Tobias as they walked through the woods outside of Amity Park.

"Because flying is easy, and you need to open yourself up to new variations on old themes," pushing a tree branch aside and walking deeper into the forest.

"You weren't by any chance a hippy in another life were you?"

"Don't know, never seen a past life, my current life's hard enough," looking around and getting his bearings. "So any reason you wanted me as opposed to one of your friends, or your sister."

"Because I'm hoping you'll be straight with me, and if this goes bad I want someone that'll take me down instead of trying to play nice."

"I'm assuming that's a complement otherwise we might have a problem," not helping but thinking he was referring to his hand in Rachel's death.

"I mean if the others came and I lost control, they'd try and talk me down while the world was burning around them and risking their lives along with mine. I get the impression if something goes wrong you'll punch me in the face till I pass out and hopefully save some time."

"I'd like to think I'm a little more gentle but yeah I can do that," pushing through the final piece of wood coming to an opening in the woods. From where they were they could look straight at the hill Tobias had hid Jazz when Skulker's mutts had attacked them.

"Wow you did this," the half ghost looking around never really looking at the carnage from that day from this perspective.

"Well me and really big friggen wolf," running his hand over one of the trees and heading towards the clearing and cave.

"OK so how are we doing to handle this?' Danny asked after a few seconds that seemed far longer as they came into the clearing.

"Actually I've been thinking about this all night," pulling his arm back and stretching, "and I might have something, but let me ask you a question first, do you know what sets me aside from every other hawk on this planet, and don't say shape shifting."

Danny cocked his head for a second not sure what to say then finally blurted out, "your sense of humor?" shrugging.

"Close, I know how to use everything at my disposal, not just my wings and my talons. I know how to use my mind," counting off on his fingers, "the sky, I know how my prey and my predators will move, I know how to add two extra miles an hours to my flying speed by adjusting a single tail feather…."

Shaking his head and cutting him off, "and how does this help me?"

"I learned how to do all this by adapting and combining skills and techniques," getting him a look of contempt from Danny. "Look I'm a bird I don't go to school, I don't watch TV, and for a while aliens were trying to kill me, I didn't have a lot to do so I made so with what I could."

"Ok, I like where this is going," rolling his wrists and snapping his fingers, nervous energy building. "You need me to skip school for a couple of month, I'm into this, this is so worth it."

"Um no, you have one advantage I didn't, you have me to teach you and guide you through all this."

"Ok so guide me," folding his arms.

"First things first, let me make sure I got everything you can fly, your stronger in ghost mode, you can turn invisible and intangible, occasionally form shields, can hurl energy, and overshadow people anything else I need to know."

"Ghosts sense that comes out of my mouth as a little blue smoke, and I'm working on learning how to clone myself but it doesn't really work well yet."

"Alright," starting to walk around the half ghost, "aside from using them flat out, what have you done with them?"

"Done?" Looking behind him, not understanding the question.

"You know how have you used your powers, other than fighting," before Danny opened his mouth, "and I mean other than going into the girls locker room and getting revenge on Dash."

"Hey I'm insulted what makes you think…"

"Danny this is me here, I use to be you, I hung out with people like your friends, I know everything stupid you've done because in some way I've already been a part of it, so lets just get specifically to the ghost elements of the stories."

For a second he thought about fighting Tobias on the point, but chose to let it go because they were alone and if it got back to Sam it would get back to Jazz and that was something he didn't want. "Let's see, went intangible to get clean a lot, strength and ectoblasts to clean up garbage, hid stuff using intangibility, probably some other things that I can't think of."

"Ok lets try something else," demorphing in front of him and flapping into a tree. (Shift into your ghost mode, go invisible and fly around somewhere but be as quite as you can.) Shrugging Danny did as he was asked and moved as quietly as he could tell he was above and a little behind the bird. (Two feet behind me you feet are about three feet above that, try something harder.) Moving again Danny shot below him and to the left and again had his location perfectly identified, then flew in front of him to make she he wasn't looking and say that his eyes were closed. (Less than a foot form my face, back up.) This went on for several more minutes, every time Tobias nailing where Danny was but never opening his eyes.

"Ok what's the trick," rings appearing around the half ghost and slipping back into his human mode and sitting on the ground. "My sister somewhere with a Fenton Finder feeding you where I am telepathically?"

(Nope just us here Danny, no way I could get your sister up this early,) flapping down to him and going back into his human form.

"So what's the trick, how you doing this because I know you can't see me," pulling some grass out with his hand and letting the breeze catch it.

"Ironically that in part," pointing at the fly grass.

"You can see me because of grass," cocking his head, "I think you've been in the trees to long bird brain."

Going dead pan, "ha ha, keep making your jokes see what happens," blowing some air up into his hair. "I know where you are because I can hear you, I can hear the wind blowing across you, the shift of your hair, I can hear the subtle thump of your heart or something close to it that thumps. The point is I don't need to see you to know where you are."

"Kinda like someone's that blind."

"Essentially but different, my senses may be sharper in hawk mode but it's how I use them that gives me the edge. Any hawk can hear as well as I do," pointing to his ear, "but that doesn't mean they understand what I understand, I combine skill with intellect to make both sharper. When I fly I don't just flap my wing or go from thermal to thermal, I read the sky and figure out where headwinds are, I learned how to draft friggen jets, I combine what I have with what I can imagine."

Danny tried to wrap his head around what he heard but he just ended up shaking his head, "what?"

"Ok how do I explain this," putting his head in his hands, his hair falling over both. Pushing his hair back he looked up, "I have flight, more specifically I have wings, a tail, and hollow bones, I have incredible eye sight and hearing, sharp talons, the ability to kill things that are bigger and stronger than I am, I also have my mind, my human reasoning ability. Anyone of those things alone can be dangerous, but when you put them together you get something powerful. When most people look at a hawk they think it's the sum of it's parts, that it can't go beyond what nature gives it, that's wrong. Hawks use the things they have the way they have them because they have no imagination, they never said could I go faster if I cut my legs off, or would hunting be easier if I couldn't see the prey."

"But generally wouldn't that hurt it?"

"Yeah, but that's not the point they don't ask that question, I do and I've tested them. You can hunt better in the sky with your ears than your eyes, if your willing to put the time in, a hawk can add almost ten miles an hour to their speed if they hold their legs in a way that uncomfortable. I now how to make a hawk body do thing it has no right to do by simply taking what I had and seeing what I could do with it, it's all about taking those basic skills, those building blocks and looking at them in a different way to see what you can do with them."

"And this is helping my how," spreading his arms out, "I know what my powers can do, I've been using them enough to find out."

"Yet Spectra made you tap into something you never tapped into before, so obviously these are some things you haven't figured out yet."

"I'll give you that," laying back into the grass, "still not sure how it helps."

Tobias leaned over and put his face over Danny's, "have you ever tried to make your fire invisible?"

"Huh?" hearing the words, but not sure what he meant.

"Have you ever tired to combine whatever lets you make your ectoplasm with your invisibility power?"

"No"

"Ever used you ectoplasm for anything other than hurting someone?"

"Nada."

"How about making a shield why your flying for added protection?"

"Well no."

"Have you ever built up your ectoplasm in your hand and hit someone as hand as you can with it?"

"Maybe," shrugging with a lop sided grin on his face.

Tobias just held the bridge of his nose, "the truth is you've never actually tested the limit of what you can do have you?"

"Well I have just not like that," growing defensive and getting to his feet, slightly knocking Tobias over. "Look I don't need this from you, I've been doing fine so are I do see…"

The bird cut him off with a look that said he could kill Danny without breaking a sweat and the boy stopped. "I'm not faulting you Danny, I wouldn't do that, I'm just saying you need to open your mind to what you could do with your powers, not just what you are doing with your powers. Believe me I get it, your life's complicated, a secret identity, people trying to kill you, and all this while trying to balance a normal life. I saw four very brave people do it for a long time, it's not easy, I probably couldn't do it, that's why I agreed to help you with your powers, I'll think of the things you just try them, ok?"

Meekly he nodded his head, "yeah," giving him a small smile and taking a deep breath, "where did you learn all this."

"All what?"

"The speeches, the confidence, the wisdom, this weird aura you have around you, when you got powers did someone give you a book that tells you how to do this?"

"No book man, I've just been doing this a lot longer than you, I've made way more mistakes than you have, and I had a couple of really great teacher to learn from. Trust me in a few years you will be kicking my tail in every conceivable way in the hero bizz, just give it time it'll come, till then just take in help my experience will give you."

"So where do we start?"

"Something simple, or at least I hope it is, I want you to think about how everything work, how you trigger it, where it starts form, where it goes, then I want you to try and do everything, one at a time, and only in one place. I don't want you to make your entire body invisible I just want one finger, and I want you to try and I want you to try and make any finger shift at any given time. Then try the same thing with ectoplasm, intangibility and anything else you think you can manage to do with it."

"That's it, what about all that stuff you were saying, what about invisible ectoplasm?"

"Do you know how to stability trigger invisibility in one part of your body?"

"Not really?"

"Learn that first, then we'll worry about setting the forest on fire."

Talking a breath and focusing on his hand, "want to tell me why we're coming all the way out here to do this" looking up at the bird man.

"Well I thought you'd be further along than this, now trust me, if you can figure out how to control the trigger everything else becomes easier."

"Take your word on that," and looking back at his hand, he stayed like that for almost an hour, parts of his hand shifting in and out of focus while others ignited. "Man," looking back into the tree, "I'm getting really bored here, and we at least try and move on, I feel like I'm going nuts."

(Alright,) soaring down and landing next to him, (try this one, make a shield, just a small one,) looking up at him and backing up just in case.

"No sweat," transforming into his ghost form and waving his hand a small green shield forming in front of him, "now what."

(Touch it, and try and transfer whatever makes you invisible into it.)

"I couldn't do this with an ectoblast," touching the shield and concentrating, trying to do as he was asked.

(You could, but at the moment I want to try something that has a chance of not killing me,) his thoughts now the only thing Danny could sense of him since Tobias was now hidden inside the cave.

"You're a real fountain of encouragement you know that," Danny barked not sure where the words hadcome from.

(If I had some idea what that meant maybe.)

"Oh boy," Danny turning his attention back to the task at hand and tried to force his invisibility into the shield, at first nothing happened, then slowly it began to shimmer and grow lighter till it was almost gone from sight. "WHOA I'm doing it, I'M DOING IT, CHECK THIS OUT," his exuberance short lived as the nearly gone wall of ectoplasm began to glow brightly then exploded in his face, coving him in goo.

(So tell me again how you just want to dive into combining dangerous, volatile elements in ways we can't quite predict?)

Danny just glared at the bird who's head was now stuck out of the cave, "very funny," going intangible, the slime falling off him and to the ground.

(But,) hopping out.

"I get the message go slower."

(Yep, but that was still impressive, and you never know you might be able to use it down the line.)

"Yeah exploding slime, that's going to come in real useful in my life."

(I use to say the same thing about seagulls, surprisingly I was wrong. Granted they're still annoying pointless nuisance, I hate them all, and I go out of my way to kill them, but their DNA was still useful from time to time.)

"You kill seagulls?" a look of disgust crossing his face

(I may be human, but I'm also a hawk and I have my principles,) from Danny's expression he could tell he wasn't convinced, (I also use them as a food source when I get tired of mice.)

"Man just stop, your not helping, and never tell me things like that again, EVER."

(Sorry it's in my nature,) shrugging his wings, (now keep going with the invisible shield thing.)

"You think this might ever actually be useful to me," waving his arm and forming another small shield and focusing his invisibility power on it. "I mean come on it's an invisible wall, if I was a mine it might come in handy, other wise I'm not seeing the point."

(Might not be, but again we're just looking for an easy combo right now, but let me ask you this, have you ever seen another ghost make an invisible shield?)

"Don't think so," the green wall nearly going invisible again, "but if it was invisible how would I know?.

(Point taken but still there you go, if this gives you a single edge for even a moment then it'll be worth all the time it spent to learn. Trust me here, I speak from experience, all the training may seem useless, but one day it may be that one little trick that saves you or someone close to you. I use to think knowing how to hitch a ride on a jet was useless trick, then low and behold I had to use it to help your sister, never underestimate seemingly useless,) hiss words stopping as the shield once more exploded in Danny's face, (knowledge. Well if nothing else you'll be great at slapstick comedy.)

"Yeah that's useful," whipping some slime off his face and flinging it at the bird, hitting him in the head.

The red tail shook his head, making the slime go everywhere and glared up at him, (real mature.)

"Well I am a teenager," going intangible and letting the ooze fall off him.

Some distance away neither was aware of a growing danger coming for them as a pulsating white hole opened up over a grove of trees. A moment later a moment later a light blue lobster like claw emerged from the rift followed by a second and a third, each wrapping around the hole and began to pull itself free. The claws gave way to what looked like the end of a piece of orange macaroni, that is pasta with golden teeth in the hole, several rows of them, each layered right behind the others and spinning around the inner cavern of it's mouth. Circling the mouth was four red dots that moved in their own little patterns, each darting this way and that. The head continued to give way to a body that was little more than the head with more claws, lined up in three rows, each positioned a third of the way around it's body. By the time it pulled itself out it was almost twelve feet long with the glow of a ghost and simply hung in the air.

"RRREEASSHARH," it's mouth trembling as the sounds escaped it, it's whole body quivering.

"Good," the voice artificial in sound and seemingly coming from everywhere.

"YYYAHRRSSSHHA," the red lights spinning faster, one darting up and down it's body.

"Do you see the boy?" Three of the red lights firing off and flying in different directions.

"HHASSSCCCCA," two of the lights coming back while the third still hung in the air in the general direction of Danny and Tobias.

"Then you know what to do, do not disappoint me," the hole in the sky sealing itself.

"CCOOOKKKAAA CCCCOOKKKAAA," and beginning to fly through the sky, it's body undulating in the air like a sidewinder through the sand and heading towards it's other light, and the boys.

Back in the clearing Danny was letting another blast of slime fall off him, "all I need is some floppy shoes and big tie and I could pass myself off as a pie throwing clown."

(I'm guessing that sounded better in your head because it didn't really ma….) The hawk lost his train of thought as he cocked his head, the sound in the sky making him nervous, something about it sounding strange but familiar.

"Wha…"

(Quiet,) the thoughts hitting the half ghost like a hammer as Tobias focused on the sound, searching him mind to figure out what it was and where it was coming from, the sound shifting lower. (FLY,) the words getting the proper reaction as Danny shot into the air, a trail of blue smoke coming out of his mouth, as the wiggling ghosts shot out of the trees and passed right under him.

"Great like I needed another ghost after me," the creature turning in mid air and shooting after him, it's maw open, the light catching it's teeth and making them look all the fiercer.

(Taxxon,) the word slipping out of Tobias as he flew into the sky, recognizing the ghost despite the changes to it's appearance.

"That mean something," Danny diving down and just missing the teeth and firing off a blast of ectoplasm, the shot missing at the alien ghost bent it's body and allowed the beam to pass without touching it.

(Old enemy new twist, I'm guessing death didn't kill it's hunger,)

"More personnel experience?" the Taxxon trying to coil around him only for Danny to dive down and escape as his mouth came at Danny.

(I use to be one, now stay away from the mouth, those things use to eat almost anything in life, I bet death upped that to everything.)

"Thanks for the advice, NOW HOW ABOUT HELPING ME!" his hands glowing green as he fired off a blast of ectoplasm.

Without a word the hawk dove done, ready to continue an old fight with someone that once hadn't really been his enemy just another tool by the Yeerks. He didn't even have to run down what he could become, with it in the sky he only had a few choices that would make a difference, and with the speed it was moving dropping on him wouldn't work so changing now didn't make a difference. Picking his target he pulled his wings in and dove, talons open as he fell at the alien ghost. Snapped them shut at the last moment he flew past, the scream from the worm, and pulsing between his toes telling him he'd done what he planned.

"What'd you do," Danny barked as the Taxxon jerked in the sky and followed Tobias for a second before turning back towards Danny.

(I think I stole one of his eyes,) the pulse stopping as the light went intangible and flew through his foot, (never mind.)

"Great," Danny hissed as the worm shot after him, the red light joining the others as it circled around the body. "Toro, toro big guy, onward fish food," making all the movements of a mock bullfighter as the ghost shot at him. At the last moment sprung forward in the sky, a ball of energy growing in his hand, and slammed it into the attacker while sailing over the worm with a flip.

With a snarl and a gasp it continued it's erratic flight but grew lowers crashing into the group of trees before beginning to glow, arcs of energy shooting across it's body, then disappearing from slight with a flash.

(Umm, that was weird,) as he sat down on a branch overlooking where the ghost had been, (it is gone right?)

"Not sure, never seen one do that before," his arms folded over his chest.

(There's something I always like to hear,) giving him the dirtiest look a hawk could give.

"Can't be helped," staring down at the spot, "and that thing had to come from somewhere, we need to get back and check on the others, see if they have these problems too."

(Not going to argue with you on that one,) spreading his wings and following him as they flew back towards Amity Park, (so much for this being a nice quiet day.)

"Yeah I've given up trying to find a quiet day," grabbing a quick look back, "they always end badly." It didn't take long to get back, both moving at their top speeds in the chance whatever was going on was going to effect those that they loved.

(I'll check on Sam and Tucker, you hit your family, watch your back,) the hawk pealing off and heading away from Danny and catching a head wind.

"If something happens call me, don't take it on alone," barking back as he tore off towards his home. When he was sure Tobias was out of sight, "take care of yourself man, I'm getting use to having you around."

Down below him in an alley another tear opened up, another Taxxon pulling itself out. This one had no claws and looked more like a snake with four red glowing eyes on it's head, yet having the same cavernness mouth and spinning teeth.

"You know what to do," the same artificial voice coming from everywhere.

"YYEHSSRRR CCACOO RKKK."

"Then do it," the tear closing while the snakelike Taxxon shooting after Danny, ready to fulfill it's orders.

"Be ok Jazz," still pushing himself to go faster, stopping as his ghost sense went off, "ah great," doing a quick turn in the sky and trying to find where the source was, "come on be the Box Ghost."

"WWHHHCCOOOKKKAAA," the ghost on Danny before he could see him and became trapped in the coils of the snakelike creature.

"Man get off me," his eyes glowing brightly as his hands ignited in ectoplasm that surged through the ghost knocking it free. "What is this pick on Danny day," floating towards the street below, the pressure exerted by the coils having damaged something internally.

"TTAKKA OOHHA," the sounds meaning nothing to Danny and not being prepared for the ghost to be on him again so fast. Within moments he was once more incased in the coils of the beast, it's mouth only inches from his face and snapping wildly. Danny couldn't even manage to get off a shot as the ghost lunged them both forward and drove them through a plate glass window and causing the occupants to scream and run, all instinctually knowing what to do it the event of a ghost attack.

"WOULD YOU GET OFF ME," Danny forcing all of his strength into his flight and forcing them both upward into the lights, causing a powerful jolt to course through both of them, but most of it going into the attacking ghost.

"SSHHHOOOCCOOKKKAAA," the scream alone was enough to fuel a dozen nightmares for Danny, add that to the teeth and he doubted he'd ever sleep again. All that however was secondary as the ghost began to glow like the other had, a strange web like pattern of energy forming inside it and appearing on it's skin, nearly blinding Danny.

"OH THIS IS GUNNA HURT," Danny closing his eyes and trying to go intangible as the ghost became to bright to look at. With a thud the pair hit the ground, the power having KO'ed the larger ghost and loosened it's grip on Danny enough for him to pull himself free.

Groaning, the half ghost clawed his way out, twin rings forming around him and reverting him back to his normal human appearance. With his energy gone he to dropped to the ground, but kept his eyes toward the ghost and leant against a piece of furniture. "Wow," looking around at the room, "I didn't know we'd done this much damage." Chairs and desks were turned, other blown to pieces, scorch marks littered the walls, the large window was still smashed leaving a glass shard sitting scattered around the room. After a moment however Danny began to realize something was wrong, even assuming everyone had fled, is was to quite, people should've been outside, sirens should've been going off, his parents should've been screaming in the distance, but there was nothing, simply nothing.

"I don't have a bad feeling about this or anything," Danny mumbled sarcastically rising to his feet and looking out the window, the streets were charred, building half torn down, large chinks of the city seemed to just flat out be missing, occasion bits of garbage littered the area, everywhere the signs of a struggle, of a great battle long finished, and many smaller conflicts that were still occurring.

"We're not in Kansas are we snakeo?" looking down and dropping to his knees and shaking his head.

"HHOORRAAAKAAA," the ghost shooting forward from behind Danny having come out of his stupor.

"I'm really…" the words slipping out of Danny as he turned and tried to go ghost and defend himself but never got the chance. A beam of red energy shot over his shoulder and struck the beast in the face and sent it careening into the wall behind him, the poor condition of the structure causing a collapse of the building, bits of plaster falling around Danny.

"Come on kid not the time to be playing around," before Danny could react a hand grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him out as the structure collapsed in on itself sending smoke and rubble in all directions and blinding him. Even with all the smoke Danny wasn't totally senseless and felt his savior put him down, a strong hand now resting on his shoulder. "Breath into this," even if they were muffled by the sound of the building falling the words were strong and commanding as something was forced over Danny's face that let him breath normally. "Try and stay calm, I'll take care of ya, nothing's going to happen I promise."

Before Danny could say anything they were both were cut off, "COOKKAAA YYYEEAAMM."

"Not in this life time you out of control tube sock," red energy cutting through the blinding debris and exploding outward as it illuminated the ghost only to make it vanish a moment later as a swirling red hole sucked it in and closed. "I am so tired of those friggen tape worms," grabbing Danny gently and pulling him up out of the dust cloud and into the sun. "You don't know how lucky you are kid, what did you think you were doing out here, there's a reason this cities off limits, those worms are everywh….," his words stopping as he looked down at Danny.

"Whoa," a near equal look on Danny's face, his savior was older, bigger, and bluer, but it was defiantly himself. "What's going on here?"

"I was really hoping you could tell me," forcing him away," his hand bursting into red flame, "I don't know what game this is but it's not funny." Rather than fly Danny fell as he tried to fly, but his body wouldn't react, the fight for some reason having taken to much out of him. His older self watched from above as the boy he was fell, hesitating to move as he drew closer to the ground. "Ok this isn't good," snapping his fingers on his non-energized hand, a clone shooting out of him and flying at Danny and grabbing the young half ghost before he could hit the ground.

"Oh I don't nee….," never finishing his thought as he passed out in the arms of his older self.

The clone flew to his other self, Danny in his arms, "this is…."

"….not going to be easy," the other nodding his head and merging with the other him. "And staying around here is only going to make it worse." Carrying the other him he flew up looking at what was left of Amity Park, like the street most of the city had been destroyed in one way or another. Slashing his hand out a tear opened in the sky that he passed through, a moment later setting foot inside stone room illuminated by torches. "BRING ME A DOCTOR," he roared out, shaking the various paintings and tapestries the hung on the walls.

It was several hours later went Danny woke up, his body still heavy with exhaustion, groaning slightly and half opening his eyes all he could see was a blur above his head. "Hey," lightly stretching, "you would not believe the dream I just had, I was shot into the future and I was blue and…."

"Your kind of embarrassing us here," the new voice jolting him out of his sleep and jumping out of bed only to be caught by his older self, "whoa, whoa easy, calm down your not one hundred percent yet."

"Who, what," jumping away from the mans grasp and looking around, for the first time seeing the stone room, and the ghostly woman with a stethoscope around her neck.

"LOOK," his older self coming over to him and forcing him down onto the bed, "calm down," looking over at the woman, "this might be easier if you weren't here." With a slight nod and a look of fear she picked up a bag and left the room, closing the door behind her.

His eye's glowing brightly Danny stared up at his other self, "I don't know what is going on."

"Well that makes two of us," backing away from him and grabbing a chair and spinning it around and sitting down, his arms draped over the back in front of him.

"Huh?"

"Look according to the doc that just left," jerking his thumb at the door, "you're me, which is weird because if I remember my time travel lore, I should remember being where you are now and having this conversation but I don't so you aren't, but apparently you are. So considering I'm not sure what I just said I have no clue if I can trust you."

Danny just stared at him trying to sort out what the other man had just said, "what?" finally giving up.

"I don't know it's outside my range, all I know is she swears your me, I don't know jack about time travel, so I'm pretty much taking her word on everything."

"Wonderful," leaning back, grateful the bed was against a wall so he had some back support an taking his other self in. Even sitting down he could pick up a lot, he was older, maybe mid to early twenties, he was somewhere between heavily muscled strength and wiry agility. His skin was now greening blue with white hair that seemed to be on fire except for a small amount somehow tied behind him. His suit was a kind of modified version of the one he was wearing but with more of a superhero motif right down to the cape.

"Your telling me, like I don't have enough problems in my life," running his fingers through his flaming hair, "now I have to worry about you too."

"Who said you have to worry about me," growing defensive.

"Well lets see if something happens to you here and you die, then you can't die in the future, or past I guess, I don't know," shaking his head.

"What do you mean die," leaning forward almost falling off the bed, his balance still not where it should be.

Catching his older self and leaning him back, "what you think we're immortal," giving him a little laughing snort, "everything dies man, it's a fact of life, get use to it."

"But how, when…."

"Are things you really don't need to know," pointing at him, "and until I start understanding what's going on you don't get to hear about it."

"Hey not fair," starting to stand up only to once more by forced down by his other self.

"Again fact of life, right now you need to calm down, and rest, your no good to anyone if you can't even stand. Speaking of which your probably hungry, I don't have much I can get you something if you really want it, it's not a problem."

"Look I don't need…" his words stopped as his stomach sent out a rumble that his other self could hear, "ok what do you have?"

"Not sure I don't eat human food anymore let me ask someone," standing up and moving towards a door only to have it thrown open nearly hitting him in the face. On the other side was a woman with pale blue-white skin wearing a black tank top and tight black pants with a gold hip belt with four charms and combat boots. On her left arm was black glove that went up to the middle of her upper arm while her right just had a black studded bracelet. Her hair was a mix of blue and black flames and kept high on her head by a ponytail. Her eyes an eerily glowing purple, under her right eye was slash of black makeup. On her back was strapped a black and purple flamed guitar, that glowed with the same eerie light as it's ghostly owner.

"Sorry to break up the party Dan but we got a problem."

Hissing between clenched teeth, "not the time Saber," and trying to push her out the door and keep his younger self from getting a good look at her.

"Tell that to the seventy or so flying garbage deposals heading this way," hissing back at him, "if we don't stop them there's not going to be anything left of us."

Under his breath the male ghost growled, his hands bursting into flame, and looking back at his younger self, his eye's glowing red so brightly it was painful to look at him. "Stay here, I don't care what you hear, don't leave this room," grabbing the other woman's arm, "come on Saber, time to do the hero thing."

"Ah Dan, I just got this guitar broken in, they ate the last five before I could even get this far," her words growing softer as he pulled her out and slammed the door behind him, keeping his younger self in.

"Well this isn't the worst dream I ever had," laying down on the bed, "still way above the one were Vlad marries mom," covering his face with his hands. "What am I suppose to do here, for all I know there's not anything on the other side of that door, this could all be a set up by Vlad or something." Looking over at the door he threw his legs over and slowly stood up, his legs still wobbly, but feeling better and reached for the knob only to stop as a scream echoed on the other side. "That's creepy," pulling half a step away, "still I need to know what's going on."

With a grunt he pushed the door open revealing a hall made of the same stone with tapestries lining the walls. "Wow whoever did this went all out," walking down the corridor the screams seemly have stopped. "I wonder what this is all about," looking in each room as he passed, each one looking similar to the one he was in, but more than that, something about the place seeming familiar. "What is it about this place, I swear I know it from somewhere, but I don't know where."

That answer came a moment later as the hall shook and the wall behind him gave way. Danny turned ready for an attack, only to find the source wasn't in that kind of condition, but that he knew it, it was a skeleton warrior, the same kind that had been under the command of Pariah Dark. "Now I know where I am, I'm in the Fright Knights castle again. Ok no more messing around, I'm going ghost," focusing all his strength on the transformation, his twin rings forming around him and transforming him his ghost form.

"Time to talk you escape from a science exhibit," flying over to the ghost warrior only to stop as he got a glimpse of what was going on outside. Before his eye's a war was being fought against the skeletal warriors of Pariah Dark and what Danny assumed were ghostly Taxxons. Like humans they came in all shapes and sizes and while there didn't seem to be uniform color a few things were shared. They were all long, all had a lot of teeth, and had four eyes, most had claw like legs, but a good number were also legless like the last one that had attacked him. And square in the middle of the fight was several of his older selves and woman that had come in the room who was attacking with her guitar in a way that sparked his memory. The pair was going after the worms, and the skeletons seemed to be supporting them.

"Please let this be a dream, please, please, please let this be a dream," balling his fists and closing his eyes. When he opened them, the battle was still raging and he didn't see any sign of it stopping. Whirling around he moved on the other ghost ready to get some answers only to realize with a look that wasn't going to happen with him passed out.

"Ok on the one hand, I have no idea what's going on, on the other hand Tobias says the worm things are bad, and on the other hand no matter what I do it'll be wrong, so I'm just going to throw my three hands in with myself attached and hope I see tomorrow."

Jumping out the window he flew over to the fight moving as fast as he could and discovering to his horror he still wasn't totally back to normal as his flight was slightly erratic. "Well that's never stopped me before," igniting his hands in ectoplasm and flying low releasing two blasts at a pair of on coming Taxxons, despite what he was hoping for the effect was less than satisfying. The blasts didn't really bounce off, but they did seem to disburse on the target, but the physical side of the attack did force them back a few feet.

Danny's jump into the fray didn't go unnoticed, several Taxxons noticed him and charged towards him recognizing and easy meal when one presented itself. Before the half ghost could even register their movements they were on top of him, two wrapping him up, others simply jumping on them, others still biting at his feet and all of them snapping their jaws in an attempt to bite any part of them they could.

"GET OFF HIM PSYCHOTIC CENTIPEDES," Dan grabbing one in each glowing hand ripping them off his younger self, another of his clones showing up and tearing off others. With a snarl the Dan on top grabbed one by the head, his fingers igniting the ghost's head and throwing him off the Taxxon connecting with two others of it's kind and catching them in it's momentum and taking out an another before the lump stopped moving.

"AHHH," Danny screamed under the lot as a shield bubble formed around him and threw off the rest of the ghosts.

"Nice kid," one of his older selves floating over and putting his arm under the younger ghost arm to help support him, "incredibly stupid, but nice."

"Thanks I think," twin rings forming around him and changing him back to his human form.

"Yeah you're are still out of it, we have to get you back to the castle," taking him and fly back while his clone went back to the fight. After a few moments he set Danny down inside the hole he'd jumped out of, "now do me a favor stay here and wait for me to finish it," flying back to the fight.

From his hole Danny could watch everything, the woman releasing waves of energy into the crowd, sometimes knocking them around, other times making them turn on each others. At other times what looked like black fire would stream out of her mouth taking out everything that go in it's path. But by far the most impressive thing she did was when she lifted her, a vortex of black energy forming above it, followed moments later by black lightning sticking the ground and throwing everything nearby that it touched clear of her in a smoking heap.

His older self on the other hand was all over the place, sometimes firing off blasts of energy from his palm or eyes, other times materializing a sword from his hand out of ectoplasm, at one time he even had some kind of vocal attack that seemed to take out everything in the area, but what Danny found most impressive is when his other self completely incased himself in red ectoplasm and tore through the crowd like a sledgehammer. "I have got to learn how to do that," watching the fight, amazed with the strength he was showing. He was also a little amazed the skeletal warriors were falling in line under his other selves commands and somehow forcing the group of Taxxons back. The war raged for almost and hour but in the end Dan and his forces won, the Taxxons retreating from the Earth origin ghosts. Danny watched as his older selves remerged and lift his arm into the air, the warriors under him lifting their weapons and cheering as he did so, all of them seeming to love him.

With another wave of his hand half of his force continued after the Taxxons the other half returned to the castle, along with Dan and Saber, who came to the half Ghost hand in hand. "What did I tell you," the ghost looking at his still living counter part, "going out there was dangerous, you could've been killed."

"I know but," slightly in awe of what the ghost was capable of.

"I was telling you that for your own good, those things don't play fair, they're nuts, they'll eat anything that's not nailed down, you have any idea how lucky you are?"

"Sotra…I mean no but," looking up at the imposing ghost he would become.

Swinging his arm around him Dan pulled the boy to his side, "then again I forgot I was that tough when I had a pulse. You kicked some serious tail out there, I wonder what you could've done at full power. Come on lets see about getting you something to eat," pulling him away Saber on his heals. "You don't have to come," looking back at her.

"I know," slipping up and taking Dan's free hand, "but how often does a girl get a chance like this," looking over at Danny, something about the look he got from her stirring feeling in the teenager.

After a few moderns of navigating the seemingly empty castle the three found the kitchen and the white haired ghost disappeared leaving the two at a table then came back a few moments later from the pantry a few odds and end in his hands, some glowing some not. "Sorry about the selection," dropping the items in front of his younger self, "as I said we don't get much call for this kinda stuff anymore."

"Not a problem," grabbing a bag of chips and checking the expiration date, "anyone know it this is even still good?"

"I think so," the woman shrugging putting her boot up on the table as grabbing one of the glowing cans and popped the top and sucking down the contents.

For a few moments Danny ate ravenously not even aware he was that hungry till the food was before him. He had to admit most of it wasn't that good, it was old and stale, and there was a good chance he'd have food poising later but at the moment he didn't care, it was worth it. "So," finally putting down a soda, "can you tell me what that was all about or at least what's going on, or would that screw up the temporal space matrix continuum thing?" waving his arms in a vague I don't know motion.

"Considering I don't know what's going on I don't really see how we can make things worse," leaning forward and putting his elbows on the table, "what do you want to know?"

"How did I…we…you die?" leaning forward wanting to know that more than anything else.

"Off limits, for that matter all deaths are off limits," Dan growing very serious.

"Why?"

"Look this comes off a lot of years, life and death is not to be messed with, anything else yes, but you don't mess with a persons death." Sensing a but coming he continued, "look if I told when this happens you'd spend all your time trying to prevent it, and if you didn't then you wasted all that time in between. That was time you could be hanging with the others, playing video games, and generally having a life, I'm not putting that on you. If you want to talk about anything else, it's open but nothing that involves death."

"Alright," Danny finally agreeing after thinking what his other self had said. "Who is she," pointing at the girl next to him and getting a dirty look from her.

"What your telling me you don't recognize me, Danny I'm insulted and a little hurt."

"Danny, this is Saber, aka Sam," the half ghosts eyes growing wide.

"No way," looking the woman over for the first time seeing the little details that did look like she was an older Samantha.

"Gets better," a weird smile forming on the full ghosts lips, "she's also Ember."

"WHAT!" Danny's head snapping around to look at Dan.

"I could try and explain but we're still trying to figure that one out, let's just say there was an accident and leave it at that."

"That's some accident," looking the woman over again and again seeing the parts that looked like Sam, but also seeing the signs that Ember was part of her.

"You ought to be on this end," taking another swig from her can, "one minute I'm two ghosts the next I'm this thing."

"Ghosts?"

"Again," his other self cutting in, "not a place your going."

"Ok, millions dollar question what happened here?"

"That's complicated, that's very very complicated."

"It's psychotic worms on a rampage, that better be complicated."

"It's like this, after I…we," pointing at himself and Danny, "die things get bad, I'm still not sure what happens, all I know is someone or something takes out a chunk of Walkers prison. That in turn lets the Taxxons, and they are like a swarm of locus mixed with piranha, they eat everything, and I do mean everything. They threw the entire Ghosts Zone into a mass panic, homes were destroyed, sprits were extinguished, everything that could be done to stop them failed, not even Walker could put them back where they belonged. Heck old skull face had enough problems keeping the guys that were still in prison in prison, he didn't have the ability to put more in. To make matters worse some of them have the ability to eat their way into the human world, while that was bad for them it was worse for us as we got a massive influx of new panicked sprits which didn't help matters. And as I said I was already dead, but till then I was keeping a low profile, but after a while it got to bad, and I took center stage…"

"Center stage, what is this a play?"

"I've tried to culture myself thank you, now where was I, right, they needed a leader, someone to try and fight them back as best they could, for better or worse that was me. People still knew me, I was the halfa, well fulla now, they knew I'd taken on the Ghost King and won, that I'd taken on the best the Ghost Zone could throw at me and kept taking it, they thought I had a chance at winning. I knew about this place, that it was probably the best chance we had to take these guy on from, I mean if it was good enough for Pariah Dark to wage a massive coup of the Ghost Zone from it should be able to hold off a few hyperactive worms. The weird part was when we got here the army was already waiting on us, ready to fight, we're still trying to figure that one out."

"That doesn't bother you that they were just waiting?"

"Course it does, but things work different here, for all I know me beating their boss somehow put me in charge of them. Either way I'm not looking a gift skull in the mouth, those guys are the only thing really keeping the Taxxons at bay."

"And what about Pariah Dark, this is his castle after all aren't you worried about him?"

"Of course we are, that's why we keep the room holding him off limits to everyone. We may need help but sending him like sending aliens to fight cockroaches, yeah the roaches'll die, but you have a bigger problem on your hands."

Jerking is thumb back, "from what I saw I don't think that's such a bad option at the moment."

"We did better than you think, remember we've been at this for a long time, and to make matters worse the Taxxons aren't as mindless as they appear. I've talked to people that have fought and served with them back when they were alive, and for the most part all they care about is food, but they did have some serious intelligence behind them. I'm not sure if it's actually one of them, of if someone's pulling the strings, but someone is organizing the worms and it is keeping this fight from ever ending."

"You've been at this for how many years and can't figure out who's leading them?"

"It's harder than you think," Saber leaning forward, "even as strong as we are, to many of them will still take us down before we can even try and escape. The piranha thing wasn't a joke, they will eat us if given half a chance."

"This doesn't sound like much of a life," Danny sighed.

"In a lot of ways it's not," as Dan stared at the ceiling, "but people on both sides are counting on us to fix this problem, and that's all we can do. We've managed to put up more than a few refugees in these walls but it's hard, and dealing with anything in the living world has gotten harder than you know."

For a few moments Danny ran that over in his head, and he had to admit it made sense to a point, but it didn't answer some other questions. "So if you're here what about the others?"

"Your going to have to be a little more specific, Walker's still in the prison with his army keeping the other inmates at bay. I heard Spectra was eaten a few years ago when she tried to take control of a heard of the worms. No one's even sure about Technus anymore, we've all heard stories about him ending up in the wacko shack but no ones ever confirmed it."

"As for Skulker well," Saber adding in, "your guess is as good as ours. Supposedly they swarmed his compound early on, in any case theres nothing left and no one's ever found proof as to where he is. There are stories circulating all around the Ghost Zone that he's waging a one man war against them with his mutts, but for all we know they're fantasies thought up by desperate minds to give themselves hope."

"I meant our family, out friends, what happened to Jazz or…" his voice freezing as his older self slammed his glowing first through the table, his eyes burning read as he stood up and sending a jolt of fear through Danny as he looked at him.

"DAN," Saber snapped, her eyes taking on a purple glow and earning the attention of the other ghost. For a moment he glared at her, his stance streaming he was on the verge of attack and looking like a wild animal, when slowly his eyes closed and when they opened the burning red ectoplasm was gone, replaced by the light green they usually were.

Running his finger through his burning hair, the larger man sat down but didn't meet his younger self's gaze, "she's dead, leave it at that," a fair amount of venom and malice in his voice that compelled Danny to do as he was told. The outburst also caused a tense silence between them, neither willing to look at the other and sending a chill all through Danny's body.

After several long minutes it became to much for the half ghost and he opened his mouth only to have Dan cut him off, "you shouldn't take to much with you. About the future I mean, You've probably learned to much as it is, either way, we need to get you back," standing up. Giving a small whistle a ghost in jeans and blue jean jacket opening the doors they had from a moment later, "Sarah, can you escort our guest back to his room?"

"Of course Lord Daniel," bowing to the man.

At the word lord his eyes and hand ignited in red ectoplasm, "I told you not to call me that," his tone serious and with a threat of imminent danger that shocked Danny.

"I'm sorry L…Dan, it was….," keeping her eyes off him and Saber.

"Don't let it happen again," turning away from her and flying out of the room, his fire extinguishing as he went.

As he left Saber picked up her guitar and stated playing a small tune, "and they say women have mood swings," rolling her eyes.

Before Danny could respond Sarah was at his side and forcing him out of the room, "come on then, lets get you back where you belong," her voice still fearful but also having a bit of a southern drawl to it.

"Yeah sure," Danny grabbing a last look back not sure what had just happened. The two traveled in relative silence but Danny was able to notice more about the castle now, with the threat of the Taxxons gone a sense of order came back to the castle, ghosts of every shape and size flying or walking here and there, all of which took notice of Danny as he passed by and whispering thing to low for him to hear.

"Where'd they all come from," he asked himself absently.

"They were below," the woman answered, "when the worms attack we go into the cellars it's pretty much the only safe place to go. All we can really do is wait for Lord Daniel and Lady Saber to see us through."

Danny stopped when she said it again, "what do you mean 'Lord'?"

"I…um…that is to say," panic spreading against her face and looking around.

"It's just something we call them…um a joke begun by Lady….by Saber," the ghostly equivalent of sweat forming on her face. "I really don't know it was before my time, I just know he recently started ordering us not to call him that but it still slips out, it's almost second nature to us. He is our king, his word is law, but that doesn't always make them easy to do."

"Whoa, whoa what do you mean king, I though he was a protector?"

"I've…I've said to much," pulling him along, "I need to do as he asked," moving him through the corridors, not caring about his complaints and questions till she finally pushed him into the room he'd first come out of. "Good night, rest."

"What the heck is going on here," Danny hissed and shock his head sitting down on the bed, and running everything that had happened through his head. Even if he assumed the lady was a little weird and still stressed from the fight she'd freaked more than a little bit, and himself going ballistic when he mentioned Jazz didn't help matter much. Those things together didn't make everything he was saying a lie, but it raise doubts as to what was going on. He didn't even know when he was so for all he knew he was being fed a bunch of half truths and full blow lies. For that matter for all he knew this was just an elaborate set up by Vlad or someone else and none of this was real. It wasn't like he hadn't seen shape shifters in the past, so it was possible, that or he was in a really weird dream.

"And to think I use to complain when my biggest concern was what to watch on TV," laying down in bed, despite the food, he was still tired and his powers were still shaky. "If someone is going to do something to me, they're going to do it regardless of what I want, and unless I get my powers to work right I won't be in a position to stop them." Stretching his back he let out a yawn, his eyelids growing heavy and falling as he gave in and let sleep once more overcome him in the hopes when he came to he'd still be alright and his powers would react normally again.

Several hours later and some distance away a pair of eyes watched the castle with great interest.

"This is a bad idea."

"So you've been saying."

"But this is a really bad idea"

"We've had worse."

"Yeah and what does that say about us."

"That we're incredibly brave, incredibly stupid, and incredibly reliable."

"Yeah I always wanted to be known as those three things."

"Then your mission is complete," sighing, "so you ready?"

"Is water wet, are dogs furry, am I very pretty," running finger through her hair.

"You forget I've seen you in the morning," jumping out towards the castle, his partner on his heals.

"Keep talking I can fix that," her voice growing softer as they approached the castle, the knowledge of what they'd find on the inside at the forefront of their minds. "Your sure this is a good idea?"

"Have I ever thought any plan I've been a part of way good?"

"A few."

"And look how those ended, now cut the noise lets not make this any easier for them than we have to."

"Please if we're going to walk into a fight might as well make it one from the get go," shooting ahead of her partner.

"Not here, not now," zooming ahead of her, "in and out, fast and quiet, that's the plan, don't go looking for a fight."

"Fine," relenting to her partners wisdom. Without further words they flew up to the castle each moving as quickly and quietly as they were able to do, the ruins appearing all the more massive from there perspective. Zipping along the side of the wall, crossing what from there perspectives could've easily been an endless ghostly stone city. With a determination born of conviction they moved along it faster than there size allowed and shot up to a window, the room seeming like it could've held a dozen skyscrapers to them and a woman that made even the biggest radioactive movie monster seem tiny in comparison.

Looking her up and down the pair shot into the room, hugging the groves in-between the stones of the wall to keep themselves from being noticed. Shooting down the wall and bounding across the floor, the ghosts foot steps making them want to run and hide, the vibrations making them crazy. Hitting the door they pushed under the crack between it and the floor and into the huge hall of the castle.

Looking left and right, each tried to get their bearings, before the woman grabbed her partner and both shot left down the hall, once more taking to the sky. The pair moved through the halls shifting up and down, left and right, looking like little more than tiny bugs to the inhabitants of the stone structure. They zipped by human based ghosts dressed in every conceivable style, animal like ghosts, skeletal warriors, and creatures that caught the short end of the death stick looking like lumps of muck, others looking like they'd been cross bread with animals or machines, and particularly luck creature that looked like a walking tree fused with a garden hose.

Ignoring them all, they staying on there target, zooming through the halls past rooms of warriors, the knowledge they could be caught at any second on their minds. After what seemed like hours and a thousand near misses they found what they hoped was their target, a door not so different from the others they'd passed but holding a treasure far more valuable. Moving in fast they shot forward ready to get and go, both hoping the way out wouldn't be as hard as they were anticipating.

As they approached the door they felt the air sizzle and pop around them in a pattern both knew well, but couldn't do anything about as they were both swept up in a blast of ectoplasm that crushed them against the wall. If they had been bigger the blast might have taken them out for a length of time, but at their size it would've taken a blast far greater to do more than make them pause.

"Slag'n bugs, you really think no one noticed you," the voice booming to the pair and coming off more as the voice of a demon. "Well, well not so crushed after all," seeing the pair shake of the blast and moving along the scorch mark on the wall he'd left, "can't let that g..…" His words stopping as from his perspective tiny dots began to grow larger very quickly, "your not bugs are you," backing up and running down the hall, "INTRUDERS!"

"Well we held the element of surprise longer then we thought," she barked over to her partner.

"All things considered I'd prefer longer," reaching behind him and pulling his sword from it's scabbard, the green blade glowing in the ghostly fire light as a wave of skeletal warriors came tearing down the hall along with several other inhabitants of the castle. "I knew this wasn't go to be as easy as that tin can said."

"Are things ever?" her necklace glowing a light blue and braced herself for the attack, "LET'S GO RIB RACKS!"

"Rib racks," looking over at her in disbelief.

"Ok so my quips are bad," shrugging and jumping forward, her claws shining in the light only to be stopped as he grabbed her tail and flung her back.

"Get the target, I'll be on your tail."

"Holding you to that," firing a tendril out, the suckers attaching to the door and tearing it off it's hinges, the occupant waking up.

"WHOA WHAT," Danny barking as a mass of tentacles came at him and ensnared him and pulled him out of bed.

"Please save all questions till the ride has stopped, keep your hands and legs inside the car at all time, and remember we have your money so we don't care what you think."

"Already seen this movie, don't like how it ends," a ghost formed Danny snapped forming a shield around himself and forcing the tendrils off him, one whipping back and hitting his assailant in the face, "honestly do I look like a girl?"

"Ooh cleaver," hissing sarcastically, "like I've never heard a tentacle monster joke before," her arms shooting out and entangling Danny's limbs, "now stop struggling and come here."

Even with the rest Danny wasn't an peek performance, but continued to fight her as best her could, "do you have an idea what's going to happen to you when the guy who lives here gets a hold of …..Rachel?" recognizing the ghost woman who held him.

"Good this isn't completely awkward then, now come on," jerking him forward as her tendrils continued to envelope him tell he was held tightly to her despite his sustained struggles.

"Would you let go of me, you can tell Walker I never bought it for a second, whatever his plan is it's not going to wor…" getting a good look through the door at the carnage before him.

"Got him?" her companion barked back stabbing his blade into one of his attackers, the skeleton vanishing in a vortex of energy, while turning into a kick, long claws on his feet taking on a yellow light as they sliced through the body of attacking human looking man. The creature moved in a flurry of energy swipes, sword slashes and feathers, his form almost impossible to truly determine.

"Say the word Tobe and we can book," Rachel's light purple skin on her left side shifted to light blue as her necklace began to glow. That in turn triggered her mouth to grow out, sharp teeth forming and replacing the squid beak while a tail shot out behind her along with a pair of leathery wings, a mane of scales from the back of her head.

"Barbeque um dragon lady," jumping up and spreading large wings from his back a jet of blue flame fired out of Rachel's mouth and just under her partner who landed without a sound next to her. In front of them both the ghosts were forced back, the blue flame virtually impossible to cross. "And the others wonder why I love you," sheathing his blade on his back, between his wings that arced up past his head while the tips ended just before hitting the ground. The wings were in turn connected to a black feathered body, and just above a tail of light silver feathers. The body itself was humanoid in design and lean like a gymnasts, albeit covered in feathers save the hands and feet beginning at the forearms and lower legs respectively that were silver and scaled ending in glowing talons of yellow. The head like most of the body was hawk in origin and black with a silver beak that looked like it could kill. Across his chest and back was the sheath for his sword decked out in red, the only clothing he was seen to be wearing with the exception of a red bracelet on his wrist that was obviously mechanical and twin rings of gold on his finger. But most striking was given his glow, he was most defiantly dead.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY,WE HAVE TO STOP THEM," the roar cutting through the crowd and making Rachel and Tobias shake for a moment as they saw red energy rising into the air and knowing he was going to come down on them with everything he had.

"And that would be the cue to leave," his body shifting as lost his human features and they were replaced by those of a black and silver polar bear, only the wings becoming smaller. Flexing his limbs claws popped out of his paws, each glowing with a yellow energy, releasing a roar that was half hawk half bear he hit the wall with all his power, the stone giving way after only a single hit and creating a hole big enough for he and the half dragon half squid Rachel to escape through.

"Go I'll cover you," Tobias growled staring down the on coming attackers that still couldn't get past Rachel's flame, something that would end in a moment. His answer was simple as her tail whipped out and hit him in the side sending him falling out of the hole, followed a second later by his partner, her wings spreading wide to cover him while he shifted back to his human/hawk form. "Thanks a lot Rach," glaring up at her.

"Chivalry might not be dead but that doesn't mean I have to accept it," flying out of the compound as fast as she could, Danny still struggling inside her make shift cocoon.

Tobias looked up at her, then past her to the skeleton warriors who were following them, with the promise of Dan yet to come. Shifting his wings he dropped back then jetted forwards shielding her. With practiced ease he spun in midair putting them back to back and flexed his wings sending them to the side of his body and forward a cascade of yellow ectolasmic feathers firing from them and hitting the on coming ghosts with a variety of results. Some exploded like small bombs, other cut right through the ghosts, a few exploded half way to their targets creating small dust storms that blinded those in pursuit.

"I love it keep it up," giving the bird a thumbs up as he let loose another barrage of feathers.

"Bah, you'd rather get up there and tear their throats out."

"Like you wouldn't," pulling her wings in closer and flying faster, while the bird man kept pace above her.

"Then by all means," a clone of Dan appearing if front of Rachel and Tobias, "let's see how you deal with me," another forming on their right while the real Dan came upon their rear.

"OOOO, I was hoping this would happen," flaring her wings and pulling her tendrils behind her and facing the blue skinned ghost, "I've been looking forward to a rematch sparky." Swiping at him with her dragon hand, the gray claws slicing through him as he went intangible.

"Let him go and I'll have no problem burying you all over again," solidifying and punching her in the face sending her end over end in the sky and into Tobias and grabbed her while diving and pulling her out of the trap.

"Not the time Rach," yanking her down and hitting the bracelet on his wrist a tear opening up in front of him.

"I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THEY CREMATED WHAT THEY COULD FIND OF ME!" Rachel screamed out as she, Tobias, and Danny vanished through the wound in the Ghost Zone, the portal sealing behind them keeping Dan away from them.

Throwing his head back Dan let out his ghostly wail that sending shockwaves through out the area causing his warriors to fall apart, rocks to break, glass to shatter, and ghosts to hold their heads for fear of going deaf.

On the other side of the rip Tobias looked back, "I do not look forward to the next time I have to see him."

"You don't look forward to seeing any one," flying over to him and putting her left hand on his shoulder, her blue scales receding, like Tobias two gold rings adorned her finger.

"There are a few," leaning back and kissing her, beak meeting squid beak in an odd by practiced dance.

At the kiss Danny surged against Rachel again but despite all the power he could muster he couldn't seem to break her grasp again. "You ruining a beautiful moment dipstick stop it," adding more pressure to her grip, eventually feeling the boy grow still, his heart slowing down, yet remaining alive.

"You should just keep squeezing," Tobias snarled looking at her tendrils, "it would save us all a lot of problems.

"HEY," grabbing his beak in her human hand and making him look her in the eyes, "you know the plan, as much as I'd love doing it, it's not our call."

"A quick snap it's not like anyone will know," snapping his own beak to replicate the sound.

"Tobe," her voice growing low and annoyed and she flew off away from him.

Behind her the bird man snarled and growled, the sound an odd mix of several animals at once and sounding anything but human or friendly. After a few moments of snapping at the air he fell in behind her, even as fast as she was moving he could still make out every hair of her head. Beyond her was the ruins of a city, like most of the cities in the waking world it decimated, but to the bird man it was home, it was peace. Shaking his head in disbelief, "who would've thought she'd end up being the heart of us."

It only took the pair a half hour to get where they were going, the portal designed to open up a good deal away from their home on the off chance they were followed so they could deal with the ghosts or escape with their prize. Almost as if in cue the air shimmered in front of them and she appeared, a vision of carnage in red and silver.

"Well looky looky," the ghosts stopping in midair, Rachel coming nose to nose with the new player.

"Gimme a reason," the voice unmistakably Val's just older. She was decked out in a red and black body suit that hugger her like a second skin. Over that however was serious hardware, a silver backpack that given the glow was of ghost origin rested on back keeping her in the sky, small wings extending from it. Her right arm was completely covered in the glowing metal from her shoulder down, the design, even streamlined to match her body size was the same as Skulker's body armor, the wrist unfolding to reveal a chain gun style weapon that encased the hand.. On her left hand was a glove that in no way matched the right, the metal knuckles glowing with an eerie green light. Her face mask was gone, her formerly long hair cut short in a buzz cut, but in it's place was a green visor, several displays visible on it.

"We're alone Val," Tobias shooting forward and grabbing the human's metal hand and pushing it away from the long time partner.

"I'll be the judge of that," her other hand coming up to the visor, the semi clear material glowing lightly while new readouts and images appeared on it.

"Any day now," the purple girl scratching the back of her head, already knowing how this would end.

"Your clear," the her visor growing darker and her weapon disappearing back into the arm covering.

"No kidding," the dead woman flying past her as the woman in red and silver flying next to her.

"Hey I had to make sure, that's why I'm out here."

"No your out here because they threw you out because they couldn't deal with you anymore. Face it girl every time Tom goes back out you start going out of your mind and you take it out on us."

"HEY," she snapped pointing her metal finger at her.

"Just give it up girl, we all know what you do with my cousin when he's here."

"We do not," she snapped.

"Ok that's it for me, I'm gone," Tobias pealing away from the women not wanting to hear more.

"Hey, not judging, personally I think my cousins a great catch, you know except for being dead, and part jaguar and cobra, he's a great guy. Ok yes he's not everyone's ideal of beauty, but really since when does that matter."

"Not hearing this," the woman kicking on her jet pack and moving away from Rachel.

"Face it girl we all know you love him, which is funny considering the first time you saw him you shot him twice in the face." Sighing to herself, "youth and denial I remember them well," following the girl as a door slid open camouflaged into the wall. Without further word the girls slipped in the elevator, the equipment taking them down several floors where the door swung back open.

"You think he'll be ok up there," Val asked looking up as the ceiling knowing Tobias was endlessly circling above them making no move to hide her fear, both that he might give away their position and that he might get hurt.

"The bird will take care of himself he always does," shaking her head, "granted the ghost shield around this base makes him getting in harder in case there's trouble, but he'll figure something out."

"I hope not," the women turning as a panel on the floor slid away an older Tucker rising from it. For the most part he looked very much like he in high school, the major difference being the left side of his face, from his cheek going half way over his head was a gold plate imbedded into his face. His ear was still visible, but his eye was now a glowing dark blue dot where a normal eye would've been. He was wearing a grease stained tee-shirt and gloves with equally greasy beat up cargo pants. "I've gone to a lot of work to make this place impenetrable, if that glowing feather duster can get in anyway other than that hatch that means I'm not doing my job."

"You've said that at least five times about this place," the human woman folding her arms, "and every time he's figured out how to get back in."

"And every time I've reinforced the base, this time I've got it down," rubbing his hands on a rag and leaning over, "so that him?"

"Yep," the half human half squid nodded.

"I don't suppose we could just shoot him in the head now and be done with it?" whipping a gun out from behind his back and pointing it at Rachel's tentacles.

Half a second later Val's armor had come to life, her weapon pointed at Tucker's head, "you know I can fire this before you can, so don't even try it."

"This would be so much faster though," his hand never wavering as his cybernetic eye narrowed down exactly where Danny was in the mess of tendrils and corrected his aim, knowing fully well he could kill the teen without hurting Rachel.

"And if anyone else sees you holding a gun on her you'll be dead before you can blink," Val's visor lighting up as she switched the weapon to nonlethal human counter measures.

He didn't even bother looking at her, "I'm not really caring," knowing there was a very good chance she'd drop him, if not one of the others. Rachel mean while was cool and calm, not being the first time someone had a gun on her today, let alone her life.

"Tucker," a presence on his hand, the voice making him stiffen, "she's your friend, we all are here, so please calm down," the presence now stroking his face.

The new force caused his hand to tremble, the warmth of the touch making it even harder and finally letting the weapon drop away. "I…"

"I know," the presence taking shape as an woman in her mid to early twenties of Asian and Mexican decent a woman who moved closer to him and hugged him tightly as she dared. "It's so easy, but is it really worth it," pulling away from him slightly and running a finger down his face and leaving it against his lips, after a moment him accepting it.

"Ok when the cyborg and the android start making out I draw the line, see ya later Nikki," Rachel waving at her old friend, Val behind her. The woman's armor sucked it's weapon back in while she under went a full body shiver.

"OK I'm trying to be open minded but that still freaks me out."

"That freaks you out?" Rolling her eyes, "those two in a relationship is fine, the fact that he's over fifty percent machine at this point is what's scaring me."

"When we use to make fun of him at school for loving machines we never knew he'd take it that far."

"And I'm just going to let it go there," looking at the door in front of her, "time to see the boss."

"Good luck, I don't envy you," Val resting a hand on her friend.

"Val this is me, I'm pretty sure I'm safe," watching the woman walk back down the hall. Pushing the door open she was greeted by the a sight in black.

"You get him?"

"We did," nodding her head, her tendrils uncurling and revealing Danny's head.

"Good," not turning to look at Rachel, "put him down, I'll deal with him personally."

"Are you sure," looking from Danny to the black clad individual.

"I am," waving Rachel off.

"Alright," nodding her tendrils letting him go and walking out of the room, grabbing a quick glance backwards before the doors shut.

"So what am I going to do with you?"

* * *

**DP Style**

A simple wave of the hand brought the small device to life, the gray metal lighting up with a soft green light, a moment later an image of Skulker appearing in the air. His upper body, arms and face plate were black, his legs had been replaced by a stream of green ectoplasm, a similar flame burned around where his head use to be.

"Problems," the voice strong by subservient

"No, but it's time we finally ended this."

"Of course," bowing slightly in the air, "we await your order, say the word and we'll finally bring them to the ground."

"No," the hand igniting in ectoplasm, "this situation is special, certain things have to be taken into consideration, I'll be accompanying you."

"And you _wife,_" spitting out the word, every ounce of his contempt going into it.

"Will be coming as well, you know how I can't say no, now gather them, time is of the essence."

"At once," bowing again the image disappearing a moment later.

"One by one the piece fall into place, bringing me that much closer to my destiny."

* * *

**DP Style**

Danny slowly opened his eyes, his vision filling with a room of polished silver metal, lightly illuminated by glowing greens lines that ran throughout the walls. "Just once I'd like to wake up and actually be in my room," covering his face and once more hoping this was a dream.

"I wouldn't worry you won't be having that concern much longer," the voice making him jerk up right, the sound might've been older but he knew it instinctually despite the coldness of it.

"Jazz," the words coming out in a squeak and looking at her, or trying in any case. All he could see was a figure in a full length black coat and hood with a ghostly glow, her image coming off very much like the Grim Reaper, and all only five feet away. Beyond her sat a desk of polished silver metal the same as the room, also with green lines of energy running through it

"Hello Daniel, enjoy your nap?"

"OK what is going on, I thought you were dead…..or more dead….or something scrambling to his feet and moving as far away from her as possible. That action lead him right into a way, "AAHHHGGGAAA," arcs of green energy running over him and bouncing back and hitting the ground.

"Modified ghost shield, guaranteed to keep spooks in or out, guess which one I'm aiming for at the moment."

"What is going on, when the heck did you become a bad guy," pushing himself up on his hands and knees, smoke still rising from his body as he tried to shift into his ghost form.

Jazz couldn't help but smile and laugh lightly, a dark bitter laugh that chilled her now much younger brother to the core. "First save your strength the ghost shields been wired into the Plasmius Maximus, your powers will be out of commission for quite a while. Second your in no position to be calling me anything," the sound of cracking knuckles filling the air and reverberating off the wall.

"Lets see," a slight groan in his voice, "right now my older self is protecting a bunch of helpless ghosts from a horde of rampaging death worms, and you send a homicidal manic to kidnap me and most likely hurt a whole lot of innocents. So yeah that really makes you sound like the bad guy here."

Jazz couldn't help but let out that dark laugh again, the sound almost making him lose control of his bladder. "You really have no clue what's going on do you, and here I use to think you were smart."

"Smart enough to connect the dots," coughing and standing up, "him-good, you-evil-smart-worms."

That got an even bigger laugh out of the woman as turned and lunged at him with the speed of a cobra. Her hand wrapped around his neck and hauled him into the air as if he were a rag doll, her fingers easily meting each other as white fur grew in place, the purple back gorilla DNA kicking in. The strike forced him back against the wall sending jolts of pain over him, but not as bad as the initial wave, but none the less making him scream in pain and writhe in her grip.

With a snarl she whipped him across the room, her hand going back to normal and watching him bounce off the wall before hitting the ground. Training her eyes on him, her front like her back clad in darkness, even her face was hidden behind the cloak of her hood. "You have no clue about the situation you find yourself in little brother, you think I'm the bad guy here, that those ravenous alien centipedes are some how on my payroll, that you're the hero, turn it around. He's the psychopathic despot with the annihilating aliens trying to take over everything, I'm the one trying to keep people alive," running her hands over the hood and pushing it back, revealing a still human face. It was her face just older, her face littered with line of stress giving her a grizzled appearance, the face of a warrior who'd lived to long and seen to much hardship. Her hair was now snow white and cut down far shorter than Val's, only a tiny tuff of red over her right eye harkening back to the girl she use to be. But the most striking was that she was still human, the glow coming directly from the coat.

"What?"

"You were fed a load of crap Danny," walking over to him, her blue eyes now hard and deader than any ghosts'. "You think it's a coincidence that he's hunkered down in a castle, an army under his command, slaves littering the halls afraid to leave under the threat that the Taxxons will come and get them if they try and leave."

"They attacked…."

"That happens once a month, a little show for the crowd something to keep them in line in case they decide they want some freedom. It's an old trick, it's been done through out history."

"What…that doesn't make any sense."

"It does when you understand the situation," walking over to him, her hand once again shifting to that of a gorilla's. "Of course you don't have to worry about that," picking him up by the throat, "your not going to be around much longer," and applying pressure to his neck, fully intending to crush the life from him. Danny struck out at her as best he could doing everything he could to try and make her let go but next to the woman's strength he was fighting a losing battle, the life beginning to drain out of him. After a moment he began to grow limp his struggles slowing then stopping, as he became still. When he stopped moving Jazz's hand began to shake, then threw him back into the wall and covered her face, silent sobs exacting her mouth.

"Couldn't do it huh," Rachel's voice making her turn, the purple half cat girl leaning over her, and stroking his face.

"Shut up."

"I can't blame ya, it take a lot to kill a family member, and despite all your talk your not there yet, I doubt you every will be."

She just growled at the dead woman and walked over to her, her hand going back to normal, "we can't waste this opportunity," looking down at the unconscious brother, "he's going to send the world into a new dark ages, we have to stop him now, before he gets to powerful."

"I'm not disagreeing," checking his vitals, being gentle with his neck, "but there are other options other than straight out killing, as I told you."

"Fine, we'll play it your way Rach," reaching out and stroking the other woman's blue-white hair, twin rings on her hand glinting in the light.

"Anything you say boss lady," covering the hand and pulling the living woman closer and kissing her deeply. "But remember our husbands kinda on the edge at the moment, if we don't figure something out he might snap."

"Birdie will pull it together, he always does," shaking her head.

"Those other times we weren't trying to undo our existence," tilting the other woman's head up and looking into her eyes and whispered softly, sweetly, "be strong Jazzy we'll figure something out."

"Thanks Rach," lacing her fingers in the woman's hands and watching her pull away and slip back out of the room. "I'm going to miss that girl so much," closing her eyes, another tear slipping down her cheek while looking down at Danny, "you better be worth this little brother."

Walking over to the desk Jazz tapped a small pad, "Nichole, I need you in here for a few moments, I need you to revive my brother."

"I knew you couldn't go though with it," the words coming out as the line went dead.

"Smart-aleck mutt," dropping into the chair behind the desk and leaning back, her hands covering her face, "things can't be simple can they."

After a moment the older looking Nikki walked through the door, a tray in her hands and began working on Danny. "You came closer than I thought you would," running her fingers over his neck, "several vertebra are fractured, and I'm not sure there isn't considerable damage to the spinal cord."

"So," looking at the back of the hologram woman's head.

"I can fix it, that wasn't anything I didn't anticipate," pulling a flexible piece of equipment off the tray and slipping it around his neck. "We're lucky, Val's fight with David last year gave her almost identical wounds, so we aren't flying blind on this."

"Who would think her being paralyzed for over a month would yield something positive," the memory of the other woman laying in bed all that time still fresh in her mind. If Nichole and the Technus program hadn't rigged up the collar from a mix of Chee, ghost, and human technology that somehow healed her spine she'd still be out of commission. How the thing worked Jazz couldn't say, it wasn't her field and she didn't have need of it, she just knew the thing worked which was all she cared about.

"He'll be back to normal in about an hour no worse for wear, but I do need to reiterate I will not be a party to torture. If you plan to continue doing this to him I won't help you and you can find someone else to run the equipment, I have enough sins on my mind, I won't add anymore not even for you Jasmine."

"I'm not asking you to," understand all well what the android meant, Jazz knew she knew even if she died Nicole would more than likely survive, and this moment would stay sharp in her mind so long as she functioned, just like the rest of her memories.

"Good," her fingers flying over tiny buttons that no one else could even see, "I'd hate to think you weren't the woman I thought you were the moment I met you."

"Save the compliments and just get him back before I regret listening to Rachel."

"No one said you had to marry either of them," Nikki's voice taking on a sing song quality, as her hands pulling away.

"And there are days I wish I hadn't," running her fingers over the twin rings and turning them gently back and forth.

"You don't mean that for a second," propping Danny in a chair then picking the tray back up, "you can fool the others, but I have enough years to know you draw strength from those two every chance you get. They keep you going as surly as you do the same to them, you'd all be lost without each other."

"Out Nicole," pointing towards the door.

"Although I still admit I find it funny the two of you agreed to share him, I knew you both loved him but still, he wasn't a condo."

"Nicole," not really needing to busted on right now

"It was even more of a shock to us when we found out you'd come to love each other as much as you did him."

"NICOLE!" she half screamed, she cared for the machine but she didn't need the teasing right now.

"Alright but remember don't let him mess with that," nodding towards the collar, "it's sensitive and hitting the wrong thing could do more damage than good."

"That much I do know," closing her eyes, the metal woman slipping out of the room and leave the white haired woman along with her thoughts, the memories of her make shift weddings slipping into her thoughts as much as she tried to focus on the more important matters at hand.

A little over an hour later Danny's eyes fluttered open, "ah crap," seeing his sister's face behind the desk, hoping that death had actually embraced him and gotten him away from the obviously crazy woman. "Let me guess this is going to be one of those things where you keep beating me up to the bring of death and pull me back to start all over again?"

"I considered it, but I'd rather you just be dead so this world didn't come to be. My team on the other hand has a different plan in mind for you and I can exactly fault the logic."

"Like what tarring and feathering me and beating my like a piñata?" becoming aware of the material around his neck and pulling at it.

"Unless you want to end up in a wheel chair I wouldn't touch that."

"Why is it a bomb, in that case I'll just tear it off an take you with me."

"Actually that's healing everything I broke and if it's messed with you might not have a brainstem by the time you get it off." The words stopping Danny the second he heard it, he wasn't sure if he believed her, but he wasn't willing to cross her and find out.

"Alright what new game do you have in mind," lowering his hands and trying to form an ectoblast only to discover his powers were still out of commission.

"Reason."

"Why do you think I want to know the reason," rolling his eyes.

"I meant I'm going to reason with you, or try in any case," drumming her fingers across the table.

"Because you were so convincing last time," Danny snapped glaring at her, the mechanical device around his neck proof of that.

"I admit I was out of line, but considering what I wanted it seemed like the best plan."

"And that was?"

"You dead here, now, which would therefore prevent this little nightmare of a present."

"Yeah that makes a lot ofsense," rolling his eyes, "what are you talking about, I die the worms still get free, people still die, nothing changes."

Leaning forward on her desk and rising to her feet, "you die and none of this happens, cause and effect, you being alive in the past triggers this, you trigger this."

"Yeah right I know what happened, my older self told me what happened, he said…:"

"DID HE ALSO SAY HE LET THE TAXXONS LOOSSSSE, THAT THISSSS ISSS ALSSSSO HISSSS FAULT," her voice going primal, fangs growing from her mouth, a forked tongue slipping out while a tail slipped from her back and filled the air with a rattle.

"What, that's not true," Danny barked back at her gathering his courage as best he could against the half woman half rattlesnake in front of him.

"And you know that how," her body returning to normal, sitting back down, "from what I've heard you've been here less than a day."

"He told me," storing away the new information, at least knowing how long he might've been her.

"And I'm telling you something else," crossing her arms.

"You also tried to kill me."

"Like you…he has tried to do more times than I can count," taking a deep breath she lent forward, her fingers forming a pyramid in front of her as she rested her elbows on the desk. "I admit, what I did was wrong, but you don't understand the world we live in, the chance to end it, the chance to set the world going down another path it was to good an opportunity to let pass by. In a moment of rage I let myself forget that you are not him, at least not yet, and you can be turned away from the path he walks."

"New Jazz same mind games," the he hissed leaning back.

"Maybe, that doesn't make what I'm saying any less true, and right now you have a choice, I'm going to tell you the truth of what's going on, can either listen or sit there and stew. Either way I don't care, but one way or another, I will prevent the world from falling into this….abyss," the world sounding good in her mouth."

"Your bigger than me, your stronger than me, and you took away my powers, so it doesn't really matter what I say your going to do it anyway."

"Essentially yes, I haven't lived this long by being stupid," leaning back in to her chair, a smug smile on her lips. "Guess the best place to start would be at the beginning…"

"Wow how'd you ever come up with that."

Glaring at him, a tiny smile on her lips, "you don't do sarcasm well Danny so shut it. As I was saying this all started about ten years ago, and given how you look, fairly close to when you where taken from time. Exactly what happened I'm not sure, all I know is you were involved in a fight, our parents showed up, and something blew up," her eyes closing a single tear running down her cheek, "they died," her voice growing ragged and wavering, "and you ended up in a coma for almost a month." Taking a deep breath she calmed herself down and ran a hand through the stubble that she called hair.

"Our parents had a will, but they obviously had had it written a while back because they labeled Vlad Masters as our legal guardian. Despite my reservation of the man we needed him, he took care of the funeral, got you the best doctors in the country, he did everything I couldn't. The funeral was beautiful I'll still give him that, despite what I thought he'd do he didn't just pay lip service to dad, I honestly believe that he cared about him as much as mom. The way he took care of you, it was hard to believe the man did all the damage he did in life."

"I'll take your word for that," the teenager not hearing anything to sway his impression of the situation or his future sister.

"With our parent gone and you the way you were most of the decisions fell to me, or at least the few the court would let me have. Given I was still a minor in their eye's regardless of what I knew they sent us to live with Vlad, not that I took it lying down. Tobias put me in touch with the Chee, more than a few of which had been attorneys in former live and between us we tried to take everything to court, to sever the arrangement, and emancipate myself. Even with Vlad's lawyers tying things up in course I was almost able to do it. That is till the Chee came in a told me even if I won there was almost no chance of getting you, so in the end I threw in the towel and moved with him to Wisconsin."

"Then again I didn't go alone, Tobias didn't have much problem picking up and leaving at the drop of a hat, and Vlad welcomed him with the same open arms he welcomed me. Bird on the other hand didn't have much faith in him, or in David for that matter, not that Vlad let that stop him, the second he heard Tobias was coming with us, he tossed David out like the garbage he was. Not that it changed his opinion of the situation, he ended up camping out in a little grove of trees just off Vlad's property. He helped me get through the worst of it, and helped watch Danny in case Vlad tried anything to him, and I have his word Vlad or anyone near him ever went near him when he was there."

"The word of a guy that eats rats," yeah that's real reliable.

Jasmine shot him a look that promised death, "in any case we eventually feel into a kind of routine, I didn't really like my life, but I had you, and therefore the hope that things would regain a sense of normalcy one day. For the most part we made the best of it and adapted to ghosts waiting on our every whim, not that bird really liked it, but he accepted it for my sake. Over time I actually started to like the various ghosts in Vlads employ once I had a chance to get to know them. The vultures were like grandparents to me, they provided wisdom, support, sometimes just an ear to listen too when I couldn't talk to the others. The Fright Knight became," her words growing soft as her eyes misted over for a second, "I'm not sure what he was, a friend when I needed him, a voice of strength when I was scared, and always a protector when I needed him. Had I known then what I know now, that you would ruin that I would've smothered you before you woke up."

"It's things like that that make me not want to trust you."

"Keep joking I'm about to get to the good part," the sarcasm unmistakable in her voice. "After a month you finally woke up, and at the time we wanted answerers as to what happened, that hope came to a screeching halt for everyone when we found out you had amnesia."

"You watched a lot of soap operas didn't you."

"Life is stranger than fiction," putting her arm behind her head and stretching, "and it got plenty weird for us. You didn't know squat about what happened, for the most you were ok but you didn't remember anything from about a week before it happened. When we told you, you didn't take it well though, I mean worse than I did, at least I'd had Tobias to confide in, you didn't really have anyone but us, and I could tell you weren't as comfortable talking to us as you would've been Tucker or Sam. Vlad even did everything he could to get them up there, but their parents wouldn't let them come, even with mom and dad gone we were still the ghost hunting wacko family and everyone in Amity Park was glad to be rid of us."

"For a long time you mopped around, the pain growing worse for you, not even the counselors Vlad provided from both sides really helped. Finally you came up to him and asked him to make the pain go away. When I heard that accidentally I tired to talk him…you out of it, at the time I thought he meant drugs and tried to convince him it wasn't worth it, looking back now, it's pretty obvious whatever you two cooked up it was a lot worse."

She started to physically tremble as she spoke, "all I know is one day all hell broke loose, the floor exploded and Danny shot out of it, only he wasn't Danny anymore, he was I don't know what you saw today only younger. Blue skin, flaming white hair, red tracks running up and down his face, a long forked tongue hanging out of his mouth, his eyes blazing bright red. He came after me like a shark after blood, Tobias was human at the time and got between us. He was tackled to the ground and tired to demorph but never made it, I watched as whatever Danny had become fired off a blast of red ectoplasm more powerful than anything I'd seen before and hit the love of my life in the face with it." Her hands were on the desk now digging small groves into the metal, the rage evident on her face. "I don't know what happened next, Danny turned to look at me, his eyes that demonic red and he shot at me and missed as I sank into a world of nightmares, the deaths of my parents and the attack of Tobias flashing before my eyes constantly."

Breathing deeply she retook control of herself and leaned back into the chair her eyes closing tightly so she didn't have to think about anything else. "When I came out of the nightmare dimension everything was changed, the Knight had held Danny off but it cost him an arm, two of the vultures were gone, and the third was never in a position to explain what happened to them. We found Vlad and Danny's bodies in the basement, whatever he had done to Danny resulting in both their death as well and the destruction of the ghost portals. And Tobias," taking a deep breath, "he was dead, not like a little I can still survive dead, he was gone, we never even found his head. Our hope home was gone, but thankfully so was Danny, and it gave us a reason to bond, someone to hate, people to survive for."

"We didn't even have time to rest though, the carnage brought every form of law enforcement agency to us, but by the time they were there we were gone. Vlad had taken every piece of ghost equipment from out parents home including the Specter Speeder so loaded it down with every piece of equipment we could find and went after him, not that it was hard. Danny left a major trail behind him, homes laid to waste, people were dead, cities looked like a mini hurricane had gone through it, and it all lead to home."

"Like so much in my life, by the time we were there it was already to late, Danny had come though and there was no denying the results. The school was totaled, Paulina, Dash, and Kwan's homes were all burnt to the grounds and their parents, lets just say they died in the most horrible ways imaginable right in front of their kids faces. Mr. Lancer you don't even want to know what he did to him. Comparatively Val was lucky, she was able to hold him off a little and keep her dad alive, even if both his legs were torn off in the process. Somehow Tucker had come through untouched as did his family, but that was more than I could say about Sam or her family. I'm not even sure what happened to her parents, we never found enough of them to put that together, her grandmother died of a heart attack, and Sam he just kidnapped, but the next time any with a pulse saw her she was Saber."

"After that ghost hunters sprang up everywhere, it wasn't an obsession as it was a way of life, a way to keep those you loved safe. Unfortunately most of them were idiots and didn't know what they were doing and got themselves killed in the process. Of course no one would listen to me, I was the daughter of Jack Fenton, the girl with the ghost guardian, the enemy of everyone. At that was true till the Taxxons came, the aliens somehow gnawing their way through the wall between this world and the Ghost Zone, and after that people didn't think I was so crazy when they watched ghost hunter after ghost hunter eaten and mutilated before their eyes, all that is save me and my team…my family."

"In the wake of the initial assault they came to me and I was able to build my team, and go after my brother before he could do anymore damage. Tucker and Val were the first to sign on, Paulina and Dash took a little more convincing but in the in they joined and we went after them. I knew they were all out for blood, but I didn't care, I was too, and it gave them motivation to keep going and do whatever was necessary. We did that for years but never found him, in time some joined us, others left, some died, but we never stopped, and we did some good when we were able."

As she went on Danny leaned in closer, he wasn't sure if she believed everything she was saying, but the conviction in her voice was enough to let him know that either part of the story was true or she was very practiced.

"In time we were able to coble together a working ghost portal, for some reason the Taxxons rips always sealed themselves before we get to them. With it we were able to piece together what was going on in the Ghost Zone and figured out just how bad things had gotten. Danny or Dan or Lord Daniel depending on who you listened to had set himself up as the new king of the Ghost Zone. Granted he never actually called himself that but it was obvious from how he handled himself, his skeletal soldiers marching and forcing people into his castle and making them his slaves."

"Or maybe he was bring them there to be safe, and they aren't slaves their refugees," Danny snapped, even as enthralled as he was he needed to point that out.

"Yeah and I'm sure the systematic attacks on their homes by the Taxxons was a total accident, multiple coordinated attacks that had to be planned out by experts. Looks you can go over the facts of the attacks if you want, I've looked at them a thousand times, it doesn't change that those were planned assaults, and my brother reaped all the rewards."

"But still coincidence…"

"Tell that to bird, he and Rachel were there, they saw the entire thing first hand, lived and fought in it. A few days after the worms got loose my brother was spotted, with the Taxxons during an attack he was helping in. As far as we know there were only three survivors, two are in Walkers prison now in protective custody, the other is Rachel, and I don't doubt her word."

"Yeah and how exactly did you get hooked up with a homicidal maniac like the walking bestial she-male?"

"Say that again and I will rip out your tongue and feed it to you," not an ounce of comedy in her voice and making Danny's blood run cold and his life flash before his eyes. Taking a calming breath, "after the escape of the Taxxons Walker's prison became a refuge for any that needed it, it also became Tobias' home, all those stories about Rachel loving him and waiting for him were true. She helped ease him into death, and gave him a place to belong, and with the aliens loose, they needed him. Unlike Rachel he wasn't nuts on the other side, grated he wasn't really stable for a while from what I was told, but when he adapted he became a force on that side only Rachel could touch. Unfortunately that was a few steps below my Brother and Saber, and even they couldn't take on an army alone."

"They did the best they could, saved what lives they were able, forced off the hordes time an again but they knew things were never going to get better, Walker just wanted to keep the prisoners in and try and preserve that order rather than bringing it to the rest Ghost Zone. In time they grew restless and started hearing about our infiltration of their realm in an attempt to find and stop Dan. That was enough for them, Tobias loved Rachel but he also still had a torch for me too and put out feelers for where we'd be and if there was a chance they could get to us on one of our runs given the lack of portal on their side. It took a little while but when they got the chance they took it, along with everything they could grab out of prison storage facility that Walker had collected from the various inmates and refugees."

"Why, I mean why grab the stuff," Danny interrupted.

"Leaving Walker is kinda like flippin off a guy with a shot gun pointed at your face, you can do it, but there's not much chance of things ending well." At the comment Danny just stared at her not believing that had come out of his sisters mouth, "sorry I got that from Rachel, she's a bad influence on me."

"No kidding."

"I was there when they came, Knight and I were doing recon near a Taxxons out cropping, we'd heard rumors of a resistance cell operating on that side that didn't want anything to do with Dan and wanted to the keep the eating machines at bay." Sighing as she went, "under normal circumstances I would've let the situation go when I saw it, the whole thing was lead by Johnny, and I wasn't all that thrilled with the idea of saving his butt, but Knight wouldn't let me let the others get taken out in a needless fight they couldn't win. It didn't help that we really couldn't win either, two more against the numbers coming at them didn't really even if it was us, that all changed through when those three come down like monsters from another world."

"Three, I thought we were dealing with two here?"

"Tobias," holding up her fingers, "Rachel, and her cousin Tom made three, the first two alone could be described as nature fury unleashed, add the things they brought with them and it was like using a flame thrower on an ant hill. And by that I mean there was a lot of collateral damage they might've saved out tails, but a good chunk of Johnny's group was decimated in the process. How much of that was them and how much was the Taxxons I can't be sure, but it was still ugly when things ended."

"When they offered their services to me I didn't know what to say, part of me was terrified of what they'd become, another part of me we'd need that kind of unleashed power, but all of me knew the man I loved was standing in front of mean wanted back in my life. If nothing else that really ticked off Johnny which at the time was almost more important to me, but in the end he came with us when those left in his group choose to head else where."

"With them added we became a real force, Rachel, Tobias and Knight became our front runners, out heavy hitters and I was thankful for it, and even better they gelled almost instantly, something about warrior code I still don't quite understand. Tucker, Paulina, and Nikki were our brains, they kept us going, kept us safe when a straight fight would've done more damage than good. Valerie, Tom and Johnny became our eyes and ear everywhere, if there was something we needed they could get it, if it was lost they'd find it, if their were secrets they'd tear um out of people. And somehow I ended up in charge of them, the leader expected to keep them together and wage a war we all knew we couldn't win. Battle hardened veterans, scared kids, total nut jobs, and people that had seen twenty times what I could even imagine, and somehow they all looked to me pull them threw."

For a moment she stopped and ran her hands over her face in frustration, "some we won, some we lost, we did what we could but some things can't be changed. We lost the Knight going up against my brother, he Rachel and Tobias decided to roll the dice and hit him when he was weak in the hopes ending this. They lost, he took them apart piece by piece and it cost him his life, all we have left of him is the Soul Shredder, he gave it to Tobias and told Rachel to get them both out of there and keep me safe. I've heard the story a dozen times over, not only from them, but from other sources as well, and they all say it was a three on one war that defies comprehension. All I really know is those two haven't been the same since, Rachel has a mad on for Dan beyond your comprehension and Tobias, it hit him to the core and we weren't sure he'd get back on the field for a while."

"Paulina and Tom left us last year when we found a small cell of humans in California, they were trying to live, but Taxxon attacks made it hard. They choose to stay there and help them, organize them as best they could keep themselves safe. Ever since then they've been making pilgrimages back and forth between us and other communities of humans, trying to teach them and arm them for the next attack. There are day's I think they're our greatest achievement there are also days I'd like to tear their throats out for leaving us short of hands."

"Johnny on the other hand I'm just not sure of, one day he was with us, the next he just wandered off. I'm not sure the fighting just didn't get to much for him one day and just made him snap, all I know is he's probably still out there, and I'm waiting for the day he comes back to us."

"And you know this how?"

Whistling softly, two green orbs forming on her sleeve of the coat and moving in tandem till it reached her collar. "Because shadow's still here, still helping me beat the odds and turn certain failure to possible victory."

"Ok little creepy there, and what do you mean victory?"

Running her hands up and down the sleeve, "it may be billed as a bad luck shadow, but that's not the case, it alters probability to a degree, making good as well as bad." Taking a deep breath and looking at her brother, "things are going down the toilet little brother, I know with every fiber of my being it all steamed from you going nuts. I have to stop it, a Fenton started all this and Fenton has to stop it, I use to think it fell to me, the others are right this can fall to you now. If you help us we can stop this, we can keep people alive, we can stop families from being destroyed, we can keep our families from falling apart. Danny," tearing running down her face, her emotions for the first time in years getting away from her, "please I'm asking you, begging you, help me on this, help me change the past and save the human race from extinction on the living plane."

"Your…whoa….I mean….what….you can't…..what?" the half ghosts brain not quite working as a tried to process what he'd just heard.

Taking a deep breath and looking at him, "come with me," walking around the desk and pulling him to his feet and out of the room. Out side the door Tucker and Nicole were speaking in hushed tones, their appearance shocking Danny but neither saying anything to Danny as Jazz pulled him along into the elevator and sending it up.

"That was," Danny asked

"Yeah."

"What happened to him?"

"That's a whole other story, for another time," the doors above them opening and sending them into the light in the middle of a decimated city.

"Wow," Danny looking up and down the building seeing something that looked like it belonged in a post apocalyptic movie.

"Yeah, this place use to be the home to a few thousand people, that was till a Taxxon swarm hit it, by the time we got here every living thing was dead. That's not to say we didn't find signs they'd been here, limbs they'd missed, bones scattered here and there, and you can almost still hear the screams of those that died in that fight."

Looking around Danny had to admit she was right, he could almost hear the screams of those that had been here, an eerie feeling coming off everything. This had been a home, a place kid had felt safe, a place he might've felt safe at one time, a place that had become little more than a buffet to a pack of killer ghosts. Looking back at his sister, "I'm not sure how much I believe anymore, you say one thing, he says another, but you've both told me these things are the definite threat. If you know how to stop this I'm in say the word I'll do it, I don't care what the consequences are I'm not letting this happen, not if I can stop it."

As soon as he said it Jazz looked up and whispered, "thank you," and eased him over to the elevator again and dropped down into the bunker that had become her home.

After a few moments of silence Danny looked over at her, "um…this had got to be a stupid question, but how exactly do you plan on stopping this from happening?"

"…..haven't really figured that out, again my first plan was just to snap your neck and be done worth it."

"You really have to stop saying that."

"What it's the true and I stopped caring about tact a long time ago," giving him a small grin, her face looking it almost might crack under the pressure.

As the door clicked open Nicole was waiting for them, "I have options for getting you home, I have no idea if they'll work but they are options."

"You have no concept of personnel space do you," the white haired girl crossed her arms and looked at the Chee.

"Of course not, that why you keep me around," taking Danny by the shoulder and leading him to a crate and setting him down, for the first time letting him take in the others gathered around him. Tobias was perched on another crate like a gargoyle, his sword visible over his shoulder. Rachel next to him, leaning against the wall, her arms crossed her gold necklace catching the light and finally remembering where he'd seen it before. Somehow she'd gotten the Amulet of Aragon, and he could only guess how much power she had over the dragon form. On the opposite side of the room was an older Valerie that Danny had to admit developed very well. Between them was who he assumed was an older Nikki and behind her was his sister and Tucker, the gold face plate making the him nervous and wondering what had happened to him to end up like that.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm the main course here," looking at Tobias, the bird ghost obviously not happy with him being here.

"Ignore them, it's just how they are now," Nicole spreading her arms the room shifting in a white hologram, her personal hologram turning off. Where was once a attractive woman was now a chrome and ivory dog, but where she had formerly been lightly built she was now covered in additional armor. Shoulder, shin, forearm, and thigh armor was now in place looking very much like it had been based on the same designs as herself but having a slight ghostly glow as well as green lines of energy running through them.

"Whoa nice effect."

"Thank you," Nikki nodding as a small image of Danny appeared before them, "between us we've up with varying reasons for the time travel that may or may not help the fix the problem and return Danny from when he came. It's possible this is an artificially created event in which case we need to find the device that did this and reverse it. It's equally possible someone did this, we know creatures like The Crayak or The Ellimist, and some ghosts have the ability to alter time, and they may in some way be responsible for this. However if this is a Sario Rip it may fix itself which is pretty much all we can do since we can't trigger this particular scenario."

"Unless we drop a nuclear weapon on him," Tobias hissed.

That got him a slap to the head by Rachel, "no bird, bad bird, we are not steeling nuclear weapons, I've done enough things in my life without messing with that."

"I don't see what the problem is either way the problem will be solved."

Wrapping her fingers around the birds beak, "if you can't say anything useful keep it shut," pulling his gaze away from Danny and into her eyes. "Tobe, I love you, get over it, this is not the time or the place for old grudges, this may be the only chance we have to fix what's happened."

"Who says I want to," he snapped pulling away from her grasp, his wings flaring and pushing her back, "if we fix this, the world may be fine but we WON'T BE," snapping at her.

"I know," grabbing his head and forcing him to look at her, "believe me I know, this sucks, we finally get what we want and it's torn away, but think about everyone else and stop thinking about the three of us."

"Maybe I'm tired of thinking about everyone else," pulling away and flying out of the room.

"What exactly is his problem, I mean other than me," Danny asked looking at his sister.

"How would you feel if you were about to have your life torn away," Tucker growled looking at the bird.

"This will be the second time he's been asked to give everything up for the greater good," Nikki looking at Danny, "can you honestly say you wouldn't be upset given the circumstances."

"Yeah I guess so," nodding his head, not totally processing what he was being asked.

"In any case," Nikki continuing with her program, "all these situations are accurate options for getting you home," small simulations beginning to run showing how the various situations would send him home. "regrettably without knowing how you got here we can't be sure how to even look for a way to get you back safely. Anything you can give us about how you got here would be appreciated."

"Um I don't really know how I got here," running his fingers through his hair.

"Just explain the circumstances I'll figure it out from there."

"Well, a Taxxon attacked me, wrapped around me and I forced it into a light, it blew up and I woke up here, well not here here," pointing down, "I woke up in the same place but in this time."

Nikki opened here mouth to speak then shut her mouth and brought her and to her muzzle and tapped it, "ok that doesn't help one single bit, anyone got a plan because he could've gotten here anyway with that kind of description."

"Well I don't suppose anyone was a time traveling car on them to make this simple."

"Shut up Tuck," Val snapped and put her hand behind her head, "maybe we should've gone for plan A."

"Funny the first time I suggested that you said it was a bad idea," Jazz accused.

"That was you this is me, you're the boss you have to put up a sense of professionalism I don't."

"At least no one's suggesting the Time Matrix," Rachel sighed the comment making Nikki's head whir around, her larger hologram dropping as her human form came up.

"Don't even joke about that."

"About what," Jazz perking up and dropping out of her own conversation, "you two have a plan?"

"No," Nicole snapped

"Yeah we do," Rachel grinned liking the idea more and more.

"No you have a suicidal thought that'll unravel time and space."

"I got news for you Erek that's what we're trying to do," Rachel using the name she'd used when they first met.

"But that's a worse way of doing it"

"But it'll work, it did the last time we us…."

"Shadow," the word escaping Jazz's lips as her clothing came to life and melted off her and shot between the two arguing females in it's ghostly form and grabbing them both by the neck. This left Jazz clad in a rip and tattered tee-shirt and jeans that looked too small on here and gloves that covered her forearms and glowed lightly. "Alright," Jazz slipping back into leader mode, her voice growing cold and hard, "start talking what is this thing, and can it work?"

"No."

"Yeah it can Nicole, we have flying proof in the next room this works."

"He also proves it's unpredictable, look what happened to his dad."

"Focus," Jasmine hissed and snapping her fingers shadow covering her again as she walked between the two, "Rachel start talking."

"It's a time machine, but more, Tobias understands it better than I do, but that's still not much," shaking her head. "The Ellimist made it, we don't know why, but it got out of control and it ended up hidden on earth, we used it once, so did Tobias' father, it does work, but from what we understand if you mess with it you might end up someplace else."

"Another time?" Jazz asked.

Waving her hand in front of her face in an arc, "outside of time, a whole different place one you create, and not in a good way. Tobias dad, Elfangor, left him a journal on the other side, he explained his entire life to him, everything that had happened, how he came to be, everything you could want to know, including things on the Time Matrix. Not to put to fine a point on it, it scared the crap out of us, we're talking everything goes bye-bye level power hear, and if we screw with the past to much everything goes wonky."

"How bad could it be," a slightly worried look on Val's face despite the relaxed tone.

"Well when we used it we ended up in weird version of World War Two, saw Hitler, watched Tobias slit his throat," a dark smile on her muzzle. "Ok granted due to the time shifts we weren't sure if he was still a bad guy, we still got to kill Hitler, and I never get tired of saying that.

"Oh…," everyone's eyes growing wide, Val's sentiment echoed by everyone else.

"We also helped kill the dinosaurs and caused the mass extinction of an alien race through time travel, so we have a little experience with this."

"Back to the point," Jazz getting her voice back, "do you know where this machine is, can you use it?"

"Yes and yes," nodding her head, "but I have to convince bird to help and that's going to be hard at the moment. Not just for the obvious reasons, this thing indirectly got his dad torn away from him, I'm not sure how much he's going to want to see it again."

"Wonderful," the white haired girl shacking her head and grabbing the ghost woman, "Alright lets double team him, we don't have time for his moody crap."

"EXCUSE ME," Danny barked, "am I the only one freaked out by the concept of unraveling the fabric of space time, you have to have something better than this planned!"

"Danny I'm a bisexual necrophiliac polygamist with a growing bestiality fetish, I have enough problems right now without yours so SHUT UP," lacing her arms with Rachel's and disappearing down the hall.

Danny just stared at her with wide eyes before finally running his fingers threw his hair and looking dropping to his knees, "no amount of therapy will ever make this moment right," and began to dry heave on the ground.

"Somebody get a bucket he's gunna blow," Tucker yelled putting some distance between himself and the teenagers, the others doing the same.

* * *

**DP Style**. 

Skulker hovered in the room impatience, Cerberus and Blaze at his side, they were the last of his hound to survive the war zone the ghost realm had become. "Very soon my pets very soon," hovering lower to scratch behind their ears, "we will finally take out the rebels, we'll finally be rid of those worthless beast walkers and have there heads on our wall."

"CCAAKKOOO IIISHHH RRACCCC AAHAAH," the Taxxons' native tongue making total sense to the ghostly hunter as he looked back.

"I know," looking up at him, "you don't like being used anymore than I do, but better to live as slaves than to be on the receiving end of that wraith." This wasn't the first time he'd had such a talk with the snake looking alien, compared to other of his species he severed with, he still longed for freedom, something Skulker under stood all to well.

"IISSHHH ACC RESSSHHHH," it's body wiggling in rage and hatred.

"Now is not the time to move my friend, not yet anyway, let the game be played out, then we will both have out revenge."

"What is wrong with the two of you, we have unlimited resources, free reign over both worlds, and the protection of the head honcho, you have any idea how many ghosts would kill for this deal."

"CCCOOKKKAAA SSSHHHEETTTAAA CCOORRRWWW," the Taxxon snapping his jaws at the approaching ghost.

"Agreed better to die a thousand deaths than to serve by a creature like you, for all our crimes at least we still have a measure a ethics left rapist," his flame growing brighter and higher while his wolves growled at the new ghost, their ears down and fangs bared.

"You just have no idea what fun is," kicking his feet up and floating in mid air, arms behind his head.

"My idea of fun involves you, several special interments, and many," a sinister grin on his face, "many years and slow methodical…..,"stopping and looking at the Taxxon, "what was that one word you had that was beyond soul killing torture?"

"RREESSHHHAAAN."

"Yes thank you, many years of slow methodical rreesshhhaaan David."

"Like you could even slow me down."

Skulker had an answer ready but never got it out as a growl filled the room, the first Taxxon Danny had fought squirming into the room, a third of it's body held up as he walked. He was followed by a large legless ghost dressed as a medieval executioner complete with double bladed ax, each of which looked like a skull.

"Well that makes everyone doesn't it," his voice carrying full authority as the metal hunter folded his arms over his chest.

"Yippy yippy," David spinning one finger in the air, "it's been what almost a year since the big boss had us all in one place together, I wonder what happened."

"SHACCA CCOOOO WYYYSS," the snakelike Taxxon snapped.

"SSSRRUUULLANNNTTTIII," the other hissed walking over to him.

"HHAAAKKKU RRRARRRAA SHHHENNN," the other nodding his head in agreement.

"Indeed, the situation as explained to me is of the highest importance, and as such no tolerance will be afforded to the amateurs generally under the command of our employer."

The executioner just grunted and nodded his head," shifting the ax to his other hand, the light catching it and sending dots flying across the room.

"Still didn't get that tongue implanted huh?" David laughed the executioner shifting his ax and sending the light into the face of the animal shifting ghost. "Hey," taking on his lion flame form, "you really want a piece of me!"

Before either could move Skulker was between the pair, weapons unfolded from both arms, "not the time or the place." Glaring at the executioner, "any other time I'd sit back and watch you tear this upstart apart, but right now we have a mission, and we're going to complete it." After a moment the executioner backed down as did David, but the tension between the two could be felt by all in the room.

"Are you done," the voice making all turn and look at their employer.

"Apologies, we…," Skulker started before being waved off.

"I don't care, you belong to me, displease me and you end up like Youngblood, you do all remember what I did to him right?" The very mention of their former associate sending chills through the ectoplasm of the assembled ghosts, his screams still heard in the minds of them all. "Good, then come, I've already explained the situation to the others, they won't find your appearance strange. Although I would be careful if I were you David, people have long memories, and they all remember you quite well."

"Yes be careful you don't have an accident out there," Skulker sneered, the others laughing sinisterly in their own little ways.

* * *

**DP Style**

"So are all your plans this good," Danny asked rocking gently, his legs crossed under him, the healing device Nicole had put on him having been removed some time ago.

"No some are really stupid," Tucker's fingers moving over the keypad almost faster than Danny could keep track of.

"Still sending two people, one of which hates the plan, to go get something that can pretty much destroy time to send me back before this ever happens, seems like the mother of all bad plans here Tuck."

"Again, we've done things way stupider than this over the years, and if this actually fixes things, well I'm not arguing," shifting his gaze between the screen and Danny every few seconds, his fingers never stopping moving, a series of wires running from the gold face plate to the machine.

"So your really fine with this," snapping his fingers, "everything just disappearing like that, there has to be something here worth living for?"

"For us there's plenty," turning and now just looking at Danny, "we all have plenty to live for, but as the saying goes, the lives of the many outweigh the needs of the few. More than a few lives have been totaled here, and if a few lone psychos can somehow renew order to the world even at the cost of their odd little happiness then so be it. At least if this works, it doesn't negate the future we can find in each others arms, it might make it more unlikely but it doesn't say it can't happen."

Sighing the half ghost laid down, "wow he was right."

"Who was," shifting back to the screen.

"Tobias, earlier, well for me you had to be at least ten for you, he said the inspirational speeches become a natural thing if you've seen enough fighting and been tested enough."

"I wouldn't say that," a little smirk on his face, "I just speak my mind, half the time it makes sense, half the time it's panicked gibberish, you just got lucky and this time it made sense."

"Filling me with hope here Tuck," lifting a finger into the air, "I over flowith with confidence here."

"Flowith?"

Using the finger to point at him, "I'm running on empty here, my A material was used up about the time a giant alien worm-snake thing tried to eat me."

Tucker couldn't help but laugh as his fingers kept flying over the consol, years of anger at the older version of this boy melting away, despite everything he was still his friend, and he still liked him, at least this version of him. "So you gunna ask," not looking at him.

"About?"

"What do you think," waving his hand over the metal face plate.

"I don't want to know, I don't care, don't tell me, I've seen enough mentally scaring crap for three life times, and that's just about my sister. In no way do I need your story on my plate too, and just to say it again I don't want to hear it," covering his ears with his hands.

"Well you know how Nikki's really heavy…"

"LA-LA-LA-LA-LA," the half ghost covering his ears and screaming out the cliché chant.

"I thought we agreed we weren't going to torture the kid," Val dropping down next to Danny and throwing a towel at Tucker, nailing him in the head.

"But it's a good story, you know you were there," pointing at her.

"Which is why I don't want you telling it to him, it was creepy then, it's creepy now, it'll be creepy in a hundred years, no one wants to hear it."

"Thank you," whimpering up at the woman.

"Don't sweat it, we've all had to be rescued from him at some point," pulling out a small tool and tweaking her arm weapon.

"Bite me," not shifting his eyes from the screen.

"So you ready for all this," looking down at him.

"Not a chance," shaking his head,

"Figured as much, so I got ya something," pulling a small half glove from her belt and dropping it on his face.

"And this is," putting it on and looking it over, for the most part it looked like a normal fingerless glove except for the knuckles that were made of a glowing purple metal.

"Highly modified Fenton Ghost Glove, almost all the strength, in a handy portable size," showing him her own on her other hand. "One shot from this thing will stunt a ghost for a few seconds, might not seem like much but for the size it's really good."

Slipping it on he was a little surprised it fit so well, "you have this in another color," not liking the purple.

"Yeah we only have so much to work with, be grateful Jazz outgrew this one, so it make you feel any better?"

"Not really, "putting his hand down at his side again, "but then again I don't have a choice in the matter."

"We all have a choice, but if you refuse you'll be stuck with us," pocketing the tool in her belt, her weapon coming on line and unfolding into the multi chambered gun, "and that's something you don't really want."

"If your trying to scare me it's working," staring at the gun not sure what she was going to do with it.

"I'm not," the weapon folding back up, "I'm just making sure she works at full strength just in case I need her one last time."

"Don't take this the wrong way but I'm hoping you don't."

"That makes two of us," rubbing it gently with her other hand, "Danny, I may not get a chance totally this again so I'm telling you now. I'm sorry, I'm sorry for shooting at you, I'm sorry I wasted my energy of ghost's that didn't deserve it, but if this works, don't try and convert me to your side. I was angry then, if you tell me who you are, I will do everything in my power to make you not exist anymore, and more than likely your family too. That doesn't mean I'm beyond hope, I can to be made to see the light of reason it'll just take a while, be patient with me, I'm not as much of a hopeless cause as you think."

"I'll keep that in mind if I ever actually get home."

"Way to think positive, how did I ever lose to you ?"

Danny opened his mouth but was cut off by Tucker, "dumb luck, accidents, a lot of help, weird coincidences…"

"Thank you Tucker," Danny barking, cutting him off before he could keep going.

"The laughter of children it's good to hear again," Nikki sighed walking in on them Jazz a step behind her.

"Who you calling kid," Val hissed.

"Well considering I was old before humans could even walk up right," pointing at the group, "you."

"Nicole don't antagonize them, they have enough of their minds as it is," Jazz standing in the door way. "We have incoming by the way, Rach and bird will be here soon, finish saying your goodbyes it's time to go pervert the laws of nature."

"Jasmine look around, we do that everyday by waking up," the line coming out of Tucker and dead pan as possible.

"And you wonder why we leave you home alone with the dog," Val laughed, "no offence Nicole."

"None taken flesh bag," heading out of the room, the others save Tucker falling in step behind her.

"So how does this work again," Danny asked flanked by Val.

"According to them, you touch it, picture when and where you want to go, and it's done, your there."

"Your kidding, shouldn't it be more complicated?"

"I'm assuming it was made for anyone to use, of course why The Ellimist wanted anyone to be able to alter time is beyond me and them." While she talked she slipped on to the elevator, the others following her up to the surface to meet the Rachel and Tobias when they landed.

"He has his owns plans, chances are it was designed for a specific reason that has either passed or not yet come, and was just covering all his bases when he designed it."

"Yeah that makes perfect sense, if this works I'm going to go to bed and just stay there for a week, or until my head stops hurting from all this time travel mumbo jumbo."

"Can't argue with that," his sister nodding as the doors slid open and the walked out into the sun.

"Can't say I'll miss this place," Danny shaking his head and looking around.

"I think we can all say that," Val, agreed.

"Did you get a message to Tom," Jasmine's hand rested on the other woman's shoulder.

"A short one, he understands what we're doing and he wishes us luck," taking a deep breath, "I wish I could be with him right now."

"I wish I could let you but…"

"We don't have any time, I know, which is funny considering we're about to have a time machine dropped into our laps."

"Yeah a laugh riot," peering up at the sky, wondering, not for the first time, if she was doing the right thing.

A soft clicked filled the air, Nicole answering the communication signal and putting it on speaker, "guys, we got incoming," Tucker's voice coming out of the android and sounding more than a little panicked

"Tell us something we don't know," Val replied.

"Not the kind I meant," barking at her, "I'm tracking a massive ecto signature heading your way, I'm still trying to decipher it but it's defiantly not the twins, get back in here, we don't have much time."

"Not this time," Val's armor coming to life, her weapon unfolding and visor lighting up with targeting arrays.

"I'm with her," Nicole's holograms dropping, her forearm armor sliding back.

Jasmine nodded her head in agreement, "Tuck you better get up here, looks like we're not running this time."

"How did I get hooked up with you idiots," sighing obviously not happy with the turn of events, "see you in a few."

"Of course, this couldn't be easy could it," Danny growled and concentrated, twin rings forming around him and giving him his ghost form, the small glove now slipped over his right white glove.

"Shadow combat mode," the black ghostly cloak shifting till it more of a coat, twin green eyes sitting on the collar see what Jazz saw. Her body shifted in a second to something between human and purpleback gorilla, the proportions still largely human, but her muscles were now tightly coiled giving her the same strength level but without bulk. A small, wispy layer of white fur covered her body, her clothing half being sucked into her body. On her hands larger black gloves similar to what Danny now had on covered her arms from the knuckles to her elbows, a soft glow of ghostly light radiated off them while lines of blue criss-crossed the martial adding more power.

"Once more into the brink huh boss," Val shooting the ape-woman a grin, her wings spreading out.

"Always," rolling her shoulder and scanning the sky.

"GIVE HIM BACK," the words radiating outward with enough force to push them all back, Dan's roar mixed with his ghostly wail as he flew up with a clone flanking each side. Val, Nicole and Jazz moved as one, there weapons rising to meet the attacker, but when he didn't move to strike at them they held their own fire.

"Game's over we're sending him home," the gorilla girls knuckles glowing, her voice guttural a mix of her own hard voice and ape's growl.

"Not till I'm done with him he's not, I know what you've done to him _Sis_, I won't let it happen," all three speaking as one.

"Your not really getting a say in the matter," Val barked.

"Your not in a position to be making ultimatums," two more Dan's forming next to the others. "Danny come with me, whatever this _person_," spitting the word, "has told you it's a half baked lie by a petty disturbed little woman."

"We're sending him back, no more lies, no more tricks, he chooses the next steps, without us and without you," Jasmine snapped, showing her fangs.

Dan's eye's glowed with red ectoplasm but he never got a word out as the sound of a snap filling the air, a moment later a hail of ectoplasmic bolts and missiles fired into the crowd, all courtesy of the armaments that popped out of Skulker's armor. When that single act bravado ended and carnage ruled them all and returned the ruined city to chaos.

"You know the drill people so DO IT," Jazz barked bounding forward into a flip, the missiles coming down behind her a moment after she moved. The second her feet hit he ground her right arm was up, her fingers flexing then pulling as far back as possible as a beam of green energy ripped from the palm of her gloves at the center version of her brother, the full ghost blocking it with a red energy shield.

"Pathetic," one of the right hissed releasing ectobeems from his eyes at his sister, the shots once more missing as she dropped back and out of the fight.

"STOP RUNNING BLAST YOU, DIE WITH DIGNITY," Skulker's blasts continuing at Val as he tired to his old foe down.

"You really expect that to work," weaving through the web of energy blasts that came at her with her jetpack, before turning on a time and firing off a salvo from her own weapon.

Waving his hand the shots went around him, "I built the armor your wearing you really think it can hurt me," slipping into maniacal laughter.

"I was thinking yes to that," running her other hand over the forearm of the metal, shifting weapons systems and firing. Instead of the energy usually released three harpoons shot out at him, and like before he waved his hands in a symbolic gesture of control over the weapons. However before his eyes warning lights began to flash and sirens sounded and he realized to late it wouldn't work. With enhanced mechanical reflexes he managed to grab two of the weapons, the third making contact with his chest and sending sparks into the air as the weapons exploded in a mix of conventional explosives and ectoplasm.

Despite the blast he didn't fall but brought his smoking hand to the wound in his chest, then slowly pulled it away, the hole revealing green fire and circuitry. And before her eyes the gapping wound healed itself in a matter of seconds. With a dark grin, "nanite technology, I believe your father was working on it before he died."

With a scream of rage Valerie charged him, fueled by rage and anger ready to take the machine apart to get to the spirit within. She never managed to connect however as Blaze hit her first appearing in mid air and going for her thought.

Below them Nicole had grabbed Danny and pulled him into a building, the outside reinforced and partially ghost shielded, for just such a situation. "Where did he get these guy from," she hissed as Saber, David, the executioner, and the Taxxons appeared in the sky, and Cerberus in his full height on the ground.

"This isn't overkill or anything," Danny hissed grabbing a glance out the window.

"I wouldn't say kill right now if I were you," systems kicking on inside Nicole as she worked out the various probabilities of the fight and not liking the results.

Up till now Danny had never really seen the ghost wolf and took the opportunity, but when he looked up, what little belief he still had as to his older self's true intentions melted away. "Those are the things that brought me here," looking at the ghost aliens.

"Then I guess we can write naturally occurring ability then," still running probabilities off in her head.

"Then lets see how they like these natural abilities," flying out of the window and at one of his older selves.

"DANNY NO," Nikki barked and grabbed for him, however she was to late as he slipped through her grasp, which was quite a trick given her speed.

"THAT'S IT," Danny yelled, eyes glowing green, bits of energy flickering from his eyes in licks of flame, "I DON'T…" his words stopping as he was caught in Cerberus' jaws. Between giant teeth he struggled as best he could and punched up into the roof of the ghost wolf's mouth with his new glove, the weapon lighting up the shadowed cavern in purple light but not making the wolf let go. The tongue on his back continued to jerk and twist while the teeth snapped around Danny in an attempt to move him into biting position. For a moment Danny could feel himself starting to grow panicked, as the teeth grew closer to his legs and his ability to turn intangible failed only to have his world erupt as the tongue went nut on him and day light streamed in sending him into the sky as Cerberus reared back and howled in pain.

"NOW SIT, DON'T MAKE ME GET A ROLLED UP NEWSPAPER," Tucker roared, his face plate now glowing a bright green, the same lines of green running over his body, glowing from a source under his skin. The wolf just snapped at him at him and growled after it shook his head. "Figured as much," the glowing man jumping forward into the sky and punching the canine in the nose and sending it flipping back and sliding on the ground, the wolf almost hitting Jazz but missing as the woman heard it coming and jumped, moving like the ape she was and climbing over it before it could hit her and landed gently on the ground.

"Never ticking you off again man," Danny pointing at his friend amazed at his strength.

"Benefit of being part machine," flexing an arm.

"DANNY GET OUT OF HERE," Jazz hissed looking at her brother.

"I TOLD YOU HE IS MINE," Dan roared three of him firing off a blasts of ectoplasm the size of SUV's, and caught her in a cross fire. Moving fast Jazz jumped back avoiding two but not the third and was enveloped in the blast.

"JAZZ," Danny screamed in fear flying towards his future sister.

"It's over Danny," one of Dan's older clones grabbing Danny from behind and holding him back.

"Let me go you psycho," punching back over his shoulder and hitting the ghost in the face with his glove sending line of energy jumping off him.

"She got what she deserved," the clones eyes glowing red and grabbing the flailing arm and stopping other self's attack, "she didn't even deserve to die that well."

"I couldn't agree more," the energy dissipating, Jazz's arms up a blue shield between them, the energy vanished as she pulled them apart.

"YOUR LITTLE TOYS AREN'T GOING TO SAVE YOU," two more Dan's firing off more blasts as Jazz, again both vanished as she shot forward and leapt into the air, her arm pulled back in order to hit Dan with everything she had. The strike hit, but not the right target as the executioner appeared between the two, his ax absorbing the hit. "He's more useful than I thought he'd be," pulling back into the sky the two clones moving in front of him to block more oncoming attacks from his sister.

Val was closest to the fleeing ghost, but couldn't get around Skulker having flung his mutt to the ground, the action enraging the hunter. His assaults continued to grow more wild, wanting nothing more than to drop the girl. "Your not escaping me this time," flying at her, slowly cutting off her avenues of escape. Before he could deliver anything close to a killing shot he came to a screeching halt, "WHAT?"

"Come on down trash can," metal tendrils wrapped around his arms and body courtesy of Nicole, the limbs connected to her hologramed forearms. Without effort she pulled him down and away from Val a grin of her face.

"DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM," the tine ghost roared and struggled against the tentacles firing off blasts of energy, going intangible, setting off his personal tazer, none of it working.

"I read the file, now stop struggling your not going anywhere," her nonviolent programming might still have been in place, but nothing prevented her from just holding someone with all the force she could manage in a totally nonviolent way.

Valerie didn't waste the opportunity and shot towards Dan and ran her hand back over the metal weapon shifting it's parameters again. Without a sound she fired it off an energy bolo, the weapon unfurling with a spin and aiming straight for Dan's head only to be intercepted as Saber ran her fingers over the guitar stings sending off a wave of deep purple energy that caught it and deflected it away from him.

"If your not gunna rock don't bother showing up," the specter dropping down between Dan and Val and sent out a blast of energy from her guitar, the waves catching her knocking her back, nearly into a wall only to be caught by Tucker in mid air.

"To think I use to dream of us like this when I was younger," the cyborg laughing and bouncing off the wall to the ground.

"If you dreamt of all this you must've been really screwed up kid," jumping out of his arms and back into the sky, "and next time watch the hands, or I'll have Tom rip them off."

"Huh…WHAT," watching her fly off only to be gut checked by the multiarmed Taxxon and knocked into the wall. Pulling it away Tucker got a good look at it's mouth, the teeth spinning in it's body while it's jaws snapped. His enhanced vision seeing every detail of the mouth and deleting it almost as soon as he saw it. "Man get some mouth wash it smells like you gargle with toxic waste," twisting him off and into the wall, the low level ghost shield kicking in and knocking it back for a second. With a shake of it's head it was back ready to take a bite out of Tucker but didn't get the chance as Cerberus came back down on him and snapped him up between his jaws.

Ectoplasm bounced and scattered off the energy shield Jazz had up, her brothers power not enough to break it thanks to the filter into it feeding off the energy and giving it an extra boost. "YOUR NOT TAKING HIM ANYWHERE YOU MURDERING SON OF A…," not finishing as David in lion mode slashed her across the gut with his claws, and knocking her away from the fight, Dan's blast lacing across her back as she fell.

"How about we get a little closer," he hissed grabbing her by the through and picking her up into the air like a doll and licking his lips. "I still remember the first time I saw you, the things I wanted to do to you, ah well looks like I'll have to settle for the short version," slipping into snake mode and coiling around her ready to crush the life from her.

She grunted something, the arm around her throat preventing her from forming words, and flexed her finger and pulled them back, her gloves releasing a tazer blast onto the ghost and making him jump, pop and hit the ground. "Stay there I have my own plans for you later," turning her attention back to her brothers and the harpy protecting him.

"CCCAAKKKOOO SHHLL RREEEMMMM," the snake like Taxxon hissed around the pair of ruling ghosts. Dan glared at it, eye's blazing red while Danny stared at it, palpable hatred for all of them evident by the look on his face.

"We should end this Dan," Saber hissed, "if we let them live they'll come after us, we'll never be rid of them, they'll hunt us down for all eternity."

"I know," looking down his eye's meeting his sister's and swallowing hard then in a small voice, "end it."

"KILL THEM ALL, BURN THEM TO THE GROUND," Saber roared head thrown back releasing a jet of black flame into the sky from her mouth, one of the charms on her belt glowing brightly.

With a growl Blaze jumped at Nicole and sunk her teeth into the robot's coils, severing one form her arm, the reminder of said coil sucking into her arm. The action was enough as the coil on Skulker's left arm went slack and allowed him to pull it away, a glowing energy blade popping out and slicing through the other tendrils. "Good girl," the wolf standing ready to attack at his energy trail, fangs bared an ready to attack when given the word.

"Bad girl, you're an insult to your cousins," crossing her arms over her as Skulker opened fire on her and forced her sliding back, trails appearing in the ground as she did so.

"Wrong thing to say," the black and green phantom flying up and upper cutting the woman in the face sending her into the sky and landing with a crash through a what was left a building, her hologram flickering on and off for a moment. Blaze moved in for the final strike but was stopped as her pack mate charged in front of them Tucker in his jaws.

"This is so not cool," holding the mouth open as best he could, warning lights flashing in his minds eye as he realized his power supply couldn't support the stress for much longer. With a snap and shake the man flew from his mouth into the air and straight into Jazz, the much heavier warrior hitting her with the force of a canon and forcing the ape woman into the ground.

"You ok," she hissed pushing him off an firing a blast from her palm as the on coming Taxxon only to have it take to the sky it's mouth open and ready for the kill, one of her brother's clones flanking it, his arms covered in ectofire.

"Not really no," standing up, the immediate threat gone, but the light still remains as he tried to divert power to the systems that needed it and switch on hi repair systems.

"Well get there, we got serious problems," clapping her hands together and pulling them apart slightly a trail of green energy forming between them, a massive wave of power firing off a second later at Dan, Saber, Danny and the Taxxon. Like clock work Dan formed an energy shield between them and the blast only to watch his shield shatter under the pressure a smile of Jazz's face. That grin vanished as Saber's fingers flew over her strings and a new shield of black energy formed between themselves and the blast keeping them safe.

"Good try boss."

"Bad try," tapping the gloves, "that took most of my energy, and it's going to take a while to build back up without a recharge."

"Don't look at me, not an option, I barely have enough as it is."

"THEY'VE WEAKENED STRIKE," Saber roared releasing a blast of black fire at the pair, the blast intercepted by Valerie from her weapon. That blast however cost her as a clone of Dan shot her in the back with his eye beams sending her crashing into the others.

"This is looking bad," Val coughed, being helped up by Jasmine, the three going back to back to cover their blind spots.

"We've been in worse," Tucker growled, his glow going down showing his spent energy, and watching as the Taxxons, Skulker, his pets, a limping David, the executioner, and three Dan clones surrounded them. From above Dan and Saber watched while Danny struggled against his older self.

"Not really," Jazz hissed, slipping into a fighting stance ready to go at it hand to hand regardless of the cost.

"Way to make us feel better boss," a nervous laugh escaping from Valerie.

"You'd rather I lie," a crazy grin on her face as she locked eyes with a Dan clone.

"I W OULD," Tucker snapped sarcastically.

"If this is it guys let's give something to talk about, lets make our entrance into the Ghost Zone one to remember, one they'll talk about forever, lets take this to the next level."

"As far as last words go those kinda suck," Val hissed adjusting the weapon setting on her weapon one last time.

"What can I say I never thought this day would come," Sam laughed as her brother leapt forward and was meet by a right cross from the ape woman and knocking him back, the others getting hit a moment later. Val was hit by the Taxxons and one of the Dan's, Tucker was hit by Skulker and his mutts, Jazz had to deal with David and the third Dan, the one she had knocked down firing at them from above. The fight quickly devolved into a melee, blasts of energy were fired randomly, punches flew hitting friends and enemies alike, scream mixed and merged making it impossible to know who was screaming in pain and who in victory.

From above Dan and Saber watched, a sick smile of Sabers lips, an unreadable look on Dan's face as it seemed to become stone. All that could really be said for Dan was that he held his younger self's eyes closed, his hand over his head. Occasionally Dan would look over to Saber, the woman's eyes so often moving off the fight to the sky, something he didn't quite understand.

"It's over Saber, even if help comes it'll be to late."

"Something's wrong," she hissed silently, indifferent to his words, her eyes darting from the sky to the fight.

"Whatever it is it doesn't matter," looking down at his other self, "very soon this will all be over for you as well little brother."

"Whatever your planning it won't work, I'll never be like you, NEVER," hissing his empty threat.

"There are many things you don't understand Danny, things you will in time I promise, this is a necessity, something that must be done for you and me."

"YEAH RIGHT," doing his best to get away.

"You'll understand when you live through the things I've lived through."

"DAN!" Saber barked getting his attention, "something wrong."

The words escaped her lips to late as a blast of blue fire erupted from the dog pile of ghosts sending them in all directions and revealing an ever growing light blue dragon with a gold necklace around her neck. Blaze was the first to move, stopping in the air and jumping back at the dragon only to be caught in her claws. "Credit to your kind pup," Rachel's voice coming from the beast, "but right now that's not going to help you," throwing the wolf as hard as she could into a building, the ghost shield activating as it hurled through it taking the impact of the hit and the shock at once and kept going. "Wow always knew I should've played baseball," folding her arms over her chest little jets of flame escaping her maw.

"Don't get cocky Rach, this is just starting," Tobias flying in under her legs with the soul shredder drawn heading right for one of Dan's clones, the twin vanishing before he could make contact. Growling loudly it didn't deter him shifting his wings and heading after Skulker.

"I was hoping to get another shot at you," weapons unfolding from the metal ghost and firing, ectoblasts, missiles, knives, everything he had fired in one massive wave of weapons, enough power to level a small chunk of the Ghost Zone heading his way.

With a clank of metal Nicole appeared between the two and banged her forearms together an energy shield lager, brighter and more powerful that Jazz's appearing from her body. The weapons impacted the shield but couldn't penetrate and exploded on it, all the while Tobias not slowing down. Shifting his wings he shot down becoming intangible and flying underground vanishing from sight only to appear a moment later his blade shining in the light as it sliced through him, his armor disappearing into the nightmare dimension, Skulker's true form hitting the ground with a thud.

Far below them Tucker scrambled in their base, "have I ever mentioned that I love that he can slip in and out of security system?"

"Save the chatter Tuck," Jasmine looking at the ceiling, "they bought us time that's it, those two are tough but they can't take them all on, recharge, reload, re anything else you can think of, when we go up we go up with claws out and teeth bared."

"She defiantly hangs out with the animals to much," Tucker grabbing a new power pack and tossing it at her.

"This from a guy who's girlfriend was built by dogs."

"Can it, they need us," looking at the big metal orb Rachel and Tobias had brought with them, "be ok you two."

Above her flaming black claws flashed as they missed their mark, Rachel one move ahead of her old team mate, "this is getting old psycho."

"Then stay put," his mane sparking and flashing in anger.

"Yeah like that's gunna happen," her tail firing up and hitting him under the chin and sending him skyward. Spreading her wings she shoot up and turned into a spin laying her tail against his face and sending him into Cerberus' mouth. "I love this thing," her claws running over the Amulet of Aragon, over a year ago she'd learned the charms true strength and how to manipulate the power running through it, thus making her able to take the form of dragon woman no taller than she normally was with her mind completely intact, the ability to call on her other beast skills, and with the full power of the curse. "Step up the bar boys I'm going all night."

Above her Tobias and the executioner clashed, there respective weapons sparking as they collided and filling the air with the clank of metal. The bird ghost had to admit the creature had skill, no matter how hard he tried he couldn't find a way through his defense and get a clear shot in to take him out of the fight. Snarling and snapping his beak he flared his wings, yellow ecto feathers firing out at the ghost, each one caught and destroyed by his ax before they could connect.

"Getting so tired of this," sheathing his sword and shrinking down as he heard the sound of the snake Taxxon coming near him. In the blink of an eye where once was a black bird man was a black and white tigerhawk. The body of a cat mixed with the wings of a hawk from his back, his front paws replaces by the legs of a hawk, a beak lined with teeth, and occasional tuffs of feather peaking out here and there along his body.

"HHHYYYSSS CCOOKKAA RRRLLL," the snake like creature snarled trying to outflank the other ghost.

With a growl he jumped into the sky, wing flapping, the snake traveling under him, his claws out and glowing yellow and racking across his back leaving glowing tracks across the serpent alien. Turning his head he stared at the medieval ghost and opened his mouth and released a tigers roar mixed with a hawks call the sound sending shock waves through the air colliding with the ghost like a sledge hammer.

"Bingo," running forward retaking his hawkman form and pulling his sword and slashing forward the blade cutting into the ghost and through his ax in the process and sending him to a world of nightmares, his many masters appearing before him all screaming out his failures.

"Enough of this," twin Dan's barked flying at Rachel and Tobias respectively, each glowing with unleashed energy ready to strike the pair of former animorphs down.

"COULDN'T AGREE MORE," Jazz roared a mix of human and ape as an invisible Val released her high above the real Dan. With a primal snarl she laced her fingers together and connected with where his spine once was and breaking his hold of younger self sending him toppling to the ground for a few feet before he righted himself. With the hit his clones lost cohesion for a moment passing right though the twin ghost fighters then regained it both in shock for half a second. That pause however was enough as both struck, Rachel with her first and mouth of fire, Tobias with his blade, the effect on Dan immediate as the control he exacted on his fall failed and sent him dropping for a few more moments, a psychic backlash hitting him from eh clones imprisonment in the nightmare realm.

"This is completely nut man," Danny barked grabbing Jazz as she fell and brought her to the ground gently.

"Like you haven't seen weirder," grabbing him and pulling him away from the fight, "they're laying down cover, it won't last forever and I want you got before Dan decides to really join the party."

"No argument from me," following her to the elevator and home.

"Dan," Saber flying over to the other ghost, "I think it's time you took a more active roll in this fight," a little melody escaping her guitar as she said the words.

"I can do that," snapping his finger, his clones returning to him and remerging with the original, "time to show my sisters little goon squad what real power is," folding his arms and slowly descending into the crowd, Tucker, Rachel, Valerie, Tobias, and Nicole each taking a spot around him, but none moving into attack. The force that had accompanied Dan and Saber disbursing, none wanting to be caught in the crossfire.

Tobias let out a growl bordering on monstrous and made a move towards him only to be stopped by Rachel. "TOBE," barking her nick name for him out," get it under control, Knight taught you better, now be the man not the beast." Slowly he nodded and stepped back, but staying ready, Rachel's tail meanwhile swished behind her impatiently barley in control herself. Calling on her DNA inventory her blue form shifted slightly as spots formed on her body, the cheetah mixing with the dragon to creature something new and more dangerous.

"Yeah this isn't creepy or anything," Tucker growled watching his former friend, not sure what was about to happen just knowing that his eyes were glowing red.

"Don't push it Tuck, every second he waits is another second we keep breathing."

"Claw's in Val," Nicole sighed running patterns in her head, trying to figure out what his first move would be and how long they could expect to continue life.

"Strike as one, without fear, without regret, let today be the final moment of our existence, and let it shake the pillars of heaven," the words jarring the others out of their fear and concern. The phrase was something the Fright Knight had told them many times in moments of stress, something he said he never shared with any but those he considered equals in spirit, equals in battle.

"Preach on Tobe," a calmness coming over Rachel, her tails slowing as she focused on Dan and watched in horror as he shot forward, arms blazing in ectoenergy and firing at Nicole. Even with his speed he couldn't match hers even if he could beat theirs, her shield going up before he could get to her, not that mattered. Dan hit the shield hard enough to shatter the barrier with one hit, Nicole's right arm exploding from the hit and sending her back, that hit was followed be a second to her face, her hologram flickering and for a moment remained intact even as her real head went sailing off her body and into a wall that is passed though. The whole act was done in only two seconds, little more than the blink of the eye, and stunned the others to the core.

It wasn't a surprise to anyone when Rachel was the first to strike at him, Nicole was her best friend, a sister when she no longer had them. Opening her mouth she released a blast of blue flame and shot forward, unmated cheetah speed mixed with dragons power and a rarely released fury, one everyone who truly knew here feared. By the time her fire hit him she'd already lashed out at him with her claws, the nails leaving a trail on his face while she turned the momentum into a kick and tore chunks out of him with her toe claws and pounded him with her tail.

With a roar Dan back handed Rachel sending her end over end only to have her land on her feet and dive back in, the pair struck at each other with fury, claws meeting fists, blue flame meeting red ectoplasm, cape and wings flapped while the pair roared in hate, only to end with Rachel hitting the ground with a slide. The fight itself had only last seconds, to Val it was as though both had vanished, to Tucker only the slightest blurs had been visible, to Tobias however the fight had been all to clear as his senses told him everything, but the fight to fast for him to join.

Lifting his hand Dan fired off a blast of energy at Rachel, the woman vanishing is a scream of pain as she was sucked into herself, a portal to the Ghost Zone opening up in her chest.

Tucker and Val moved in harmony both driven by rage at the loss of friends, neither aware of the cost they'd pay. Valerie fired off her weapon only to have it stopped by an ectoshield, a shield that was slammed into her face and sent her flying back, the strength of the blow impaling her on a pole several yards away and ending her life as a human. Her life was not in vain letting Tucker land a blow to Dan's face with all the strength he had, a blow that did little as Dan turned, an energy orb in his hand and palm trusted Tucker in the stomach. Strength and energy combined as a hole was ripped through the middle of the cyborg, sparks, wires, machinery, blood, and bits of bone firing from the hole. Pulling his hand free Dan watched as his friend fell to the knees, his life draining out of him as his systems tried desperately to repair themselves.

Tobias watched all this with a growing fury, one held in check thanks the training given to him by the Fright Knight and the knowledge that Jasmine was in the process of undoing all of this. "One last round," spinning his sword in his hand and retook a fighting stance ready for what was to come.

"One I've been looking forward to bother in law," his arms igniting in red ectoplasm, his eyes burning to brightly that even his hair seemed to be red.

"Then lets just get it over with," flaring his wings and releasing a wave of energy feathers, only to have them stopped as he formed a shield. Without word he flapped at the moment of the feathers release and landed on the shield at it formed and dove at the ghost anticipating the maneuver. His sword came down like a hammer but was stopped as Dan materialized his own sword of ectoplasm.

"Get new tricks rat breath I know all these," firing off beams from his eyes that turned into a beam from his entire head. The shot however did little as Tobias shifted into a hawk-flea form and rode out the attack and retook his hawk man form, only a few slight tendrils of smoke rising off the body.

Below them Jazz and Danny had their own problems, "come on little brother focus," she hissed grabbing his head in her hands, "time and place, the exact time and place you can't be general about this."

"I know I know, I'm trying but this isn't easy, I want to be up there helping them not running away," looking up wanting to get a part of his older self.

"I know," a tear running down her face, "listen to me Danny they're dieing up there, we can't help them, and there's no point in trying, if we want to honor them you have to do this, you can't let them die in vain."

"I KNOW ALREADY," focusing his mind on just before he left in the alley across the street, remembering from the fight that it was deserted and probably the best place to come down. He knew he couldn't help himself, or so Nicole had said, something about creating a paradox that could tear the universe in half. Taking a deep ragged breath he pictured it in his mind, every detail, every piece of garbage, even where the light was.

Just as he could feel something working the walls began to shake and vibrate with the sound of guitar music, the impact of the sound physically lifting them up and tossing them across the room. "Slow down there baby pop, we ain't even hit the encore yet," a sinister smile on her lips as she eyed the Time Matrix.

"Great my brothers skank," Jazz hissed shifting back into her half gorilla form, Shadow once more going into it's battle form.

"Take a seat sister in law, I'll get to you in a few," opening her mouth and releasing a jet of black flame at woman, the flames passing to either side as she altercated her shield.

"How about you go unplugged lady," Danny flying over to her as fast as he could and palm thrusting her with an ecto ball. The result was nothing more than making her turn her head, something was rectified as three of the charms on her belt lit up and she looked at Danny with glowing black eyes, her face mark lighting up as well.

"Not nice to hit you future wife Danny-boy," back handing him across the chest, her hand shifting into a claws and cutting trails into his clothing and knocking him back into a wall.

"I was under the impression you had to be a lady to be a wife," a beam of energy firing from Jazz's palm at the ghost, the energy being stopped as Saber strummed her guitar and fired off a large purple fist that collided with the beam and forced its way through it straight at the white haired woman.

"Why don't you just take five little girl, and let the queen of rock show you how it's done." Lifting half an inch off the ground Saber hovered over to Danny and grabbed him by the throat, "we have things left to do boy toy, don't stop on me now," hurling him at the Time Matrix and watching him bounce off it to the ground. "One, two, one, two, three," her arm going scaly and black while thrusting an elbow back and hitting Jasmine in the face knocking her to the ground. "Predictable," looking down at her, "we've been at this so long I don't even need help predicting your moves."

"Predict this," banging her arms together and firing off a wave of energy at the ghost woman fusion only to have it diverted as black wing shot around from behind Saber's back and redirected it into the ceiling, the wave drilling a hole to the surface.

"Come in I'm expecting you to be better _sis_," the light now streaming onto her face, the sounds of battle above them drifting into the bunker. "I said get up," kicking her in the side with enough power to lift her off the ground and into the ceiling then dropping back down only to be met half way down as Saber jumped into the sky and spun, leveling a tail whip into the woman's face. Watch her bounce to on the ground Saber slowly descended next to her, Saber's head shaking, "this isn't right, there's suppose to be more," looking around, "what am I missing."

"THIS," Jazz snarling her right fist encased in energy and upper cutting the woman with all the strength she could manage. The blow and the surprise factor were enough to her rocketing back and slamming into the Time Matrix. "MY FAMILY GONE, MY FRIENDS DEAD, I'M DONE LETTING MY BROTHER AND YOU KILL MY LIFE!"

"That's what I'm talking about," Saber growled, her eyes blazing as wings spread from her back making her look very much like a demoness.

"SHUT UP," her arms glowing and leaping at the woman punching her in the face as hard as she could, hitting her again and again, pounding her, beating her as she unleashed years of anger, hatred, loss, fear ,and sadness coming out and adding fuel to the woman. The sound of her hits echoed through the room and brought Danny back to awareness, the sight something to behold as his sister lost her mind, the gorilla completely taking over her consciences and she lashed out like a woman quite literally possessed.

"JAZZ GET CONTROLOF YOURSELF," Danny barked trying to move, the comment to late as Saber's laughter filled the air and the woman grew, quickly filling the space as she grew into a full sized black dragon, a comparatively sized guitar now on her back, the gold belt still around her hips.

"Stupid self riotous little witch," Saber hissed grabbing her sister in law in one claw, "see what your actions have lead too," slamming her down on the Time Matrix. For a moment nothing happened, then it glowed streams of light firing out of it in all directions and blinding those in the room and those above, halting the fight as the brightest light any had seen filled the air.

"SABER," Dan roared in fear turning away from Tobias and flying at the hole disappearing down it.

"JAZZ," the birdman on his heals, not remembering the device doing that before and fearful something had gone horribly wrong.

By the time they arrived though everyone in the room was gone, only wisps of smoke rising off the walls, floor and ceiling. "WHAT DID YOU DO," Dan screamed grabbing Tobias by the throat, his ectoplasm igniting a few of the feathers on the ghost birds neck.

"We sent him home, he's going to undo everything."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOUR GOING TO UNDO IT?" honest disbelief and confusion in his voice.

* * *

**DP Style**

Danny groaned and opened his eyes, "I'm really getting tired of waking up like this," sitting up, feeling ten times better than he had in the future.

"Then I'm sorry to say this isn't the end," Saber in full black dragon mode grabbing him by the head and slamming him through a wall.

"BACK OFF SCALE BAIT," Jazz jumping up and hitting the dragon only to be stopped as she was back handed by the dragons tail.

"Go chew on a banana monkey, I'm not getting stopped now," pulling Danny out of the building and onto the ground, the concert cracking from the impact. With the ghost boy down she threw her head back and released a jet of black flame into the sky and lifting her hands a pool if black energy forming above her and sending black lighting to the ground, one hitting Jazz making her jump and flop around, her mouth open in a silent scream.

"That ought to bring them," the dragon growing smaller retaking her human form, however the wings, tail and clawed fingers stayed in place. "How does it feel sis," Saber hovering over to Jasmine's smoking body, "to know you've been out played, out smarted, and just generally outdone."

The woman on the ground just growled, shifting into her full gorilla form and trying to get up only to be stopped as Saber pulled out her guitar and started strumming a little tune, the charms on her belt starting to glow brightly. (I'm gunna…)

"You won't be doing anything you sad pathetic little pawn," smiling down at the woman enjoying watching her trying to move, her strength no match for the power running through her body. "Did you know everyone's brain, every species' mind works on a different frequency, and right now I'm tapped right into yours, so struggle all you want, your not going anywhere as long as I want you to. For that matter," shifting the sound slightly, "I'm just going to put everyone here in pause for a while."

(You realize what your doing don't you, your letting everything happen again, your going to let your parents die, you can stop it.)

"I know," her smile growing more crazy.

(You can't let Danny become king he'll….)

"He'll do nothing but try and be a hero," throwing her head back and laughing manically, her music never wavering.

(What,) trying to surge up and only staying in place.

"You don't get it do you, your brothers still the goody two-shoes, soft rock, little kid he always was," smiling down at her, "I'm the one calling the shot making life hell."

(WHAT)

"Your not to quick on the up take are you," floating down near the ape woman, enjoying watching her struggle, "all of this, is because of me, because I wanted it, because I deserved it, I always dreamt of being queen of the Ghost Zone and now I am."

(But my parents…..the attack,)

"Look around little girl, right time, right place, your little plan get him home is insuring they die, ain't that a kick in the teeth?"

(No)

"Oh yes little girl."

(But Danny killed Tobias and Vald and everyone else, he kidnapped you…)

"Very true," laughing in her face, "the little procedure Vlad gave him, well not so much procedure as ripping the ghost out of him, had a little side effect. It made him slightly crazy, so he in turned ripped the ghost out of Vlad, which in retrospect probably wasn't the best things to do, since her fused with it, making a duet of crazy in one solo act. And well you know happened next, bang bang stab stab, a little massacre to issue in my rise to power."

(Everything he did?)

"All instinct, all crazy psycho instinct, he did what he could never to as a person, he just let all the rage out in all the ways he'd ever dreamed of using it. You should've seen it, it was beautiful, not that I thought so at the time, but looking back their screams were a symphony, an opera, a concert that made Woodstock look like kid with a kazoo….," her tune wavering for a second then regaining it's stability.

(Your nuts.)

"Your brother doesn't think so, of course he's also an idiot, a powerful idiot but an idiot none the less, now were was I. Ah yes, their beautiful screams, I still hear them when the world is still and I'm alone, a fitting sendoff of the girl I was and the woman I'd become."

"Oh he still had every intention of doing to me what he could never do when he was alive, every impulse drove him on, the total darkness of two beings driving him further and further into debauchery, unfortunately I choose to screw it up," spitting on the ground. "Little Sammy went all don't do this," her voice shifting into a mocking tone and fluttering her eye lashes, "you're a better person, you're my friend, I love you, you know you can't do this, blah blah blah," rolling her eyes. "I cant believe I'm actually part of her," sneering. "What's worse that idiot actually fell for it, whatever was human, still good, honest, heroic, and noble in him…in them…came out and forced that delicious darkness back, taking a heavy metal hit man and making him a ballad singing baby."

"He hid himself….hid us away, the girl I use to be still in love with him, she helped him make sure he was in control, that he could still help people. I'm so grateful when the Taxxons attacked we were sucked into the Ghost Zone in their wakes, I'm even more grateful that trip killed me and unleashed my power. To bad I was still to stupid to use it, I bought into the slag I shoveled into Dan, that there could be good ghosts. That all changed with Ember though, we ended up looking for Technus to help us, to figure at a way to beat the bloody worms. Ghosts of every shape and size, back when hope was still the order of the day, we gathered like cattle, we were a perfect buffet lined up for them, one they were more than happy to use. Lets just say breaking technology and complete panic aren't the best of mixes, a flash, a scream, a machine the size of a semi hitting us and the next thing you know two is made one, and a whole new world of possibilities are open to me."

(Why are you telling me this?)

"Why do you think, I'm an evil villain it's in the rule books that I explain what's going on."

(Your joking right?)

"Yep, I just want you to know you and your brother have been at each others throats for the last ten years for no real reason. Yes he might've killed you monster of a godfather, and turned you boyfriend into fried chicken, but after that he actually wanted to reach out to you, to try and put the family back together, and it's your fault it never happens you psychotic zealot," slipping into a sing song laugh.

(Your not Sam are you?)

"In all the ways that matter I'm Sam, I have her memories, her longing, her desires, her inner strength, but I'm also Ember, her drive, her lust of power, her hatred. But mostly I'm just Saber, all the best qualities of both, the inner darkness, the power, the intellect, the desire to take what I want regardless of the consequences. All these things mixed together create me, only I don't have to deal with silly things like a conscience."

(So all this time….)

"I've been manipulating you, your brother, everyone on the stage for this moment, for this day when I would ensure my own creation."

(It doesn't matter your trapped here, you can't go back, you've altered time which means none of what did happen will happen.)

"Your not listening," tapping the ape on the forehead with her boot, "all of this is according to plan, past, present, future, I already know how this will end because I told myself everything. After my fusion I got a little crazy, kinda like Danny only I wasn't really sure who was who for a while, and in the process I found this freaky looking castle with a clock motif. I wasn't really sure what I'd find when I entered but it ended up being so worth it. The place was totaled, everything was destroyed and it was pretty obvious it was all the result of a single fight, one of the combatants still there after all that time. He was some old man stuck in a loop, four little words slipping out of him over and over, 'Saber time shouldn't be,'. Oh as if that wasn't enough I found the journal, a gift from myself to myself, everything that had happened was listed in it," pulling a book seemingly from thin air, "this one here actually. It tells me every step to make, how to set everything up to become the most powerful ghost in existence, and how to ensure I come to be time and again. True almost ten years is a long time to set something like this up, but for an immortal what is time but an illusion."

"I played Dan like a sap getting him to the do all the work, make it seem like he's the one in charge and do everything from the shadows, even making sure you'd find each other, time after time to keep up this nice little feud you were building so you'd both have someone to blame and look away from me and my work. Even now I'm not quite done I still have to set up the final stages for my come to power, in ten minutes the Time Matrix explodes, taking you and parents out and setting up dear dimwitted Danny to set this into motion. A quick escape into the Ghost Zone, but that won't be a problem, you have a portal just ready to go, and no one will be in a position to even notice if it gets activated. And of course I will have to arrange the break out at the prison and let my future army have some fun, I do love those little Taxxons, completely insane, but as they say song soothes the savage beast, and to me they are as meek as puppies. The only really hard part will be getting Pariah Dark's ring but my power works on him as well, a few notes and he'll be putty in my hands. The crown regrettably will fall to my younger self to get, but by that time it won't be hard, you do remember that fight don't you, the one that cost you dear sweet Dash, he did like you back then didn't he? And of course I will have to deal with Clockwork, the time castle guardian, but I already know how those fights will go."

"Past, present, future Jasmine all are mine to control, mine to abuse, I can't wait to go home and finally shed this goody goody image I've had to cultivate and get down to pure conquest, and make everyone say my name. Imagine it an army made up both of the ghost kings forces and my own horde of Taxxons, anyone who still opposes me will fall, and I will finally be in control of everything."

(You can't honestly believe that's going to work, someone will stop you, my team…)

"Is dead, yes they might be ghost's now, but really that just makes them more susceptible to my power, and I really doubt they'll have enough power to take me on anyway."

(Then…then my brother will, if he is what you say, he won't let you do it, he'll find a way to stop you.)

"Let him try, Dan might be strong, but he's nothing to my power, Ember's power truly revealed, Sam's internal darkness, the rage of the second Amulet of Aragon and the Crown and Fire and Ring of Rage," the charms on her belt glowing brightly, Jazz now seeing that three of them were just that, smaller and altered but they were those artifacts, the forth a small gear. "I have more power than any ghost before me, let any who would stand against me try, they will fail, and they will learn the full price for doing so."

Whatever else she was going to say was silenced as she was struck from behind, green ectoplasm scatter out from her back as she dropped to the ground on top of Jazz, her music stopping. "Sorry I'm a little short this week, you mind taking an IOU," Danny growled hovering in the air, his hands glowing in green energy.

(SHADOW,) Jazz roared head butting the woman and knocking her off and snatching her guitar from her hands. (Past, present, future this you lunatic,) grabbing the instrument by the neck and slamming it onto the ground shattering the ghostly weapon/instrument.

"No so infallible after all are you," Danny barked flying up and punching her only to have the fist caught in her hand, her hair shooting skyward in blue and black flames.

"Actually I was distracted," forcing him down by the hand she held, "it's been known to happen," and throwing him over her shoulder straight into Jazz. The pair landed in a pile behind her, the ghost woman hybrid turning in the sky, her arms holding a ball of fire in each hand.

"This isn't going to go well is it?"

(Probably not,) pushing him off the half ghost hovering in the air above her.

"Good," flying at her and releasing twin blasts from his palms, the deflected and absorbed in dragon fire.

"That's what I'm talking about," Jazz shifting to her half gorilla form, what power she had left in his gauntlets being used to manifest glowing shields around her arms. Ducking around the blast and punching at the woman's stomach, only to have to punch blocked by a single arm, moving a at a speed she could barley see. While Saber was distracted with her hands it allowed Jasmine's toes to grip the ghost's leg and yank down, pulling her off balance for a second and upper cutting the flame spewing ghost.

The hit did little as Saber arced her arm around and came up on Jazz's underside and hit her, blasts of black energy jumping between the two where they met and sending Jasmine back and sliding along the ground. At first the ape woman tried to get up only to be stopped as Saber turned to her and screamed, her voice taking on a song like quality that enveloped the white haired woman in a shockwave. With a groan Jasmine tried to get up after the attack, only to realize something was wrong, her body not responding, and feeling something wrong going on inside her body, things bursting right and left and her ability to morph seemingly not working.

"Paralysis," Saber hissed looking down at the woman, "another benefit of knowing how to manipulate sound waves, right now the parts of your brains are liquefying, while bones are shattering and organs are rupturing."

"Sis," Danny growled flying over to her, "you ok?"

She tried to shake her head but couldn't, nothing moving regardless of how she tried, doing the only thing she could she turned to her thought speech, (shaaaadoo, elp aaaanny,) not even the thought words coming out right, (eassse.) The bad luck shadow didn't have to be told twice melting off his long time mistress and forming around Danny as a jacket.

"Whoa, wait a minute," jumping back into the sky.

"Right on time," a smile on Saber's lips hissing the words softly to herself.

(elp e uder,) Jasmine moaned into their heads almost to quietly for either one to hear.

"Looks like it's just you and me," Danny's hands filling with energy orbs and releasing them a the woman, both balls swatted away with one hand.

"Really Danny is that all you can do," yawning while she hovered over another barrage of ecto blasts.

"We're about to find out aren't we," flying in on her flinging another wave of energy orbs, the green balls again swatted away but buying Danny enough time to get closer to turning into a midair flip and bring the heal of his foot down on her head, the move doing little more than making her move down half a foot. But it was enough as he continued to turn, an energy filled his hand, filling the ball with as much energy as he could and firing the blast into her throat. The strike facilitate Ember to spin forward in he air and brought her flaming heal down on the back of Danny's head sending the teenager slamming into the ground.

"I was right," her voice hoarse, "that did hurt more than I thought it would," holding her throat, "but now I can do this," screaming out at a building, her voice sharper and harder, the air filling with the waves of distortion. When it hit the wall shattered like glass, a moment alter the entire structure shifted and wobbled and fell forward onto the boy.

The last thing Danny heard was his sister's voice, weak and far away in his head, an echo from the past, his eyes filled with what was to come but unable to move.

"And so it ends," looking down at the boy as the building collapsed on top of him burying him under rubble. "By the time you wake up it'll be to late, everything will be over and done with and ours fates will be sealed away, and the eternal dance will begin anew." Lifting her head up she could hear the far off sounds of screams and a rumble long missing from her life, "And that would be Jack and Maddie, just as it was, just as it must be."

"You do realize you sound like movie spy villain right? All this I know everything, according to plan, you at me I'm so tough, yadda yadda yadda."

"WHAT!" Saber turning her flaming hair rising over the top of the buildings, "YOUR SUPPOSE TO BE…"

"Luck manipulating shadow," Danny throwing his arms out wide, his arms igniting in green ectoplasm, "now lets try this again, my home, my rules, my time isn't written in stone, and you will not win."

"Apparently I left a few things out," her charms glowing brightly as a blast of fire rocketed from her hands, it's power enough to level half a block alone. With a hiss and a pop the fire engulfed Danny for what seemed like hours to the woman and knowing he wouldn't get up from the blast till long after she was gone.

When the firs died down Danny was still there, unmoved, a funny little smile on his face, "hot moves from a cool customer, that kinda cancels each other out doesn't it?"

"Cleaver boy, but time will not," flying in after him, virtually becoming a blue and black fireball, "BE DENIED!"

"Oh this gunna hurt," a green ectoblast forming in his hand and firing it outward, the world around him shimmering then bursting in a blast of nearly invisible green slime in all directions and growing darker by the second. A great deal hitting the woman in the face, the ectoplasm putting out the fire and blinding her enough for Danny to fly above her and leap frog her and send her crashing through a building, not stopping till she had flown out the others end.

With her growl filling the air Saber rose from the other side of the building, ectoslime dripping off her body. Running her hands over her face she flicked the blobs aside, a look of death now adorning her face as she stared at Danny. "You think your cleaver don't you, your just delaying the inevitable," her hair sparking the spinning down her body and burning off the excess slime.

"Yeah I can live with that," his arms sparking and nearly blinding her as he hovered in front of her.

"It's funny because you won't," firing towards him and releasing a fire ball only to have Danny shot above it, his entire body growing brighter.

"Smile for the camera," his body starting to strobe the light growing brighter and brighter blinding the woman as he went off like a flare sending a blinding green light in all directions for nearly half a mile gaining the attention of everyone capable of sight. "Whoa little light headed," Danny swooning for a moment as he dropped to the ground and held his forehead, "ok not doing that again."

"PHANTOM," Saber roared flying at him, obvious from her eyes she couldn't see anything.

"Down lady, this is getting old," her swipes getting closer to him as he spoke despite weaving out of the way, "kinda like you."

"Don't mock me," her strikes getting closer to the source but still missing, but now by a narrower margin.

"Gotta say this is the weirdest game of blind mans bluff I've ever pla….," his words stopping as Saber threw her arms out and released a firestorm at Danny.

"Felling good now funny man," throwing another fireball at Danny.

"Felt better, felt….," getting blasted again by a blast of fire, "right, music, noise, you're a freak'n bat," forming a shield in front of himself and absorbing the shot.

"What if I am," following his chatter, the sound of his voice music to her, knowing exactly where he was even when blind, "think you can do anything about it?"

"…,"opening then closing his mouth, not wanting to give her anymore help than possible. Assuming she wasn't lying he knew he had problems coming, he could hear his parent's in the distance, the Fenton RV roaring through town, and getting closer by the sound. If he couldn't take this lady out there was a good chance he wasn't going to change anything, and he'd end up killing his parents with his sister at his throat. Looking over at the Time Matrix, he could tell things were about to go critical, literally, the way it was glowing universally meant one thing and it wasn't good.

"Come on Danny, none of your famous wit, no quips, zingers, or puns? I thought you loved the sound of your voice." She didn't really need him to say anything it just made it easier, she knew exactly where it was from the sounds coming off him as he moved through the air, the subtle way the wind silently shifted in his wake, he might as well have been wearing a bull-eye in neon lights. The best part in her mind was that he didn't even know what was going on.

Keeping his eyes on her Danny formed balls of energy in his glowing hands and closed them around them, combining what Tobias had taught him with what he'd seen his older self do and tapping into the powers of the shadow. The energy shifted and splintered then solidified between his fingers and where once he had had balls of ectoplasm he now had four energy knives in each hand. Looking over at Saber she told him what he already knew, she could sense him, the same way Tobias could and he had every intention of evening those odds as his parents drew closer and the slipshod plan he'd concocted was forced to go into play.

Danny let a growl rip out of his throat, the sound enough to trigger an attack in Saber as she released a blot of black lighting that hit Danny in the chest and slammed him into a building. "I don't like screamers Danny, just to let you know for the future," snapping her fingers and hitting him again with a bolt.

"Does the phrase go suck a lemon mean anything to ya," surging forward and throwing the knives in his right hand right at her. The effect was less than impressive as the knives went everywhere but where they should, bouncing off walls, the street, and a light pole. They did their jobs however as Saber fired off blasts of fire and lighting at the daggers.

"Shadow, glowing thing," nodding his head towards the Time Matrix, the shadow flying off his body and shooting towards the Matrix, understanding that Danny wanted it's destruction to slow down.

"What do you have planned Danny," she hissed sweetly firing off a blast of fire at Danny from her mouth, a blast missing him as he shot under it and came right at her as fast as he could knowing without the shadow to alter luck his ability to go toe to toe with her was going down fast. Keeping the knives tight in his grasp he punched her, the blades cutting into her body, four wounds in the gut courtesy of four green knives. The strike was enough as Saber threw her head back and screamed in pain and sending shockwaves into the sky and shattering every window in the area.

"Keep it down," twisting the knives in her gut before yanking them out with a sickening squish and darting back as fast as he could to the Time Matrix. The hit was enough to tear reason from the fusion ghost long enough as she tore after him right at Shadow and time machine, his parents growing closer by the second.

"YOU LITTLE," grabbing Danny and forcing him into the ground of the alley right in front of the glowing orb and the other ghost incasing it and trying to slow it down.

"SHADOW," Danny barked the dark blob jumping off the matrix and coming to Danny and encasing him in from head to toe. With a grunt he fired off the largest blast of Ectoplasm he could manage right at her face, doing little but stunning her but getting her to loosen her grip. Pulling away he dove at the blast only to be grabbed by her again and slamming him into the matrix. Head butting back he made her pause again and turned them both around, Saber's back now on the white orb. With a snarl he tossed the blades into the air catch two in each hand as he turned and looked the woman in the face and lunged forward stabbing her in the shoulder, two blades in each, and nailing her to the orb. "Witty banter this banshee."

The second he did that his parents tore up, his dad jumping out of the car, gun held high, "FREEZE GHOST SCUM."

"Their timing is perfect," Danny sighed looking back at the glowing orb, more light shooting out of it and knowing it was more than likely to late. "EVERYBODY GET OUT OF HERE THIS THINGS GOING NUCLEAR," Danny barking trying to turn around and fly away, only move a few feet as time slowed then stopped, a white hole appearing in front of him. Only Saber still moved at normal speed, though Danny to was moving but very slowly.

A soft hum filled the air as a young boy in a hood, a scar over one eye, and a clock in his chest floated out and looked around a second later shifting into an full grown man. A smile forming on his face he looked over at Saber and shook his head, "interesting turn of events isn't it," smiling down at her as she continued to struggle against the Time Matrix.

"YOU SON OF A…."

"You have no idea who I'm the son of," yanking his medallion from her body and stopping her completely. "Now to you," Looking at Danny, the teen still in slow motion but turning to look at him, "I bet you have a lot of questions, shame I can't give you answers, now lets fix you shall we," his hand going intangible and sliding into Danny's body the boy stooping completely as he removed his hand. Opening his fist he looked at the shattered pieces of a time medallion, still loosely connected by various wires and shook his head, "you have to be gentile with these things and can't just blow them from the insides of one person into another and expect them to work perfectly," tossing it into the air and catching it.

"Now as for you," waving his staff in front of Danny, the shadow disappearing from his body, but the glove Val had given him still in place. The ghost then floated over to Jasmine and waving the staff again, the near death woman vanishing as well. "Everyone back in there place, just as they should be," looking over at Saber, "well almost everyone," floating over to her "but I have plans for you my dear, oh yes, you thought it was funny pistol whipping me didn't you, lets see how you like it." Tapping the clock on the staff he, Saber and the Time Matrix disappeared in a flash of white as a portal appeared as clock hands appeared and spun around in the air and sucked them in.

A moment later time returned to normal, and Danny shot forward as his parent began shooting at him, "HE'S ATTACKING," Jack screamed firing wildly only hitting the damaged buildings.

"What was that all about," Danny hissed to himself looking back, remembering what had happened to a degree but the movements to fast to really understand what had happened. He didn't really have time to think about it as his mom started firing at him causing him to take off, knowing the woman was a much better shot than his dad. "No one's ever going to believe any of this," shaking his head in the sky and tried to put as much distance from himself and the war zone as possible.

Several hours later Danny found himself in the Manson game room surrounded by the others and thankful that Sam's parents weren't in the home, having left at the sight of the boy. Well technically they' tried to call the cops on Danny till Sam's grandmother stepped in and convinced them to go out for dinner while she watched over Sam, no one had seen the old woman since. A few moments later Tucker, Jazz and Tobias arrived and Danny preceded to tell them everything that had happened, which led them to now.

"….and then our parents," hissing at his sister and waving his hand back and forth between them, "shot at me for over a minute and last I checked are blaming me for all this, and saying I was going to blow up the town."

(Yeah that'll defiantly put a damper on your growing hero rep,) Tobias preening in the corner having demorphed some time ago.

"That's all you can say, I just saw the future, Sam was nuts, I don't even want to talk about you two," glaring at Jazz having skipped the part about her awkward relationship, "and you," pointing at Tucker, "you just got wierd."

"Dude I could punch out ghosts," still high on what Danny had told him about his powers, and frighteningly excited about the possibility of being a cyborg in the future.

Danny opened his mouth to start but was cut off by Tobias as he invaded their thoughts, (yes you could do that in a future that no longer exists, for all you know now you'll end up so fat you can't get out of bed so calm down.)

"Your being awful calm about this," glaring at the bird, the others having gone through a myriad of emotions as Danny told his story, yet he stayed completely calm the entire way through. Even if he was harder to read in his hawk form Danny had still learned how to pick up on how to identify at least signs of interest and surprise from the bird, but he'd simply gotten nothing.

(Look time travel isn't new to me, yes my experiences are in the past, but it's the same deal, and from what you've said with your parents alive this won't happen so what's the point in really worrying about it.)

"You're a cold fish you know that birdie," as Jazz elbowed him, "you don't even care that Rachel and I are working together, what that would mean in the long run?"

(Interested yes, but at this point it's not an issues time has unfolded differently, so it's all just speculation.)

"That's fine for you," Sam hissed, "your sane in the future, I become a psychotic manipulating despot from the abyss who's turned two worlds upside down to get what she wants."

"So in other words nothings really changed," Tucker quipped.

"Shut it," glaring at him.

"Still," Danny hissed, putting his hands behind his head, "how do we know it won't happen, can't happen?"

(I'm going to have to explain this aren't I,) Tobias sighed, (fine listen up and listen good I'm not explaining this again. Nothing is set in stone, every life has thousands of paths it can take, but no force in existence, no human, no ghost, no god like being, can ever know what that future will truly be. They can see possibilities, what might be, but not what will be, personal choice, it effects everything, a single decision made by anyone can change everything and ruin even the greatest plan. That's what's happened here, Sam….)

"Saber," Danny corrected

(….Saber, didn't anticipate that, she though what was had to be and could be no other way, but at some point a decision was made that threw off that plan, which lead to another and another till everything she'd worked for was for nothing. Of course that doesn't negate the possibility of it one day happening.)

"What," up till that moment Sam had grown more hopeful that that future was behind her.

(It can still happen, maybe not the same way it happened here but that doesn't mean it still can't come to pass. As someone once told me, you can leave the path but you can walk it again, it won't be quite the same, maybe harder maybe easier but it can still be walked.)

"And on that note I'm just going to lock myself in my closet for….well….ever."

"Sam," Danny holding the goth girls hand and stopping her, "ignore the trash eating bird, I'm not going to let that happen, ever. That nightmare won't happen, not to you, not to me, your smarter than that, we know it's coming and we'll get around it," squeezing her hands tightly, "I won't let you get hurt like th…."

"If you two are going to kiss and fall into each others arms we can leave here," Tucker popping up next the pair, the intimacy of the moment lost. With a look they both knew what the other was thinking and with their free hands slapped him on the back of his head.

"We can't take you anywhere can we," Jazz slipping up behind the boy and pulling him away by the back of his shirt, "you two keep going, use this moment to profess your undying love fore each other," waving at them as a blush spread across their bodies.

"JAZZ, I'M NOT HIS GIRILFRIEND!"

"SIS, SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFREIND!" their words once more linking up and making the pair grow redder as they looked at each other.

"And on that note I'm going to leave, you coming birdie?" the redhead looking at the bird boy.

(I need a few more minutes, don't bother waiting for me, I'll hook up with you later,) nodding his head slightly and speaking in private thought speech.

"Alright," still holding Tucker's shirt, "your coming with me and leaving them alone."

"But why I still have questions," he whined staggering to his feet, "I want to know what I can do in the future, what I'm running on, how close I was to the robot, there are so many things I need to know, I'm going to be living my dream I have to know what ends up happening to me."

"I thought you gave up technology?"

"That was then this is now, I'm going to be a machine," thrusting his arms into the air as Jazz pulled him up the stairs.

"A reason your not going with them," Danny asked dead pan to Tobias, a hint of anger still edging into his voice.

(I want to say this,) morphing his human form and looking at Sam. "In one point in time your going to be a horrible person, but that's also not you, that's someone you may become if you join with this ghost. That future is no more set in stone than the one where your in love with Kwan or the one where you have your arms and legs cut off."

"If this is a pep talk your doing a lousy job," Sam hissed shivering at the thought of being with Kwan of all people, but glad he hadn't said Dash.

"The point is, no one knows what the future is, yeah what Danny saw can still come to pass, but it's one of an infinite number of choices, and he's right now that you know it's coming you can actively try and avoid it. What the future holds is a mystery, don't ruin your life living in fear of what may happen, live it knowing what is, that you are you, and while that part of you that's crazy and evil may exist it's only a small part of you and it can be held in check."

"Very deep," Danny nodded, "that helps how?"

"I'm just saying it can happen not that it will happen, she could go bad just as soon as I could go primal one day and go on a city wide massacre. She's seen the vision of a monster that lives within, I live everyday with one inside me, so do you," looking at Danny. "She should be afraid of it, it doesn't mean she should let it rule her, or that it'll be the deciding factor in her life," take her hand and Danny's and bringing them together, "and it doesn't mean it can't be stopped by her or by someone close."

He gave them a small smile and slipped past Danny and headed towards the stairs and stopped as he hit the first step, as did everyone in the room. In one corner a clock hand appeared and spun opening up a white hole in the air and Clockwork floated out and moved to Danny and Sam, pulling the girls weapon and putting a time medallion around each of their necks freeing them from is hold.

"Who what," Danny barked at the sight of the wrinkled man, his mind flashing back to him and recognizing him but not stopping him from going ghost, or trying to.

"Time out," spinning his staff and flinging the amulet off him mid transformation, "now we can't have that can we."

"What did you," Sam hissed looking at both of them and around the room, "oh crap," she hissed reaching for her weapon and not finding it.

"I believe your looking for this," holding the gun, "I didn't come here to fight I came to speak, if you keep him calm I'll release him."

"Like I'm suppose to trust you," she hissed falling into a fighting stance.

"If I was going to harm you don't you think I already would've done so," shifting to his child form.

"Doesn't really help."

"Everything is a matter of trust, you don't have to trust me, but you can trust him to protect you," eyeing Danny.

"Alright, I'll stop him from doing anything but talk fast."

Nodding he slipped the gear back on Danny and the half ghost finished changing form only to be stopped as Sam put her hand on him, "ok what just happened," shifting his glance back and forth not sure how they'd moved so fast.

"We're going to listen, if we don't like what he says then you can hit him."

"Very wise," the ghost grinning at them, "I am Clockwork, master of time, and what has happened is my fault."

"What," Danny floating in the air, not sure how else to respond.

"What do you mean your responsible," Sam asked, "you mean for everything that happened to Danny?"

"To him and you, and them," nodding towards Tobias, "I played a regrettable hand in it."

"So you're here to what set it right," Sam hissed slipping back into a fighting stance a quick look to Danny letting him know that he might want to power up, "to turn me into her!"

"Actually I'm here to thank you for preventing that from happening," bringing the staff closer to his body, sifting from his adult form to an old man, "that was a tragedy that I was regrettably unable to prevent on my end."

"Um…Ok," Danny lowing to the ground, "you had what to do with this?"

"It's because of my abilities that allowed Saber to transverse time, as well as you," nodding at Danny, "and I do regret my hand in it. She used my home to hold me in place, just out of time to allow her to continue her plan, a cycle that would've repeated if not for you."

"So that's not going to happen, everything Danny saw is done with?"

"Yes and no," looking at Tobias and floating towards him, "your friend is very wise," his back to the others. "There are many twists and turns in the river of time, many outlets that can be taken, and many of them can remerge with other streams. In a sense nothing is ever quite out of reach, however most beings can only see in a straight line, the past and immediate future, I however can see everything, what might happen, what might not, every possibility is open to me," his voice wavering for a moment.

"So it can still happen," Danny asked.

"Anything can happen young ghost," Clockwork looking back at them, "as I have tried to say the future is endless and what happens can only be determined by you, by the choices everyone makes everyday."

"This is beginning to sound like an after school special," Sam hissed getting a laugh from Danny.

"I suppose it is," the time ghost smiling, "in any case I just wished to thank you in person and allowing me to continue to exist within time."

"Yeah….no problem," the half ghost scratching the back of his head then snapping his fingers, feeling a little off at having another ghost that didn't want to fight him, "whoa wait what happened to my sister, shadow, the Time Matrix one second they were there then I say you moving really fast and they disappeared?"

"They are where they once were, back in the time and place they belong."

"You just dropped them backing that nightmare!" his eyes glowing green.

"It was where and when they belong, it may not seem fair, but they deserve to be with their family, whether you know it or believe it, they both wish to be there, it's their home regardless of how much they may outwardly hate it."

"Then how can you say they wanted to go back!"

"She was dieing Daniel, if she died here her spirit would've been stuck in this time and wherever it's future leads, by sending her back she's in her time and with those she loves. That was more important to her than anything else in the world."

"And Saber and Time Matrix?"

"She attempted to alter time, thus she falls to me to deal with don't concern yourself more with it."

"Great, can you be a little more specific?"

"No Daniel I cannot," smiling at him, "and I wouldn't concern yourself with you fluctuation power either."

"How did you, a little afraid the ghost was reading his mind."

"Master of Time, I've been looking in on the various futures, in many of them your very concerned with it, don't be. The misshapes in the future was the result of a faulty time medallion, the same kind you now where around your neck."

Holding it up to his face, "but I wasn't wearing one of these."

"Actually you were just not in the conventional sense, these allow individuals to exist outside time, at least with my power, Saber put one inside one of the Taxxons, when you were both hurt it somehow transferred to you putting you outside of time. However the explosion also damaged it, the result was your powers failing in the future but not the past…that is to say your present."

"Great ghost surgery," Danny rolling his eyes.

"In essence, I have since removed it so you don't have to worry about it."

"Cool, I guess….um is that it?"

"Yes," floating over to the pair and looking at Sam, "don't let the future concern you my dear more often than not your future is very bright, not always expected but always very bright." Looking at Danny, "don't worry about your sister, future or present, she'll endure, you have a tendency to surround yourself with strong women that can weather more than you think, if you merely give them the opportunity. And," raising his finger, "should you need my services call on me, I feel it is important to pay off my debits and I owe you, owe all of you, one of great signifagance," hovering around them and making them turn around allowing him to see there unmoving companion one last time.

"Um…How?" Sam, asked as the clock hands reappeared and tore a hole in air.

"Just ask to see me I will come, after all I know everything long before it happens," turning his staff and lifting their amulets off with the end before they could stop him, both freezing as soon as they were removed. "I will be checking in on you from time to time," he smiles hovering into the vortex, time restarting as the hole closed.

In the distance Sam and Danny could hear the soft steps of Tobias as he left and both considered stopping him but didn't, both wanting to process what they had seen without his help.

"I remember when things use to be easy, when everything made sense."

"Huh when was that," one of Danny's eyebrows raised.

"Pretty much before I met you, everyday after that's been insane."

"Thanks a lot Sam," shaking his head and dropping down into one of her chairs and closing his eyes, his head hurting from all the talk of time travel, parallel timelines, and the desires of people that may or may not still exist. "What does a migraine feel like," holding his temples.

* * *

**DP Style**

Out of a white hole Clockwork walked through the hall of his home, portals of lining the walls showing various scenes from points in time allover earth. Great wars, moments of piece, sacrifices, tragedies, death, birth and so much more, each moment meaning something to him even if it meant nothing to anyone else. Stopping at one wall he hung up the two amulets no longer needing them and shaking his head, amazed things had played out the way they had.

Turning around he looked at one of the portals and wove his staff, the image changing to that of the time Danny had come from, only different several months having passed, his time there having changed it. Dan now stood back to back with Tobias and Rachel the trio fighting off a horde of Taxxons, beyond them a ghostly Valerie with batlike wings and Tom held off did their best to heard a group of humans away from the fight. High in the sky a fully human looking ghostly Jasmine, wrapped in shadow, and Tucker, now in gold, save his right arm that chrome and ivory with stubbly little fingers. On the upper arm was burned 'T&N' with a little heart around it, a reminder of his lost love. The two did there best to guide the fight and helped out where they could.

"Everything returning to what it should be, no thanks to you," turning and looking at Saber still nailed to the Time Matrix and displaced from time. "All your plans, all your manipulations, they're all falling apart, families are rebuilding, hope is returning, and the future for them is growing brighter."

"And your playing a very dangerous game," the words booming despite their softness and shaking the foundation of the castle and everyone in it

"I know what I'm doing," Clockwork not bothering to look around already knowing who it was, having expected the visit for quite some time.

"Do you," the room glowing behind him as the voice gained a form, a short old man with a long beard in a flowing robe and long winding walking stick, in short the human appearance of The Ellimist, "son?"

"I know what I'm doing father," he spoke calmly addressing the being with all the respect he deserved but still not facing him.

"Your manipulating time, you are an observer nothing more, it is not your place to take action."

"It is now," glaring at Saber with hate in his eyes.

"That is not why I made you," tapping his staff on the ground and making the ghost look at him.

"I don't care," staring at the ghost woman.

"Revenge is not our way," The Ellimist words cool and calm, not allowing himself to grow angry.

"Don't make me laugh, I know you better than that, your just worried about your precious rules, that my actions will give cause to The Crayak to strike back. He won't, he can't, I didn't break any of your rules, everything that happened because of them not me, I did nothing but watch and hope."

"And her," pointing at Saber,

"She is displaced from time, and there fore in my realm, I'll deal with her in due time."

"Then you are aware you can't hold her forever."

"I know, at some point the healing will end and she will be free, when that time comes I will deal with her personally, till then she stays put."

"Still its a dangerous game."

"One I'm well prepared for," still watching her gaining a measure of satisfaction from seeing her like that.

"Liar," turning from the woman and to the portal to the future, "you forget you have but a fraction of my abilities, I know what this is really about, who this is really about."

Clockwork growled at that but relented already knowing there was no point in trying to hide his plan, "our story is a generational one, why should I not be concerned with the welfare of my son."

"He is not your son," The Ellimist sighed not wanting to have this conversation again, "you do not have children."

"One hundred sixteen children, three hundred ninety-seven grand children, five hundred twelve great grand childr…."

"STOP IT, YOU HAVE NO CHILDERN THEY ARE…."

"Echo's of the past so you keep telling me, shadows of what I was, I know, that doesn't mean they weren't mine. I can still feel each and every one of them, remember their laughter, their tears, their touch, their love they were mine and I was theirs and you will never take that from me father."

"They were not yours, you have nothing but the memories of those that have accumulated within you nothing more."

"And what is a person but his memories," not willing to give an inch in the old argument, "the memories of live stolen by me because you decided I was needed for your great plan, your game."

"The Time Matrix is needed, you were an unintended consequence, an accident that only occurred once in over six billion simulations."

"But I did happen father, and I do exist."

"Something I've come to accept, even be proud of, but you can't do things like this, he is not your son."

"He is," snapping the words for a moment shifting from a young boy into a woman wearing the same outfit then centaur like alien with four eyes still dressed the same before returning to his normal adult male form. "I held Tobias in my arms, both of them, he is my son father, I couldn't let that happen."

"He is not your son," grabbing the ghost and spinning him around to look him in the eyes, "he is Loren and Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul's son you simply have a fraction of their memories."

"The memories of their life as family, as husband and wife, that is till you tore him away and altered time, rewrote it, that part of their life together, there being, their souls, joining with me like all those that have used the power of the Time Matrix. In everyway that matters that makes him mine twice over, I carried him, held him, bathed him, loved him, everything that is his parents is within me and even if I can't be with him it doesn't mean I won't protect him as best I can, if that means altering one of your precious plans so be it, for him, for his family I will do so in a heart beat."

"Such rash plans lead to disaster son, do you know what might happen now?"

"I do," waving his staff the portal changing thousands of new scenarios flashing by so fast it was impossible for any but them to perceive the images. "Some futures are worse some are better, in the end it doesn't matter though, it wasn't as though your grand plan can't adapt. That is your credo isn't it father, plan for everything, always factor in free will?"

For a moment The Ellimist just stared at him then started laughing a strange haunting alien laugh that echoed off the walls. "I knew I taught you well," floating up to him and putting his hand son his shoulder, "you are correct son, I do have plans for this eventuality, but that doesn't change the fact that you endangered a great deals on plans to alter one life."

"A life that is precious to you as well, I've watched you fawn over him, your emissary, your weapon, your grandson."

At that The Ellimist sighed, "I may acknowledge you as my offspring, but don't think I will acknowledge your components as my offspring."

"But you do care for him and his family father, that you cannot deny."

"I do, and I am proud of you son, but I fear you have brought a great evil into this time, one even you can't control, when you heal," looking at the Time Matrix, "she will be free, and that may endanger everyone, even those you claim to care for."

"As I said your not the only one with plans father," leaning on his staff, "however how they unfold will depend on the actions of my son's chosen family."

"Very well then," nodding his head, "then I will leave them in your care my son, guide them as best you can, and should you need me, call, bur remember I to have plans, be careful you do not interfere with them."

"Understood father, I will live up to the trust you have shown me," The Ellimist nodding his head and vanishing from Clockwork's side as the time spirit continued to watch the portal a new image appearing, one of Saber in battle him a teenage girl with flowing red hair, a rust red feather intertwined in in, and piercing yellow eyes with the claws of beast slipping out of her fingers and glowing equipment criss-crossing her body, "and if they can not deal with her then my granddaughter will fulfill that unenviable task."

* * *

Authors notes 

Looking back I'm not sure this really my best work, it seemed like a good idea in my head, then I started writing it, it went through like three midway rewrites, and I'm not sure how to feel about it.

Skulker and his team do work for Saber (not sure if I made that clear), and when he asks about the wife that's not a mistake, that's not a mistake that's what he calls Dan.

Originally this story was going to be a semi straight retelling of TUE but with animorph elements, but the more I looked at I had some problems with it, never really understood some of the time travel elements of TUE, the whole thing with Danny and Dark Danny making it happen never felt real to me (if Danny knows what's going to happen why would he still ask Vlad to tear the ghost out of him?) But I digress, as the story went on in concept I formed the resistance with Val and Tobias and some humans, that later gave way to what was in the story and I just kept making there parts bigger. Dan was originally going t be the big bad, then I decided to write him in a nicer light to throw people off only to turn him bad at the end, then I started to like him, and felt it might be a good fake out and started to look at the others, continually changing the story to allow others to live and figuring out who might have the most to gain. In the end it came down to Jazz and Saber, and I just had better tricks, and I really want to have an evil Sam in the story waiting to strike. I do like the idea of brining her back and giving her a major role in the future I'm just not sure what yet since she's basically random at the moment.

Yes I'm a big fan of 'Beauty Marked' so I put in the dragons, and the executioner ghost, and expect them more in the future, very big plans for them.

Clockwork, looking back I don't really think I explained him and as hard as I tried I just couldn't get it in there so here it is. CW is made up of the displaces lives of those that have used the Time Matrix or been temporally altered by his fathers power. He's actually made up of many lives from many worlds (including bits of a young Visser 3) but looks human because this is the world he's currently attached to. Whatever planet the TM is so is he. So basically Tobias' parents lives together are all mixed up in him, so in all the ways that really matter he is the birds parent, and such feels a great deal of love for him but isn't sure how to approach him (lets face it who would be in this situation). This may or may not come into play later I'm not sure yet, I haven't gotten that far in the planning stage. Expect to see CW again, I have plans for him in another story that may grow into a larger role.

A lot of he ideas about weapons and powers intorduced in this story are basically ideas I've had for a while and wanted to put in but taken about 5 steps further, expect to see their assendants soon.

Now the biggie, the Jazz, Tobias, Rachel relationship, follow my train of thought here. Suppose you marry someone and they die then you remarry later and the two on you live to old age and die. Now in the afterlife you meet your first spouse and you discover you still love them and they love you but you also love your current spouse, where does that leave you? In this contexts I have no problem with all involved being in a relationship provided all agree to it. I know this may tick some people off, and I'm not saying I endorsethis in real life, I'm just saying in this fictional context I can see it working for these three people. If this offends people I'm sorry, it's just an idea I'm throwing out there

Please R&R


	13. If your going to go home

**Tobias POV**

Aliens, dinosaurs, mutants, robots, time travel, ghosts, I've seen them all, so it's funny that the scariest things in my life have always been teenage girls. I don't mean that in a I'm afraid of girls-painfully shy scenario, I mean almost everyone I've ever known has been slightly nuts and had gotten in a fist fight, in one form or another, with someone trying to kill them. It's not an intentional thing, it isn't, it just keeps happening to me and I don't know why, but if I could change it I wouldn't, they make me nut but I've loved each and everyone of them in one form or another.

That's what lead me here, just before day break, in the middle of the forest, chasing down a freaking giraffe that use to be a redheaded teenager, yeah I attack the weird ones.

(JAZZ YOU HAVE TO CALM DOWN,) screaming the words from the sky at her as the giraffe mind totally over shadowed her human consciousness. (I told her to start small but no, I can do it Tobias, it's just a giraffe, they're kind and gentile creatures it won't be that hard to control one, and besides haven't you ever wondered what it was like? I'm going to have to shoot that girl,) shifting my wings and hitting a headwind and shooting in front of her. (JAZZ GET IT TOGETHER FIGHT IT!)

She'd been like this for almost ten minutes, I wasn't sure which part of the long necks instincts were doing a number on her, but they were impressive because I couldn't get through to her no matter how hard I tried, shy of opening her up and I was holding that back till absolutely necessary. The again with the way she was running, which was pretty impressive given the footing and trees around her, she'd hit the road soon, and a wild giraffe, even in the middle of no where, will attract attention, and we do that enough without her accidentally adding more.

(JASMINE FENTON GET CONTROL AND DO IT NOW,) focusing the thoughts on a tight beam, (IF YOU DON'T YOUR NOT GETTING NEW BODIES.) I knew that was an empty threat, I'd made the mistake of telling her how to go about acquiring DNA from the zoo which was how we were in this little mess to begin with. I watched her for another minute yelling various things at her, the same things I'd yelled at the others years ago when the animals instincts took over, but this time it wasn't working in the slightest.

(Fine red, you want to act like an animal we'll settle this like animals,) training my eyes on her head and letting the hawk side of my mind take more control as I narrowed my laser like vision on a target. Pulling my wings back I shot forward like a missile, my target growing larger buy the second, every moment that passed I made tiny course correction with my feathers to make sure I did this right the first time since I wasn't really sure what kind of reflex's this animal had. I didn't have to worry long though as my time came, my talons open and struck, hitting the beast in the face, more specifically in the right eye and tore upward taking a chunk of it with me. Like any animal in the situation she threw her head back and screamed, it was weird I hadn't really heard a giraffe make noise before. It was low, a little like a sheep actually, but loud, as fitting the kind of damage I'd done, it's long tongue coming out of it's mouth.

(Jazz can you hear me,) looking down at her as she stomped the ground with her hoof, (you have to fight your way to the surface and you have to do it now before we get in trouble.) For a moment nothing happened then it hit me, curse words I'd never even heard of spilling out of her mind, mentally threatening to do things to me I wasn't even sure were possible even for her brother and I. (So you done,) I finally asked as she started wearing out mentally and physically and laying down as best she could on the ground.

(You took my eye,) she whined one last time.

(Your lucky that's all I took,) Flapping down and landing in a tree, the bits of flesh between my toes making a soft squish.

(You could've done anything else to me,) glaring up at me with her one good eye and demorphing, the hole filling as she shrank.

(You may have been big, it didn't make you invincible, I could've dropped you a dozen ways, that was just the fastest. Now what have we learned,) looking at the now fully human teenager.

She glared up at me with a look of hate but finally relented, "never assume an animal is going to be easy just because it looks docile."

(And?)

"And what?" putting her hands on her hips.

(And I will not hesitate to drop you if you get out of control. It's not something I'm proud of, but I will do it.)

"You'd kill me," the words small in her mouth.

(No, but I will take you down if I feel I have to, remember Jazz, this isn't a game, people can get hurt if we aren't in control. I know you don't want that and I'd rather you be mad at me for hurting you than be made at yourself for accidentally killing someone.)

"I'd rather I not be mad at you period."

(Ditto,) nodding my head slightly.

"I'll try better ok?"

(All I can ask,) dropping out of the tree and flaring my wings landing on her shoulder, (so any luck learning how to morph clothing?)

"Depends on your definition of luck, I've annihilated six shirt over the last few days."

(Yeah that happened to us to,) a little laugh in my voice as she smiled at me, obviously embarrassed, (trust me once you find that magic combination you'll be able to do it ever time.)

"Says you," rolling her eyes at me and sitting down on the ground nearly throwing off my balance for a few seconds but I caught myself.

(Yes says me and unfortunately I'm all you really have to go on, since) spreading my wings out and away from her head, (there's no one else to ask on this planet.)

"What about Nikki," a mysterious smile from on her face that made my blood go cold.

(Leave her out of this,) getting a giggle out of her.

"Oh but she had such good stories," smirking even more, "there's so much about your life you neglected to mention," her face losing all signs of humor, "like the girls locker room."

(Um…yeah…no…what…carp,) struggling to find the right words to explain that moment. (Ok you weren't there and I really doubt you really understand the context of the story,) the situation quickly escaping my control.

"You, Marco, girls shower, rats, what am I missing?" glaring at me, the bird wanting to fly away, but I knew she'd interpret it as an admission of guilt.

(One we were not going there to ogle them, well Marco was but that's Marco, we were going there because we thought there was a new entrance to the Yeerk pool, that's it.)

"And the other five times she saw you?"

(…….) I was totally at a lose for words and made plans to kill Nikki if I ever saw her again, (you ever talk to your brother he does things a lot worse than me,) trying desperately to shift the conversation to anyone else.

"Birdie," she hissed her face growing kinder, "it's ok, I'm not exactly thrilled but I understand the lure of power, I've been experiences it for a while now. Just tell me to things, you kept your paws, or whatever you had to yourself, and," grabbing my head in her hands, "that you haven't done it to me."

(Looked never touched, only went to keep Marco from doing some stupid, and I respect you to much,) spreading my wings and flying away from her and to a tree, mostly to get out of range.

"That's not a no," she growled.

(Depends on your definition, no moment prior to when I acquired your DNA, after that, saw you twice, but from a weird angle, and it's nothing you probably didn't have to do with your brothers DNA.)

"Sick birdie," snatching a piece of word from the ground and flinging it at me with a surprising amount of accuracy and speed. A quick flap let me avoid it but not by much as bounced off a tree behind me with a considerable crash. (Let me guess pitcher on baseball team,) looking back, (one that used a lot of steroids.)

"Keep making jokes, see where it gets you."

(Sorry,) gliding down and morphing my human form, "just in my nature lately, been on edge for the last few days."

"Danny?" looking at me and folding her arms, her meaning clear to me.

"Yep, I've seen a lot and despite the BS I was spouted to him, all of you, about understanding time, lets just say I'm not to comfortable with that area."

"About time we've found something your not an expert in," patting the ground next to her.

"Never claimed to be an expert in anything Jazz, I've just seen a lot," sitting down next to her and leaning on a tree trunk. "And I've done the time travel thing, doesn't mean I like it or trust it, I've seen enough movies to know it generally ends badly."

"You think that's what's going to happen here?"

Shrugging, "not sure, probably won't till it's too late."

"Way to think positively," shaking her head.

"What can I say I get nervous if I don't know all the facts and these are some pretty big blanks."

For a while after that neither one of us spoke, I couldn't speak for Jazz but I was lost in thoughts, my limited time travel experiences telling me more than a few ways this could all end badly. Finally Jazz turned to me and nudged me in the shoulder, "I know something you don't," giving me a small smile.

"How I'm going to be buried," I hissed darkly not really in the mood.

"Come on birdie," pushing me again, "lighten up, aren't you the one that tells me not to let what might happen bother me and live in the now."

"I don't think I ever said that….EVER."

"Well I'm saying you did, now do you want to know what I know or not?"

"Fine I'll play along, what do you know," giving into her teasing, something about the girl putting me at ease.

"I got an Email from Nikki."

"Oh this is going to be good," defiantly have to kill that metal mutt, "which of my horribly embarrassing stories did she tell you."

"In this one none, doesn't mean I might not learn any, but back to the topic at hand, apparently your old school is having a reunion for your class and…."

"No," cutting her off, already knowing where it was going

"But"

"No, those people aren't my friends anymore, that place isn't my home, I don't have a reason to go back, even if everything hadn't happened the way it did I wouldn't have a reason to go back. I hated that place, the school, my Uncle, that city is one long scar to me, the only good thing there are the Chee, as far as I'm concerned that place doesn't exist anymore."

"You can't mean that," giving me a worried look.

"Yeah I do Jazz, I'm not going back there I have no reason and I really don't want to, so this discussion is over."

"But…"

"Over," I snapped pushing off the ground an walking away from her, my feathers growing as I did and flapping into a tree and away from her.

"BIRDIE, TOBIAS," she barked into the sky and following me, not that it mattered, she might've been getting good, but I was still the best out of all of us in the sky and there was no way she would catch up. After thirty or so minutes she finally gave in and left me and headed back towards her home and let me think without her over my shoulder.

I knew she probably thought I was being childish, that I was throwing a temper tantrum, and maybe I was a little, but the truth was she really didn't get it. Every inch of that town held a memory for me, something I'd done, something one of the others had done, lives we'd saved, people that had died, things that were hard for me to deal with and accept, things I didn't want to face again. Things that were made all the harder by the fact that those that lived it beside me couldn't even remember my name, didn't even know how close we'd become. Honestly it was hard to face the phantoms of the past that had forgotten me, a past that as far as the world at large was concerned didn't happen.

(You think this is funny don't you,) looking up at the sky and hissing at the personifications of irony and rage, and especially Nikki for putting me in this position. (I like it here, as screwed up as that sounds I do, this life is weird and complicated, but it's my home now, why would you send Jazz a reason to make me go back you daughter of a toaster,) screaming at the sky as long and loud as I could.

I flew till long past dark trying to work things out in my head, I knew Jazz would want me to go back now more than ever, she'd probably spin something about needing to face my past, my demons. That was something I'd done enough in my life, besides with all the demons I had, facing them could take several life times. I also knew one very important thing, that redhead wouldn't let this go, I could hold out for years, but one way or another she'd find a way to get me back to that nightmare, so it became a matter of how long could I stall her or did I really have it in me to leave her over this.

(Yeah that's going to happen,) I hissed sarcastically to myself, I couldn't just walk away from her, she was family to me now and I wasn't going to abandon her. I might not have been able to say the words but I cared about her more than almost anyone else I could think of and I doubted I could leave her if I wanted to, especially over something trivial like this.

(So now the waiting game,) looking up at the full moon, the wild moon, and wondered where and how this would all play out.

* * *

**DP Style**

"Faster, more precision, stop attempting and do it," moving back quickly away from the strike, the same thing he'd been doing for almost an hour, his opponent having yet to actually touch him.

"WHOULD YOU JUST….," his opponent snapped lashing forward through the air as fast as he could, his claws out. Without word the strike was dodged the defender dropping to one knee and striking up into the gut of the attacker, his palm open as a multisided energy construct formed in it and propelled the attacker into the air. Hitting the ceiling with a thud, the blazing ghost fell to the ground a moment later his fire extinguishing as he hit.

"Pitiful," the Fright Knight sighed standing over David, the ghost panting out of instinct, "you may have the aggression of a warrior but none of the skills."

"Keep talking and I'll rip your throat out," David growled, a ripple of fire running over his body only to stop as the black clad warrior crushed his throat under his boot.

"You will do nothing of the sort child, you can't even stand against me, you lack a warriors discipline, it's skill, it's heart. So long as your sole desire is victory you will never beat me, you could try for a thousand years, using anything and everything at your disposal and in the end you will always be defeated."

"I kicked your shiny butt the first time we met," David rasped as best he could.

"You held me off child, you did not beat me, had the fight continued the result would be the same as it is now, with you at my feet, where you belong," crushing his throat a little further then pulling away and letting the ghost cough and spit as he tried to regain his breath, another hold over from his days as a human. "At this rate you will never progress, you will never be a threat to anyone," shaking his head.

"I did a number on the bird and his little girl toy," he hissed sitting up.

"You did nothing to him," the Knight laughing in a way that annoyed David to no end, it was the kind of laugh that made him question what he knew. "He can not be broken by the likes of you, I knew him but a short while, but in that time I saw a warrior of steel forged in the fires of the infernos abyss. You could hurt his body, but you could never kill his spirit boy, not even on your best day could you come close, he is in a league far beyond you."

"I did beat him, the coward," standing up on weak legs, "I made him….," his words stopping as the Knight elbowed him in the neck cutting off his words then shot back, his forearm against his throat and pinning him to the wall.

"Listen to me child, whatever you may have accomplished, it does not make you a warrior, and it did not let you break him. I can recognize the measure of a man by his eyes alone, in your eyes I see a worm, a coward hiding behind power and bravado. The bird had eyes of noble killer, a warrior of the highest standards, eyes I have only seen on a few, and each was a worthy battle and each still rings in my mind. Even the ghost boy had eyes of a fighter, young, inexperienced, but determined and with the ability to put fear behind him for the right reasons. Compared to them, you are nothing and you never will be, you are little more than a bump on the road to their greatness, do not think yourself anymore than that."

Without another word he pulled back, not bothering to look back as David fell back to the ground, and left the room, the large wood and stone door slamming behind him, one of the vultures waiting for him. "The boss wants to see you," his little fez sliding back and forth on his head.

"I'll be there momentarily," waving the bird ghost off and slamming his elbow on the door as it slid open and knocked David back down to the ground. "Idiot," shaking his head and following the trail of the glowing green bird to Vlad's study, the halfa in his human form, "you requested me?"

Closing the book he was looking at and the half ghost looked up at him, "tell me, why do you insist in abusing my newest acquisition?"

"You told me to train him, I'm trying to do so?"

"Training involves teaching, all I've seen you do is physically and verbally abuse him and while I don't have a problem with that per-se I would like to know what your planning. No wait," lifting his hand and stopping the warrior from specking his intentions, "your trying to make him angry, you want to push him further than he would normally take himself by telling him he's worse than Tobias. An excellent plan I don't know why I didn't see you concocting that sooner."

"Because it's not," the Knight holding his sword, "everything I have told him has been the truth, he is weak, he is a coward and the bird will defeat him every time they battle at least till he gives up this notion of his superiority. To put it simply his ego is out of control, till he reins it in he will never be an effective warrior, and even then I question how far his skills can go."

"So you think he is worthless to me?"

"I believe what he can do is limited, but even those limitations can be used to our advantage if applied properly. He would be a good expendable weapon, something to buy us…you time in battle, but at the moment I wouldn't depend on him to defeat your enemies."

"So he is a worthless cause," his eyes glowing red.

"Again no, he can be useful provided he can be broken, but regrettably his ego will not allow him to face the truth, to see himself for who he is."

"What can be done," he growled looking away from the spirit of Halloween.

"I'm not sure….yet," sensing the anger from the halfa, "he can be broken it's just a matter of discovering how to do so. When that happens I can easily double his skills, make him a true force but even so what he can end up being is debatable, he will never be a true warrior but he can be a worthy opponent."

"Then do so, plans hinge on him, if he can't counted on then I will have to find another who can."

"I understand," bowing to him more a sign of submission then respect, despite his powers the Fright Knight had little respect for the man but did his best to hide that fact at every opportunity.

"Then go," picking his book back up and flipping pages, "whatever it takes makes him dependable," not looking up from the pages.

"As you desire," walking out of the room, the door swinging shut behind him, plans already forming in his mind, simply needing Vlad's permission to go that extra step to prepare the boy for the tasks that lay in the future. "The question still remains though how best to make him into a weapon that can be controlled," speaking to himself "how do I forget him into something useful." He wandered the halls for a few moments, lost in thought, plans popping into his head then being discarded almost as soon as they formed for this reason or that till he found himself in one of Vlad's many labs. The three vultures were perched at a table playing poker, each one with an unreadable look on his face as they tried to bluff the others.

"Bet or fold I'm not getting any younger," the one in glasses hissed.

"Bah like a few minutes would help the train wreck you call a face," the one on the left snapped looking at his cards again and throwing a few chips with his talons.

"Stop your squawking you little chicks," the last barked throwing out his chips.

"You three," the Knight barked, making them turn and glare at him, the distain they had for each other was palpable, yet there was a measure of respect as well, each recognizing the others strengths. "I need you assistance using this," waving at the computer, "thing."

"Be with you in a second I need to finish this hand," one barked turning their backs on him. For a moment he considered ordering them but let it go, they understood everything here better than he did, and angering them wouldn't help him in the least. "I call, what you got?"

"Three aces," a smug look on the birds face

"Hey you can't have that," the one in glasses squawked, "because I got two aces and we're only using one deck," throwing his own cards down.

"Well I got two aces and three kings so I beat all of you cheat'n buzzards," the last laughing tossing his hand out.

"Why you," the other two speaking in unison and hopping onto the table, "no way you…"

"ALL OF YOU HERE NOW," the Fright Knight roared, the flame around his head popping and flaring up getting all their attention and stopping the argument.

"Fine what do you want Mr. Flame-Pants?"

"I want you to run this contraption, there's information I need."

"Fine fine, what do you want?" one asked while all three hopped and flapped over to various consuls.

The Knight sat down on a table and pulled his blade and began sharpening it, "Vlad has been looking into our guests past hasn't he?"

"That crazy kid yeah, real psycho that one, I started keeping my cage locked at night because of him," the one in the glasses half laughed half hissed, deadly serious.

"Show me everything, nothing is to small or insignificant."

"That's a lot of stuff, wanna narrow it down a little."

"Focus on his life in the living realm, preferably something with his old acquaintances, something that will attract Tobias as well."

"Oooo sacrificing out little bird brother, I like it," the all three tapping on key boards with their talons while the various screens filled up numbers and images.

"The girl's have a press conference, in New York," one barked.

"One of the boy's is having a kid, definite potential, but it'll take a few months"

"I think I have a winner and it starts in tomorrow days."

"Perfect," the Knight leaning over the birds wing to look at the screen and read off what he'd found, "arrange for him to discover this."

"Which one the blood thirsty boy or our distant cousin?"

"The boy," his eyes narrowing, "I believe it will take other means to convince the bird to go."

One of the birds looked at him, "you have a plan don't you, does the boss know?"

"He ordered me to do whatever is necessary, I'm simply fulfilling those ends in my own way."

"Sneaky, be careful it doesn't bite you in the tuchus," tapping on the keyboard.

"I know what I'm doing," his mind several moves ahead to what was to come, and the rewards it would give him. "Can you arrange for David to be watched at all time, but in secret, I want this recorded and I don't want anyone there to know about it."

The birds looked back and forth at each other nodding, "I think we might have something that can do that, not sure how reliable it is."

"If it can records even half of what I need it'll be enough."

The trio looked and that even though none of them spoke they all knew what the others were thinking, 'schmuck.'

* * *

**DP Style**

"So how's it going Tuck," Danny asked watching the teen tap his PDA with a perplexed look on his face.

"I have no idea what I'm looking at here," putting the device down and rubbing his eyes and backing away from the glove Danny had brought from his time in the future. "I mean I know some of the systems, and the alien up grades to my PDA, very cool by the why didn't someone tell me about this sooner, make this a lot easier, but still this is hard. This is defiantly an advanced version of the Ghost Gloves mixed with the schismatics for the ecto-skeleton, but everything's so condensed and efficient, and some of this stuff is defiantly not from earth. I'm not sure I could replicated it if I had twenty years, a fully stocked lab and a couple of assistants."

"So in other words, we're not getting more of these any time soon?"

"Better, if I reverse engineered this I could be one of the richest men in the country, heck the world, we're talking buy my own island rich."

"And I can only imagine how terrifying that would be," Sam sighed in the door way Danny's room, her jacket off, the arms of her hazmat suit on display, "tropical beaches as far as the eye can see, lined with super computers."

"Like you would even go to the beach," Danny laughed looking over at her as she walked over.

"And it wouldn't be pure computers, I'd have a strip set away for my ladies, my many many ladies," a smirk on the tech experts face.

"Yes but they'd only want you for your money," the goth patting him on the shoulder.

"Take what you can get," tossing Danny the glove, "you want more of those your going to have to talk to the bird and get him to bring one of the robo-dogs back cause they may be the only things talking to us that have the equipment to do it."

"Tuck they can bunch press a truck, I won't be calling them robo-dogs if I were you."

"All the same they might be the only things that can do this, at least for a few years," tapping the PDA a few mores times at various screens popped up, "man this thing is cool, you sure I can't open it up?"

"You can but sis say's it'll explode if you do," Danny sighed and rolled his eyes, Tucker having asked the same question a few dozen times since he found out about the alien upgrades.

"So you two have spent how many days just to find out you were wasting your time?"

"This is what day two?"

"Yeah," Tucker sliding his glasses back up, "but we're in school for part of that so it doesn't really count."

"There you go, not totally wasted time," Danny corrected, "and at least it does work so that's one edge I have that's actually dependable."

At that Sam smirked, having sat in on one of his training sessions, while she herself tried to figure out how her stolen hover board worked. Despite more than a few mishaps she was starting to get good at it, she'd more or less mastered basic flight with Danny and Tobias' help and she was starting to get into more complex maneuvers. After those where down she had every intention of figuring out how to turn the weapons on but that was still a few days away at best, if anything she knew she wasn't going to get to them for weeks. "So how is your training coming, last I checked…"

"Yeah," nodding his head, "lets just say I'm beginning to understand why he insists on training in the woods. I'm also really glad stuff drops off me and I can become intangible, because other wise I'd probably be in the hospital for the rest of my life. Man I really wish I still had the shadow, all I had to do was want to do something and it happened, now I have to actually figure it out, this really reeks, because I know what I can do I just have no idea how to actually do it."

"It can't be that bad?" Tucker asked having heard a few stories from Danny but not actually seeing any of the practicing the two did.

"Lets just say you know where I've been by the scotch marks on the ground."

"Not to mention the burnt patch of trees," his sister added from the door.

"Thanks a lot," glaring at the redhead, a little surprised to see her, "thought you were hanging out with the redtail all day?"

"Was going to," leaning against the door frame, "he didn't like the idea of the reunion."

"Told you so," rolling his eyes having warned her he probably would take the idea well.

"Yeah yeah," folding her arms over her chest, "turns out he has some real hostility issues towards that place. Granted I knew that going in, but still, I had no idea it was that bad for him, I've never seen him throw up defenses like that that fast."

"This isn't going to end well is it," Tucker asked already seeing where this was going based on past experiences with the girl.

She glared over at him, "meaning?"

"Your going to but into his business, and make him nuts till he sees your side, and if not you'll run the idea into the ground."

"Tucker," Danny hissed in warning.

"No I'm not going to do that," she snapped back, "I get it, this isn't a place he wants to go back to and with good reason. I'm just saying I'm really surprised he threw the walls up this fast, makes me wonder if he's ever really going to want to go back, if there's not something greater wrong with him, or a bigger problem there."

"Sound like your butting in to me," slipping his PDA into his backpack.

"No I'm just worried about him, something's up and I just wish I knew what it was, there's a real problem here, it might just be beyond my ability to find, at least until I can get him to open up," looking at her brother.

"Whoa, wait pause," holding his hands up, "if your thinking what I think your thinking, forget it. Right now he and I are in a good place, we're not exactly friends, but at least we can talk without killing each other, and we have some respect for each other, I'm not putting that in danger by being your….," looking for the right word, "…whatever," giving up on finding it.

"Danny," she sighed.

"No, he's your boyfriend you talk to him."

"He's as much my boyfriend as Sam is your girlfriend."

"Exactly," nodding his head, "wait…what….no…yes….what," not sure what she had just said.

Sam was ready to chime in but couldn't , "I have absolutely no idea what he just said."

"I'm not sure either," running her fingers through her hair, a slight blush creeping over Jazz's face as she realized what she'd just said, "so…um…you won't help?"

"I'll help, but I won't drag things out of him, and chances are if he's not telling you he's not telling me."

"Well you could ask his friend," Sam suggested, "I mean Nicole does know him better than we do, or at least longer, she might have some more insight, or at least she has the ability to drag his butt there."

"That could work," looking down the hallway then sticking her head back in her brothers room, "you might if I use your computer, dad's kinda borrowing mine."

"Borrowing?" Sam asked lifting an eyebrow.

"He said he needed spare pasts for something and I haven't seen it in the last two days, I know he'll get it back I'm just not sure when."

"So you've been using what for the last few days?"

"Pretty much the ones at school, dad's already gotten to the one in the basement so I don't know when it'll be back."

"Go ahead jerking his thumb at the device."

"Thanks," slipping into the chair and getting on the internet and going to her Email a new message warning flashing and going top it out of instinct.

"Hey," her brother playfully barked looking over her shoulder, "I said you could send a message not check 'um."

"One second," looking at the title and swallowing hard, her mouth growing dry when she one of them.

"That doesn't say what I think it does, does it," looking at her.

"Depends," the others gathering around, "do you see something other than 'David is coming'?"

"This is bad," Sam looking around out of instinct, "Danny anything going off on your end?"

"No Ghost Sense all day, think we should go switch on the ghost shield?"

"Maybe we should open the message first, maybe it's a prank," Tucker offered.

Jazz looking up at the boy, "that's a pretty specific prank and it is targeting us."

"Maybe they're sending them to everyone, like chain letters or spam, or a virus," shrugging his shoulders and staring at the message.

"Or we could do this," Sam reaching over and grabbing the mouse from Jazz and clicking on it.

"SAM," Danny barked looking at her.

"If your computer crashes I'll buy you a new one, I want to know what's going on."

"BUT," the half ghost his eyes lighting up

"GUYS," Jazz barked, "how about you read this," pointing at the screen

'_The one you know as David is going home  
__I believe your bird friend knows where  
__I assume your smart enough to guess at his intentions  
__The choice is yours, do as you see fit'_

"This isn't a joke is it," Sam asked rereading the message.

"If it is it's a really good one," Danny growled, his eyes still growing, "someone knows who we are, and they're either involved with David or are at least watching him."

Tucker grabbed the chair and moved Jazz, "move," sitting down as soon as the redhead got out of the way. "Let's try something," pulling out his PDA and linking it into the computer, "I'm going to run a trace, see if I can find the source, maybe get some answers."

"You can do that," the older teen a little shocked.

"You'd be amazed the things I can do," his fingers flashing over the keyboard, "I'm a little bit a hacker when I'm not running around the city with your brother. I'm not great, but I know more than most people who have computers."

"Ok you do that," Jazz looking at Danny, "we need to go find birdie, now, you up for it?"

"I got no problem with that," looking over at the dark haired girl, "Sam, if this ends up being even half way true we're going to need a ride down, think you can find something for us, I think my parents might miss the Specter Speeder if we disappear for a day or two."

"I'll make a few calls, try and make arrangements from my computer," slipping on her jacket, "but I'm going to need to know where this place is?"

"There's a print out in the first drawer on my desk," the redheads clothing falling off her as she became a bird, (ready when you are brother.)

"One second," twin rings running over his body and going ghost, "lets go," grabbing her and going intangible and flying though the wall and tossing her into the sky.

(Check the woods first, I'm going to swing by the park see if he's there and meet up with you in a few,) spiraling away from him and moving as fast as she could.

"Oh I really hope this is someone's idea of a joke," shaking his head and heading off towards their training area. A quick circle and a few very scared people later, mostly due to Jazz's use of wide spread thought speech, she didn't find him and followed her brother, moving at full speed and staying aware in case this was part of a larger plot to get her in the open using David's name.

Danny on the other hand had better luck finding the redtail sitting in one of his favorite trees, one he'd usually sit in and watch Danny while he was training. "Boy am I glad to see you," slowing down and hovering next to the bird.

(If this is about your sister, tell her I'm sorry, but that doesn't change anything,) a slight breeze shifting his feathers.

Throwing his arms up in mock defense, "not here about her, I don't care, I'm staying out of it, I'm here because we might have a problem."

(You say that like it's new,) moving his head further into the wind.

"Jazz got an email saying David's going home, don't know why, we're not even sure if it's real. Right now Tuck is looking into it, but I'm not sure if he's going to find anything out."

For a second several things flashed through his mind and he blurted out, (you think your sister might've set this up?)

For a moment Danny wasn't sure what to say and floated there in shock, "NO SHE DIDN'T SET THIS UP, SHE'S NOT NUTS!"

The scream made him involuntarily flap as the hawk in him wanted to fly away from the noise, (ok I get it keep it down.)

"Sorry," shaking his head, "It just…"

(Yeah it just kinda slipped out, but you have to admit this seems like a set up.)

"No argument here, I wouldn't watch a movie with this kind of plot device."

(Defiantly someone who doesn't know the game,) closing his eyes, (that or he or she is very smart and we aren't seeing where this is going it.)

"Two very bad options, in any case, we need to get back to Tuck, see she what he's found."

(And I was really hoping to see the sunset,) spreading his wings and taking off into the sky, Danny on his toes a moment later.

"What is it with you and the sun?" easily keeping pace with the bird.

(Hard to explain,) catching a head wand and sailing into the sky the pair finding Jazz on the way and landing at the Fenton home a time later, Danny phasing them in through the wall.

"Find anything," Danny asked shifting back into his human form and walking over to his friends while Jazz did the same, Tobias choosing to remain in his hawk form.

"Sorta," looking back form the chair, "I trailed this through three servers, but lost it, someone was waiting for this to happen. If I had the right equipment I might be able to go further, but the PDA's system wasn't upgraded systems weren't designed for this, and you don't have the right programs on this one, I don't even had the right stuff on my lap or desktops."

"Ok, how about something useful here Tuck," Danny groaned.

"Right sorry," realizing he was off target, "near as I can tell the email was legitimate, it only seems to be sent to us, and no as I said I don't know who I came from or how they know us. All I can really say is what you see is what you get, but thankfully there wasn't any kind of virus on it so were safe on that end."

"All things considered I'd prefer a computer killing virus to this," Danny sighed, "any word from Sam?"

"Nope, if she found something she hasn't called to tell me."

"Alright birdie," Jazz slipping on her last piece of clothing and sitting next to Tobias, "this is your show, what do you want to do?"

(When did this become my show?) looking up at her as her arm went around his body.

"You know him," counting off on her fingers, "you know the town, you know the people, how much more do I have to say here?"

(Right,) shaking his head and drumming his toes on Danny's bed, (in another time or place I'd say leave it alone, they others could handle it. But then they don't know about their powers and David is super charged, and even if other ghost hunters where there they wouldn't know what they were walking into.)

"So your saying," looking down at him.

(What I'm saying,) looking up at her and looking her in the eyes, (I'm going your staying, my fight, my problem, no reason to get you involved in this.)

She glared down at him and began tapping his head, "you lost the right to tell me that when he kidnapped you and tortured your feather butt in front of me."

(Doesn't change anything,) moving away from her fingers, (I don't want you involved.)

"Except it came to her account, in our home, and your our friend you over fed parakeet," Danny looking over at him, "whether you like it or not we are involved in this and we aren't throwing you to the psycho wolf."

Tobias glared at him, touched by their concern, but also worried about them and pulling an escape out of his tail. (What if this is a trap, I mean you said you don't where this came from, how do you know they don't want everyone to leave for some kinda all out assault on the town.)

"That would imply they know who w….," Tucker started.

"Who's saying this person doesn't," Danny cutting him off, "and at this point what does it matter if we do nothing people might die here if we don't they might die there, either way something happens."

"It's not like there are only two of you now," Jazz added, "between us there's enough to handle both problems if they develop, you and I can go…."

(Try again,) Tobias looking up at her, (if I go after David I'm going with your brother.)

"What…why?"

(Because David is nuts, if I agree to this I want as much power as I can get, and quite frankly I don't want you and him in the same county let alone the same town.)

"Birdie," she warned

(Jazz,) going private, (I don't want this guy near you, you can handle yourself I know that, but if you two are in the same area I'm going to be more worried about you than me. He wants to hurt me, and knowing him that means doing anything, including going after those I'm close to, and right now that's you, I don't want a target on you.)

"Birdie," gently stroking his head, her voice going soft.

"Freaky bird affection," doing a mock full body shiver.

"So we're not dividing up," Tucker asked ignoring the two on the bed.

"Actually it makes since," the half ghost looking at him, "the bird and I have the most experience so assuming this is a trap we have the best chance of getting out."

"And if the trap is here," growing defensive, "the city will be helpless."

"I don't know about that, it'll have you three," pointing his fingers at his best friend and referring to his sister and Sam, "and you can handle yourselves. Not to mention Val will probably come out if it's bad enough, and my parents will help in their own way, that's six on whatever, those are pretty good odds. Even if that doesn't work we'll be with his friends, and they can run here in like three minutes flat so if worse comes to worse we can get here fast."

(Except if you took a ride here,) Tobias cutting in, (who'd be all dead instead of mostly dead, the kind of G-forces she pulls I can't even figure out how to survive, and I've tried in a lot of bodies.)

Hissing back under his breath, "not helping her bird brain."

(Relax he didn't hear it,) still keeping his thoughts on private.

"You sure about that?" Tucker asked.

"Yeah sure," Danny going back on a role, "come on after everything you've seen you can handle it no problem, and it's not like Sam hasn't been getting ready for this exact situation for a while now. Tucker I'm putting my faith in you, trust me, you can handle this, I mean you're the man right?"

(Yeah we're dead,) keeping his thoughts on a tight beam.

"Yeah I am the man, I can do this," the teen getting more excited, although those in the room couldn't be sure if it was real or if he was trying to convince himself.

(Alright now lets figure out how we're going to get there,) Tobias slightly pulling away from Jazz, ideas running though his mind..

Danny looked at him slightly confused, "I thought we'd take a plane, I mean that's why I'm having Sam check?"

(Yeah that doesn't mean it's the best way Danny, assuming this is a trap putting our name on a list might tip them off. Of course a plane can work, it just depends on what your willing to do,) something about the way the bird was standing, the aura he was putting off, making everyone in the room nervous.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

I've done many things in my life I'm not proud of, things like this have never been one of them. (I love this job,) looking out at our prey a little spark of excitement building up in me.

"You are nuts, I know I've said that before but this time you are really nuts," looking out and seeing what I was seeing. The half ghost was in his normal ghost mode along with his backpack holding a small armory of weapons including a few 'claw' capsules Jazz had devised. For a girl who didn't want to be her parents the girl was well on her way. "You can't honestly expect us to do this, this is insane."

(What your telling me you dreamed of doing this? Everyone thinks of doing this at some point, maybe not this specific thing but everyone thinks of something like it at some point in their lives.)

"I use to think about grabbing a ride on a train, I never considered sneaking onto a moving plane before, why can't we do this now exactly?"

(Because they're still going over it, making final checks and looking for things that shouldn't be there, we have to hit it when it moves, when no one else is concerned with it.)

"But I can be invisible, your can be anything, why are we waiting?"

If I were capable of smiling I would, he just didn't really get it, (because this will be more fun,) getting a shocked look from him.

"Fun…you, this is a new one," staring down at me in disbelief, "you don't do fun, you work, you complain, you preach about the old day, you don't have fun."

(You don't know me very well,) spying my plane, the silver vehicle starting to move, (lets hit it,) flapping off my perch and flying at it, the plane just beginning to move away from the gate. (Stay low, aim for the wheels, and whatever you do don't help me I'm going to do this on my own.)

"Your still nuts," the half ghost shooting ahead of me and flying through the plane's hull.

(That I may be, but you just don't understand what it's like to grab a ride by way of something incredibly stupid.) I pulled my wings in tight as the winds started beating around me, the result of the plane speeding up, it's engines firing up and roaring, the sounds deafening from this proximity and making my hawk side want to pull away. With a back lash the engines kicked up some wind, if I was coming from the others side would be enough to suck me in, pluck me bald turn me inside out and chuck what was left onto the runway. To a normal bird it would be to much, but I wasn't normal and spread my wings and cut into the turbulence and navigating the winds to pull me closer and up, enough to get me in dive position. Pull the my wings in I rocked down, tiny shifts in my tail feathers giving me spin and let me arc around the sliver hull to the wheels, the plane beginning to move onto it's final runway, and with it my chance of getting on without resorting to true stupidity. A quick shot down was more interesting than I thought it would be, the world spinning around, my target never leaving my sight. At the last moment I opened my claws, slightly over shooting the wheel well and grabbing the metal that held the tires on and pulled myself as close to it as I could with only my feet, my heart beating incredibly fast, the excitement going to my head slightly and forcing a scream of fear and excitement from my beak.

The wind around me beat at my body, the speed growing faster, the force greater, my ability to hold growing harder, but then again that's what I wanted as we started down the runway. I clutched with every fiber of my being and became the slow painful climb up, every sense in my body telling me to let go, to fly away, ideas I refused to listen to. With a lunge I bit into the metal to grab a better hold as the lane became lifting off the ground, the winds beating me like a rag doll and all to soon the fun was over the wheels retracting into the plane and pulling me out of the wind, the hawk both overjoyed and a little disappointed, gaining an appreciation for the feeling of the sky whipping around it.

"You are completely insane," Danny hissed picking me up, my body more tender than I thought it'd be, the hawk taking over for a second and snapping at him and puffing up, my human side taking control over it a second later as he jumped back in surprise.

(Sorry,) not looking at him, a little embarrassed by my action.

"You could've been killed you idiot, you said you were going to fly up not whatever that was!"

(Keep it down man, voices can travel here, and lets face people on planes are jumpy enough without worrying about a bird and a ghost.)

He growled something at me and sat down, "so what exactly was this all about?"

(Me having fun.)

"That was your idea of fun?"

(Some people jump out of planes I jump into them,) cocking my head to the side and huffing slightly, the closest thing I had to a laugh. (Now we need to get moving, it's going to get real cold up here real quick.)

"And the plan for that is, you did kinda forget to mention that part," putting his hands on the cold metal

(We fly through that wall, find an empty seat and enjoy the ride, failing that you over shadow someone and I grab a smaller form for the remainder of the flight.)

"You've really thought this through haven't you," more than a little surprise in his voice as he looked at me with surprise.

(Let's just say this isn't the first time I've hitched a ride on something,) walking over to the wall, (you coming?)

"How many times," picking me up and flying through the wall invisibly,.

(Boats, planes, trains, alien space craft, you name it I've probably stolen a free ride on it.) Looking around the cabin, the seatbelt sign still on so we could get a good idea who was where and as it figured it was packed. (Ok plan B time, put me in an overhead compartment and grab someone, that or we can hide in the bathroom for the entire flight?) It was pretty obvious he didn't like that idea and pushed me into a the storage unit and pulled his hands away.

It was dark, cramped, and I had the impression some was dead in it at one point, all in all I'd been in worse. I did a quick run through of the bodies at my disposal, trying to find one that would work but not get me killed or raised suspicion, in the end I picked the housefly I knew it was dangerous, people would have a nasty tendency to swat at me, but it was the only choice. Limbs sprouted from my body, my wings shifted into legs while new wings slipped out of my body with a sickening slurp, my eyes lost their focus and became multifunctional, size disappeared into z-space. Inside things were far stranger, bones liquefied, organs shifted and became more simplified, and new urges, surfaced, the desire to fly to find food, but mostly it was calm, the darkness making it docile. (Now I just have to worry about spiders and hands,) testing my wings and flying over to the crack of light that led to the outside world.

A quick circle was all it took to find Danny, a little wave let me know it was him as he stared out the window and looked at the sky, "weird being in a plane," seemingly speaking to himself.

(Yep,) landing in his hair for safety.

"I wonder what we'll find?"

(No clue, probably trouble.)

"Can't say I'm looking forward to it," sighing

"Are you talking to me?" the woman next to him asked.

"What sorry," Danny's host body blushing, "just talking to myself it happens sometimes."

"Nervous?"

"What….no, just been a while."

"Oh well I love to fly, this'll be my third trip this month, I love it," the vibrations that made up her words hitting me, but I didn't really care.

(You want to go in the bathroom?) I asked him, (nod for yes shake for no,) getting a quick nod, (see you there then.) I flapped my wings and shot away from him, the woman still talking up a storm and headed towards the bathrooms, and while I couldn't see Danny I knew he was with me as he grabbed me and pulled me into the bathroom and locked the door a moment later.

"Tell me you have better plans than this," he hissed shifting into his human form.

(Sometimes things don't go as planned, fact of life,) going back to my hawk form, (hey as set backs go this isn't bad, at least we're on the plane and going in the right direction.)

"Yeah but we're traveling in the bathroom," he hissed quietly.

(We're stowaways what were you expecting first class, now we have a few hours to kill, any ideas,) hopping onto the sink while he leaned back as best he could on the toilet.

"We could talk about my sister behind her back," by the tone in his voice I knew he was kidding.

(I'll tell her you said that,) playing along a little.

For a few minutes he didn't say anything to me, either not finding my funny or having bigger things on his mind. "So," he finally said, "anything I really need to know about this place, traps, landmarks, people?"

(I'll point out the people when we get there, last I checked they were still trying to rebuild the sinkhole we made when we blew up the yeerk pool, considering that makes up a good chink of down town it's hard to miss. I think that's about it, if anything does come up I'll let you know, at most the only thing you need to worry about are the locations for the reunion and Nikki's home.)

"Come on there has to be something more," he moaned quietly and pointed a finger at me, I had a good idea what he was going to say and knew I wasn't going to like it. "With everything you told me, there has got to be at least one cool alien site you can show me, at least show me the construction site, that alone would be worth the price of admission."

(No,) looking away from him, I knew he'd bring something like that up, those were parts of my past I'd rather leave buried.

"Come on, please," he begged, "throw me a bone here man, there has to be one really good story you can show me."

I considered arguing the point but one thing did come to mind, something that might get him off me even if it didn't involve the Yeerks it did involve a fight. (How about the car lot I helped total, last I checked they still had photos of that up.)

"What," a hint of interest in his voice and leaning in closer to me.

(This was early in, back when we did really stupid things, basically a car lot owner used a female redtail as his mascot but treated her pretty badly, to small cage things like that. I convinced Rachel to help me liberate her, and the next thing you know an african elephant is running through the lot totaling everything in it's path and I'm trying to figure out how to open the lock with my claws.) When I got to that part he had to put his hands over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud, not that it really worked as he made strange noises for a minute or two.

"Your joking right?" he finally managed to get out.

(Swear on my life, probably cost that guy a few hundred thousand bucks in the process, don't really feel bad about that thought, I know I should but I don't.)

"You took out a car lot?"

(To the ground, we're talking several thousand dollar cars turned into pancakes for a normal bird.)

"Never tell that story to Sam," pointing his fingers at me, "she'll try and recruit you."

(She has birds she wants to rescue?)

"She has cars she wants crushed with extreme prejudice."

(Ouch, I'm up for pointless destruction but even I have to draw a line somewhere,) shaking my head.

"Thank you someone else that gets it, you don't destroy unless you have a good reason, just because they're made from the rain forest and a few owls."

When he said it I glared at him as he described the vehicle, (Danny,) I finally interrupted, (keep talking Sam won't need to recruit me, I'll attack the manufacturing plant myself and you don't want that.)

"How much damage could you do little bird?"

(You do remember my giant flaming bird form right?)

"Right," I couldn't help but feel a sense of smugness at his wide eyed expression, "so anything else I should know in order to avoid the utter destruction of something I love?"

(Probably but I don't know what,) shrugging my wings.

For a little while neither one of us said anything, from the look on Danny's face I knew he was mulling something over then finally, "you actually totaled a car lot, honestly?"

(Yep, heck one of the Chee let that little detail slip by and people still remember it, granted they think it was a publicity stunt gone wrong, but they still remember it,) even as a hawk I had a feeling he could tell I was beaming with pride over that one.

He just shook his head at that, "you have done weird things, and I wish I had done them with you."

(What like you haven't done weird things with your powers?)

"Uh-hu what happened to I don't want to know the things you've done?"

(It's a long trip, you show me yours I'll show you mine,) our eyes meeting, the little grin on his face telling me I was in for something interesting.

"OK but I want to here things of equal or greater stupidity."

(Somehow I doubt that'll be a problem,)

"And remember what happens in the plane stays in the plane," quoting the old Vegas adage, as we went into a one-ups-man-ship contest, each one of us pulling out the wildest stories imaginable, thing that to others ears might've been flat out lies we believed because we both knew everything the other said was not only possible but each would've probably done it ourselves if our situations were reversed. We ended up staying like this for most of the trip, after a while it became more of a competition to literally see who could beat the other.

"And then," Danny was laughing so hard I thought he'd die, "Sam shows up with a pack of vegetarians…."

(Whoa whoa, slow down a pack of protesting vegetarians and a pack of carnivores?)

"Yep."

(Bloodshed beyond bloodshed.)

"Would've been if the lunch lady hadn't attacked wrapped in meat."

(Time out, you were attacked by a ghost wrapped in meat?)

"Cross my heart and hope to die," lifting his hand into the air.

(Ok that might beat us crawling into Marco's nose to fight aliens, but not by much.)

"Oh yeah that beat's you buzzard," thrusting a hand into the air, I couldn't help but laugh when he hit the roof of the cabin, "OW," holding his hand close to him.

(This is what happens when you gloat Danny-boy,) shaking my head and falling off the sink and hitting the floor with a soft thud, I was laughing so hard I barely registered the impact.

"Excuse me sir," a new voice snapping me out it, the hawk taking over to the sound of a new possible opponent, "the planes going to be landing soon, we need you to take your seat."

"Oh…."

(…..crap,) finishing the thought for him, out eyes meeting, (think it's time to book bro.)

"Sure we're in a place for that?" looking down.

"Sir," the voice growing more persistent.

(We're in a plane and we both fly does it really matter?)

"Point taken," grabbing me and going intangible, stopping for a moment to open the door and phasing through the floor with me. I'm never really going to get use to that sensation, I mean I can see everything as it happens, I see myself heading towards the floor, I go throw it which freaks the hawk part of me out beyond words, travel through that to wires, more metal, pretty much everything a plane is made of till finally we're out of the plane and getting tossed around by air currents kicking up by the engines.

(THIS GUNNA HURT,) I scream in all directions as we get caught in a draft and head right at the tail section of the plane, and thankfully go right through it.

"Relax we're intangible remember," holding me tightly and floating in the air.

(Yeah now,) spreading my wings and making him let go while I fall through the sky and regaining my solid form, a little shocked I was up this high and getting the lay of the land as I fell, taking in all the sites including the airport. After a few moments I was back to my normal flying height and leveled off Danny behind me.

"I bet that ladies going nuts up there trying to figure out where we went."

(Like it's the first mystery this city has been in the middle of.)

"So this is home," watching him looking over the sky and away from the plane.

(It use to be, well actually this is just outside of where they lived, my home was a tree in the middle of the woods.)

"Sounds…..roomy," I could tell by his voice he was trying to be nice, not that I really cared one way or the other.

(As much as it can be with over a thousand roommates, a good chunk of which saw me as a food source.)

"Nice mental image, so," waving his hand off towards the distance, "lead on McDuff."

(Don't call me that,) pulling my wings into a dive and soaring down, building speed as I did before leveling out and heading straight back to town, my past and my present about to collide head first in a maelstrom of carnage I doubt any could predict.

* * *

**DP Style**

"You think they're ok?"

"Not my place to say, but if I know your brother like I think I do he'll be ok, provided of course they don't kill each other."

"Thanks a lot Sam," Jazz rolling her eyes and looking up at the sun and letting the breeze from the park catch a few stands of her hair and making it dance.

"Come on lets face it, those two don't always get along, and with the ego's their toting I can see bloodshed in the immediate future."

"Just once can you not look on the dark side of the situation."

"Sorry in my nature," running her fingers through her hair.

"I know, I'm just…"

"…..worried, I get it, so am I, it's not easy knowing someone close to you is putting their life on the line and you can't do anything about it."

As soon as Jazz heard it something went off in her mind and started snapping her fingers, "who say's we can't," jumping off the park bench. "Call Tucker and meet me at my place as soon as he can, I have an idea, it's crazy and stupid, and it's probably really bad but it's better than sitting on my butt waiting to hear something from those two."

"Jazz, JAZZ," Sam barked and watching the redhead run away from her, "a Fenton has a plan, this cannot be a good thing." Pulling out her cell phone and dialing up Tucker, not sure what she was going to tell him but knowing it was probably only going to scratch the surface of what Jazz was thinking. "Then again," sighing to herself, "she might've gotten her intelligence from her mother, and that would explain her attraction to crazy men."

* * *

**Tobias POV**

"So this was where it all went down," Danny asked sitting on the side of a building overlooking the partial sinkhole that still stood in the middle of downtown.

(It's where I lived, I fought, I killed,) the thoughts tasting horrible in my mind, a part of myself I wish I could leave buried. (I hate this place,) spreading my wings and taking off into the sky, not wanting to even look at the ground, each and every spot bringing up something I'd done, a person I'd killed, a plan we'd hatched, a close call we'd had, thousands of things no teenager should ever have to do we did, and now they were all staring me in the face.

"Slow down will ya," catching up with me, his eyes shifting to me to the city, a good chunk rebuild, for the most part almost looking normal again, but no quite. "You actually blow this entire place up," Looking around, from the sky despite their efforts you could still see the outline of the crater, the spot the yerrk pool had been.

(We did yeah,) looking down, in my mind I could still hear the screams of the innocents from that day, of all the Humans, Hork-Bajir, Taxxons, and Gedds I'd helped send to their deaths. Even the Yeerk's I'd killed, not that they made noise when they died, and not that I really cared about them either.

"That's amazing, I mean I believed you, but, whoa, I just didn't know it was going to be this big."

(DANNY,) snapping at him, (THIS IS NOT SOMETHING I'M PROUD OF, LET IT GO!)

He jumped back in the sky a little an stared at me, a genuinely scared look on his face, "I'm….sorry," looking away from me.

(No I'm sorry,) looking down and flapping to keep my place, (this place isn't easy for me to be in, and I really don't want to talk about this, especially here. I get it I do, in another life I might think this was a cool story too, but I lived this, and for me this is anything but cool, so leave it be.)

"Right got it," nodding his head and following me as I took off and headed away from the scene of the massacre I'd helped create. It took a while to get to Nikki's but thankfully we traveled in silence the entire way their.

(Home again home again,) landing on the fence of the Chee compound.

"This is it," my companion looking around looking around, "I was expecting more."

(There's a reason they call it living in secret,) glaring at the invisible teen hovering next to me.

"But still come on, this is it," given the sounds coming off him I guessed he was spreading his arms wide, "this is a house, a normal house."

(And to most people I'm a normal bird,) jumping to the ground and morphing my human form.

"Sure you should be doing that," coming up next to me?

I couldn't help but smile at that, I was starting to feel better about the situation all around, or at least this part of it, "don't worry about it, we'll be fine, now put on something more appropriate."

"Yeah yeah," twin rings forming in the air above me, Danny landing next to me a moment later, almost on cue the back door opened as an older man of Mexican decent walked out.

"Tobias," his accent barely noticeable, not that he really had one, "it's good to see you," walking over and hugging me.

"Good to see you to," pulling away from him, "this is my friend Danny."

"Yes, I know Nikki's told us all about you," shaking Danny's hand, "now please come in, come in."

"Um," the half ghost looking a little nervous.

"Danny don't be impolite, remember he can throw you through the hose if he wants to."

"Right that's all I need to hear," walking forward, taking a moment to look around I fell in step behind him.

"I take you have a problem," the disguised Chee shutting the door behind us.

"More like we think we might, it's complicated, can you call Nikki, we need to run some things by her, see if things make sense from her perspective."

"I'll make the call, if it's an emergency I can get her here in a few seconds."

"It might be," looking at the man who was really an ancient alien android, "we're not sure yet."

"Alright I'll put a call in," I could tell despite his outwardly happy exterior he didn't like me bringing Danny here, not that I blamed him, his species survival had rested on anonymity for centuries and every new person who knew was putting them in danger.

"So this is it," Danny looking around, "I mean this is really it, I thought you said they had a lot of dogs if nothing else."

"They're down stairs," the words slipping out before I could stop myself, and looking at Danny I knew what had to be going on through his head.

Snapping his fingers, "right you said they have like a super subbasement, can we see it?"

"Cool it Danny, not the time or the place."

"Well if they don't have the time I can go check on it myself," as he went intangible.

"DANNY," I barked, glaring at he teen half way through the floor and watching his rise up, "these people are my friends, and they are also very secretive, respect that or I will personally ruin your life." There wasn't an ounce of sarcasm in my voice, the hawk slightly taking over and giving me the full range of the predators determination.

"Alright ok, I get it, sheesh," crossing his arms and shifting back to his solid form.

"What is wrong with you," walking over to him and going nose to nose, "I thought we talked about this yesterday?"

"We did, but come on, I'm in the home of aliens, how can you not be excited about this, this is everyone's dream to be with creatures from another planet, from space. Do you have any idea how long I've dreamt of this, how long I've wanted something like this to happen, and now it's staring me in the face."

"You didn't seem all that excited when you met my brother or when we were on another planet."

"That's also because I had a little bit of pressure on me, you know the fate of an entire species if not the galaxy, ghosts who have no desire but to kill, pretty much the most powerful thing in existence standing over me telling me what to do, oh and my sister in a coma, that was a big one too. All those things kinda made the situation hard to enjoy, but this, this I can handle. This is earth, we may of may not be in danger, and at least if something goes wrong we have back up plans, I can actually enjoy being around aliens here."

I growled at him as best I could as a human and shook my head, part of me admitted he had a point on pretty much everything, but it didn't change the fact that he was digging into places he shouldn't. "Fine," I finally hissed, "but only if Nikki say's it's ok, this is still her home got it," poking him in the chest with two fingers.

"I got it," nodding his and glaring at the fingers on him, "and it you keep doing that I will break them off."

"Won't do much good, he can grow them back," the voice making me turn as Nikki stood behind me. "It's good to see you Tobias," the girl hugging me gently, "and thanks you for trying to explain things to him, but please, no violence in her."

"Right," nodding my head.

Moving away from me and to Danny, "ask nicely and I might let you down stairs, so," looking at me, "since I don't see the others I doubt this is site seeing, and with him here I doubt this has anything to do with the reunion."

"Unfortunately it does," sitting down in a chair, forgetting for a moment just how stiff they were, "we got an email from an unknown source saying David was heading this way, you can connect the dots from there. We don't know what he's going to do, it don't even know if it's true, but if he is coming it falls to us to stop him before gets to the others."

"You didn't decide to tell me this why?" glaring at me.

"We weren't sure if the computers was somehow being monitored considering the Email was for Jazz. So if they didn't know about you we didn't want to give them a heads up if we could help it."

"I appreciate the concern," folding her arms, "so what do you need me to do?"

"Keep an ear out, see if anything weird happened that might be the result of a ghost or David, details on where the others are, where they're staying. things like that."

"And Tucker," the half ghost slipping of his backpack and digging around before pulling out a scrap of paper with an email address and password, "wanted to know if you could go through the message, see if there's anything there we might need to worry about, or if you can track it to it's source."

Taking the note, "I can try, has he tried the upgrade to his PDA?"

"He did and couldn't find anything with it, but then again we aren't really sure what all you did yet since he's just now getting back into the swing of technology."

"Right I guess I probably should've put and owners manual together, I can have that done before you need to leave. Any way I'll get right on that, although I already have part of it done. I already made a list of on the others in case you decided to come, and if you didn't at least I'd know where they are so I could look in on them."

"Thanks Nikki, I owe you."

"Not problem Tobias, they're my friends too, or were anyway," walking away form us.

"Oh one other thing," stopping her, "we aren't sure how long this might take, mind if we stay here till this is over?"

"Somehow I had a feeling you were going to ask that, my home is your home, at least the upper levels," looking over at Danny, "seriously, he's right you can't go down there without our permission."

"Alright I get it, at some point can I please see the dog room?"

"Maybe," giving him a quick smile and padding away form us on feet that didn't make a sound.

"She's a little weird."

"She's also a little wired and she can hear you."

"Oh, sorry Nikki, ma'am. So any idea what to do now?"

"We wait, we look, and we hope this was all for nothing."

A few minutes later Nikki came back down stairs, "Alright," handing me a bunch of papers, "Cassie and Marco are staying with their parents, Jake is still in his own place, also threw in where Jake's parents are and Rachel's family, the few new address are on the paper, don't worry about it." Flipping threw I pasted them over to Danny, "I threw in a list of the various locations they'll be at as well, not to mention times. I also have to photo's in there in case you needed a refresher course."

"WHOA," Danny cutting her off, "I know this guy, well not know know, but I've seen him, this guy was in Trinity of Doom, Sam drug me to see it."

"That would be Marco," Nikki corrected without looking at the picture.

"He always joked about breaking into snowbushes," shaking my head, mentally going back to when we were younger. "He use to say he'd become the greatest stunt man in history, let people beat him, set himself on fire, jump off buildings then morph and demorph totally healed."

"Ironically that's exactly what happened to him in the movie," Danny laughed, "expect without the healing thing."

"He's become quite the stunt actor from what I understand," Nikki commented, "I'm expecting to see his career take off very soon."

"And who and the babe," holding up a picture.

"Cassie," looking at the head shot of he girl I use to know now several years older in a dress at some kind of black tie conference and looking gorgeous. "The girl cleans up good, better than when I knew he at least."

"She didn't always look like this?"

"Lets just say I knew her when she'd routinely be up to her armpits in animal dung and leave it at that."

"Well thanks for ruining this for me," putting the photo down.

"She's a lobbies for animal rights and runs an animal rescue operation, she's actually quick high profile I'm surprised you haven't seen her before she's on TV several times a year. She was even in your town a few months ago when they discovered the gender of your purpleback gorilla."

"Well that doesn't really surprise me, how's Jake?" looking over at her.

"Same as the last time you saw him, still a local cop, and we're still rather worried about him, he's still trying to live up to the legacy of his brother and cousin. In retrospect having them die such a heroic death might not've been our best idea."

"Didn't they die in space," Danny asked.

"Yes and no," understanding his confusion, "we know they did, and so do they, but as far as the worlds concerned they died in a fire getting Rachel's sister out."

"A hero's death seemed appropriate," Nikki taking over for me, "considering what they did in life it only seemed fair they should still be remembered as hero's rather than dieing in a pointless death. However things didn't go well for Jake, a good deal of the anger and frustration he accumulated during the war stayed with him even if he couldn't remember why and that was transferred it to those deaths. He's been trying to live up to them ever since, trying to live up to the legacies of twin hero's. It hasn't been easy for him, he pushed a lot of people in his life away that could've helped him, we've tried to help in our own ways but we're not really sure how."

"Well we always knew he wasn't going to adapt to normal life again, but at least doing something positive with what time he has."

"That's one way of looking at it," Nikki sighed, "but I wish we could do more for him."

"As good as you are your not a miracle worker Nikki," I sighed blowing a few stands of hair up, "and at least he has a life."

"This is one screwed up situation you have here," Danny sighed putting the papers down, "alright so it's your call how do we do this?"

I looked from him to Nikki, feeling like the weight of the world was now on my shoulders, "alright, things don't start till tonight, so lets check out the others now, see if there's anything wrong with them. If things turn out ok we'll move onto the reunion, after that, I don't know, we'll have to play it by ear."

* * *

**Jazz POV**

"This is your plan," Sam barked at me, "this is it, I was right all Fenton's suck at plans, it's in your genetics, it has to be other wise you'd realize just how stupid this is."

"You going somewhere with this," I sighed continuing to load up the Specter Speeder, I knew it was a bad plan she didn't have to tell me, but it didn't change that it was only thing I could think of.

"You want to go into the Ghost Zone, find that crazy half animal nut job girl, and send HER AFTER YOUR BROTHER!" her voice getting louder as she grabbed me and started shaking. "THIS IS THE WORST PLAN A FENTON HAS EVER COME UP WITH!"

"I can't just sit around here Sam, and besides it's her family too, if there is anything human still in her she'll go help them. From what birdie has told me she has as much reason to hate David as she does anyone else, that he made he life hell. Chances are whatever she has against my brother won't be as strong as her personnel hatred of that guy."

"That's a really big risk, you know that," Tucker's voice echoing from inside the Speeder, "there's nothing that says we'll even be able to come back out. You've never really been in there you don't know what it's like, that place is more dangerous than anything you can imagine. Besides how are we even going to find her, it's not like she's just going to be standing there waiting for us."

"I've already thought that through, just get me in," that was true, but there was also a good reason I wasn't telling them what it was, because it was that stupid, I knew it, I just didn't care.

He lent over the side of the seat and pushed his glasses, "and if we're right and this is a trap we're leaving the city defenseless."

"Then one of you can stay, but someone has to come with me because I can't fly this thing and I don't know the layout of the Ghost Zone," I could see Tucker about to volunteer to stay here, "and you have to come because she can fight and off ghosts and you can't."

"Sam, your coming with us right?" putting his hands together in a begging motion.

"Fine, this is everything right," looking around inside the cockpit.

"Yeah, then again we're not going in looking for a fight, so hopefully this will just be an in and out mission," I wasn't sure if I sounded confident but I knew I wasn't but I had to something to make them trust me.

"Still a bad plan," sitting down, "but it's not like I haven't been in those before so lets go."

"Alright," as I leaned over the double seat and put my thumb on the genetic lock the double doors of the Fenton Portal's blast doors. "Left at the star continue straight till morning, time to roll the dice and see what we get."

"I understood the second part but I have no clue what the first part meant," Tucker pushing the controls forward, the vehicle leaping forward and sailing through the small hole and straight into a limbo I'd only seen once before."

I whistled as shot through it, a mix of swirling vortex's, chunks of rock, buildings, and ghost's of all shapes and sizes. "Well this place won't give you nightmares or anything," shaking my head.

As I said it Sam locked up at me from her seat, "that's the same thing I said the first time I came in here."

"Yeah excuse me," Tucker waving his hand between out faces, "any idea where we're going?"

"Pick some place you feel safe and put in park, I'll do everything else."

"Am I the only one not liking this plan," the fear in Tucker's voice making me a little giddy, if for no other reason than it took a little of my fear away.

"I don't need your commentary, just park it," slipping to his head and pushing his hat over his eyes.

"Yes ma'am," giving me a little salute and stopping the Specter Speeder, "so now what?"

I didn't bother answering and moved into the back, already morphing and taking my German Shepherd form, my clothing falling down around me. This might not have been the best form, but it had the right work ethic, and it was the right size which was almost more important to me. Closing my eyes I focused on everything Tobias had taught me and hoped I was doing this right and it wouldn't get me killed. (RACHEL!) the thoughts streaming in all directions as loud and as far as I could force them, (IF YOU CAN HERE ME IT'S TOBIAS, HE NEEDS YOU, DAVID'S GONE AFTER YOUR FAMILY! HE'S A GHOST AND HE'S GOING TO KILL THEM, TOBIAS IS TRYING TO STOP HIM! IF YOU CARE ABOUT THEM YOU HAVE TO STOP HIM, GO HOME NOW!)

"You psychotic mutt," Sam hiss, I got to watch everything as my eyes popped open, she jumped out of her chair turned and lunged at me tackling me to the ground, which was a neat trick considering I was already there. "Are you trying to get us killed? Your going to bring every ghost in the area to us, that's not a fight we can hope to win."

(And you wondered why I didn't tell you what the plan was,) snapping my jaws at her out of reflex and watching her jump back, fear in her eyes the likes of which I'd never seen before. (I know what I'm doing why do you think I told you to put this down someplace close to the exit.)

"Your going to get us killed, how do you know this is even going to work," her eyes narrowing at me, a real threat in her voice, not that I cared at the moment, for all I knew my brother and best friend were dying, I wasn't about to sit on my tail and do nothing if I could help it.

(Give me two more minutes,) keeping my thoughts private between the three of us, (that's all I ask, even if I don't contact her it might get back to her.)

"Yeah and every other ghost that hears it is going to know Danny's gone," Tucker hissed at me with a fair amount of hate and fear.

(Did I mention my brother, no,) staring at him and snarling, (as far as they know he's still here, that's how I want to leave it. For that matter they don't know I who's saying it so everything is ok. Most of them don't know about Tobias, they don't fear him, they aren't going to care but she does and she will, right now we just have to trust that this will work.)

"One and a half minutes make it good," the dark haired girl hissed at me, grabbing me by the muzzle, "but if you get me killed so help me if we both end up in the Ghost Zone."

(Not, my intention,) focusing back on a broad thought stream and repeated the message again putting as much energy as I could into it and hoping it would somehow get to the woman that still had a place in Tobias heart.

"That's it," Sam pulling her hand from my mouth and looking at her watch, "put it in reverse Tuck we're getting out of here mach ten or faster, petal to the metal, warp nine, beep beep, get us out of here pronto."

For a second I could see him look at the controls then look back, "you want me to do what now?" a perplexed look on his face as he scratched the side of his head

"GET US HOME, NOW!" she yelled at him then turned to me, "if you do anything this stupid again and not tell me first so help me," leveling a finger at me. I don't know why but I stuck my tongue out and licked it to both her surprise and mine, "and here I thought your father was the crazy one in the family," doing her best to hide a small smile, her scent going from one of rage to adding a hint of mild amusement.

(I had to grow into it at some point,) cocking my head and starting to demorph, a moment later grabbing my shirt and slipping it over my head, not needing to give Tucker the satisfaction of seeing my like this, and with my luck he'd take a picture, and I did not need that getting around school.

"How long till we're out Tuck?" Sam turning away from me and hanging over the seat.

"I few minutes, maybe five at the most, and no I can't go any faster," not looking at her but anticipating the question, "I'm already pushing this thing as hard as it will go."

"Well push it faster," looking out the windshield then looking back at me, "thanks a lot Jazz we have about ten freaked out ghosts ahead of us that I can see and who knows how many coming."

"I do what I can thank you," trying to slip my pants on only to lose my balance as something hit us and I lost my footing.

"And that would be the ectopus'," Tucker barked as I slide around the ship and banged into a wall. Trying to stand up again something else hit us and I went back down, "that would a four armed snake thing," getting hit again the ship suddenly getting very cold, "that would be Klemper."

"Ok this thing does have weapon in it right?" I barked giving up trying to stand and just trying to get my pants on while sliding all over the place.

"I'm trying, but things aren't working her," he barked the sound of something being hit softly wafting through the air.

"We don't need yes, no's, or maybes here Tucker," Sam snapped jumping over the seat and landing next to him and the sound getting loader as she joined in.

"I told you so," he hissed, what he meant I didn't know hopping to my feet, but I was bound to find out I knew that much. More or less staggering over to them I finally saw what they did but not for long as the speeder suddenly stopped and I went shooting forward hitting the seat dead on and knocking the wind out of myself for a few seconds. In that time despite my coughing I was able to pick up on a few things namely it looked like my message had gotten through as ghostly red-pink tendrils moved with way and that throwing ghosts away from us and many more just turning tail and running, well flying, in the other direction.

"This is either really good or really bad," I whispered with a slight cough.

"I'm going with really bad here," Sam lifting her hand up, "can you get us out of here?"

"I'm trying," Tucker hitting various interments, "but this thing ain't moving."

(You had better not be wasting my time,) the thoughts hitting me, and I was guessing the others by the way they reacted. A moment later Rachel floated down in front of our windshield her tentacles holding our ship in place, her beak snapping. This was the first time I'd really gotten a good look at her, and as much as I hated to admit it birdie had good taste, coloring aside she must've been a knockout in life. The left side could've defiantly been a supermodel, of course the right side looked like something from the black lagoon.

"Can she hear us," looking down at Sam.

"I think…"

(I can,) the ghost cutting her off, the human side of her face deadly serious, (whatever it is you want make it quick, I don't like people wasting my time, now what do you mean David and Tobias are after each other?)

"Just that," trying to stay calm knowing this woman could snap me in half if I wasn't careful. "David is dead, he came back he's gone after your family, he's gone after the other animorphs, Tobias is trying to stop him but we have no idea if he can win."

"Do not lie to me girl….wait, I know this ship, I know you," the smile seeming to form on her beak chilled me to the bone, "Walker showed me pictures of it you work for the ghost boy."

"He's my brother," trying to sound braver than I was, "and this has nothing to do with him, this has to do with me sending you a message, or has all your humanity been consumed in the sea of genetic instincts!"

That got her, I could tell from the waver of her tendrils, "you know my beloved don't you," the words hitting me like a sledgehammer.

"Birdie and I work together," my pet name for him slipping out before I could stop myself.

"Birdie is it," a small tendril whipping off the ship taking a chunk of it along for the ride, another shooting in and pulling me out before I could stop her. The fear however didn't get to me as I called on the gorilla DNA in me and morphed growing larger in her grasp making it harder for her to hold me.

"Now this is interesting," another tentacle wrapping around me and pulling forward, "your like him, like I use to be."

(Yeah I am,) struggling against her with all of my strength and after a moment she let go, but I wasn't sure if it was my doing her if she simply chose to. (I'm not here to fight, I just want to deliver a message, something I thought you might care about.)

"Whether I do or don't is for me to decide not you," looking from me to the others, "I'm going to release you try and leave and I will kill her," her tendrils coming off and flowing together as her right side shifted, gray fur covering her body as she took on a canine appearance and moved towards me. Taking a few sniffs of the air, "yes," flying up near me, I wasn't sure why but I didn't try and move, "I see, your in love with him, that's why you did this," running her clawed fingers through my white fur.

(What,) the idea just coming out of me as I tried to move only to be stopped and grabbed a fistful of my fur and held me in place.

"Don't play stupid with me, I can smell it on you," pulling her nose in close and inhaling deeply of my fur. "You say his name or even think it and your scent shifts, you start putting off pheromones like your in heat. Not to mention you reek of him, his scent staying on you regardless of the form you take. Your terrified he's going to die, that's why you're here, you must be either desperately in love or incredibly stupid to call on me then, after all he does belong to me."

(No he doesn't,) growling at her, but knowing there wasn't much I could so to her at the moment.

"Yes he is little girl, I've been wondering since the first time I saw him again who he's been seeing behind my back, I must say I approve. You look a little like me when I was alive, different hair, different way of carrying yourself , but all in all I see a lot of me in you, same eyes, same determination. Don't disappoint me I might actually let you see him once every few years after you die, I don't mind sharing, of course he will be mine the rest of the time."

It took all my strength not to hit her in the face, something I knew might cost me everything, but I wanted it so bad. (I'm not here to talk about Tobias and myself, I'm here to warn you David is going to kill your friends, your family.)

"Please little girl," tossing me back, "the rat can't do anything."

(The rat came very close to killing Tobias not long ago, he's a very dangerous ghost.)

"If he were dead I would know little girl, I've been waiting for him for a long time" crossing her arms and lifting her muzzling and showing off everyone of her teeth.

(Then there you go, Tobias sent him here long before you died.)

I couldn't even register as she shot forward and grabbed me by the throat, "do not lie to me, he wouldn't do that without telling me."

(He told me so,) I tried to swallow but couldn't as she cut off whatever it was in the Ghost Zone that I was breathing, (you couldn't do it when you had the chance so he did it. He wanted to protect you, all of you, he knew David was to much or a threat for all of you to deal with, you were all to human, to compassionate. Birdie took it out of your hands and did it himself.)

"He wouldn't do that," she hissed and I could feel something inside snap.

(He was a hawk, David was a rat, he did what came naturally on both sides,) part of me feeling sck that I actually understood the logic and part of me didn't object to it. (He killed and he protected his family, protected you from yourself even if I hurt him. He did what he hated to protect those he loved can you say you didn't do the same,) I snarled into her hoping it wasn't the last thing I ever did.

I felt the pressure continue to build then she let go and started to laugh, a strange predatory laugh, "you know him better than I thought. You speak when you know full well those words could kill you and you refuse to back down, I like you little monkey oh yes, I like you a lot. All that aside don't think that'll give you anymore right to him when you both pass beyond the vein of death."

(I don't care, I'm just here to deliver a message, I've done that, so either let us go or deal with me,) preparing myself for a fight I wasn't sure I had a prayer of holding my own in, forget winning.

"Oh yes I do like you," a hint of a giggle to her voice even, "you'd make a worthy pack mate, you could give rise to strong pups, shame I didn't know you sooner. But you can't go," her tail swinging behind her, "Walker wants all of Phantoms friends behind bars and that includes you," flexing her fingers, her claws popping out. "On the others hand if your right about David being on this side that mean's Walker lied to me, or at least has a faulty network, either way that's a mark on him, so I guess one lie is worth another," slipping up next to me, "little sister. Now go, if you don't I might change my mind, and you don't want that you do remember what happened the last time I got mad on your side don't you, I can that in this side just as easily."

(Are you going to help him,) I didn't make a move to leave which was probably stupid on my part but so be it.

"I don't think so," floating away from me, "Tobias is a capable fighter after all, he shouldn't need me, and given I don't see your brother anywhere I doubt he went alone." When she said it my blood went cold, "but I think I'll keep that to myself, no reason to spread it around after all."

(So I did all this for nothing,) I hissed as she moved away from us.

"Nothing is for nothing little girl, I got to see you after all, and now I know the next time I'm on your side I probably shouldn't kill you, but watch your step, if I get an indication your not worthy of my beloved's time I will kill will myself to ensure he comes to me alone."

I considered saying something but didn't there was a good chance if I did or said anything she might decide I wasn't worth dealing with again. When she was a good distance a away the Specter Speeder flew up, the windshield opening up and pulling me in while I demorphed, for the first time noticing what was left of my clothing floating around me. "Well this isn't embarrassing," holding my arms over my body and blush a little feeling Tucker looking me over. "Keep looking," I hissed at him, "you realize I can make you disappear and they will never find the body."

"Still worth it," reaching his hand towards his PDA.

"And if you touch it I'll shove it where the sun don't shine and they'll need the jaws of life to get it out."

"Alright then," putting his hands back on the controls, "so home."

"And step on it," Sam sighed giving me her jacket to cover up, "kind of a bust wasn't it?"

"So it seems," looking behind me, I knew I couldn't see Rachel back there but it didn't mean I couldn't look and couldn't hope there was still some humanity in her.

* * *

**DP Style**

He couldn't help but enjoy himself looking out at the old town from high above, it was different but still the same, at least in all the ways that mattered.

"Never thought I'd see it like this again, from above," letting the wind blow his hair around, David remembering the few times he'd been able to see the city from this angle. Those times had been to few for his taste and his time as a rat for to long. "I should've back as soon as I got loose, there's so much I should've already done," rubbing his hands together.

He wasn't sure where the email had come from and in truth he really didn't care, all he knew is that he'd get one more shot at those that had imprisoned him, or at least three of them. The bird had been right, Rachel was already on the others side, and going toe to toe with her from he he'd heard was probably a bad idea, at least for now. The girl was supposedly working for the law on that side, and that was the only ting that kept him from going after her, that and Vlad, but he'd deal with both in time, none of them were smart enough to know with just who they were messing with. "They'll find out soon enough though, they all will, no one messes with me, no one. First these three, then the bird and the new piece of meat on his arm, then finally Vlad and the Knight, those two are going to pay for thinking they could control me, for thinking they could make a fool of me."

Plan after plan floated through his mind, everything he was going to do today bring a smile to his gray lips. Each and every detail had to be exact, had to be perfect, he'd rain down on them like a nightmare from the pits of hell and tear them apart, he'd make them pay for the life he'd be forced to endure. "If they were afraid of what I could do before just wait till they see me now, they have no idea what power is, none at all and by the time they finally do it will be to late, and they'll have no one to blame but themselves, they should've just gotten down and out of the way and let me live my life, let me do as I saw fit, I was after all a better man than all of them."

* * *

**Tobias POV**

"I'm impressed," I didn't have to move to know Danny was looking out over Cassie's family home, "this place is really cool."

(No argument, it felt like I spent more time here than anyplace else on earth, these people do good work, save lives, they may not be human but they're lives none the less.) I was standing on the roof of the barn just next to where he was floating, (these are good people Danny, they spend their own money to save a bunch of deer, wolves, birds, and anything else they find. I really wish I could've really known them, as it is I spent most of my just watching them, it was only at the end that I got to get to know them and they weren't really in a position to talk at that point.) Every word was the truth these might very well have been the best people I knew, and one of my regrets was not being able to know them better.

"I'm really sorry bird, really I am," I wasn't sure if he meant it but it was nice to hear as he looked down as Cassie walked out of the house. For the first time I really thought someone was really getting a sense of who I was and my true age. Over the last four or so hours we'd already seen Marco and Jake and it was pretty obvious from both of them that I was older than I looked. It wasn't that Danny didn't know that, but for a time I think he had forgotten it, the names just becoming names, but now that he say them, how old they were it gave him an new apperception of me, of my experience, of what I'd lost, and what I'd gained.

(Not your fault, now stay on your toes looks like things are about to kick off,) leaning forward on my perch. Cassie was dressed to the nines, tasteful dress, make up applied, in truth everything I never thought the girl I knew would grow up to be, at least not without Rachel to dress her. At that thought a pang of guilt shot through me, I missed her, if I was here she should've been too.

"Mark come on," she yelled back, a dark skinned man following her in a suit and trying to adjust a tie.

"I'm come, I can't figure out how to do this," still messing with it.

"Come here," she sighed a fair bit of humor in her voice, the tone saying she'd experienced it several times over. Skilled finger flew over the material before pulling away, the knot perfectly ties, "there done, now lets get going I want to go see everyone."

"You've been here for two days and your just now doing this?"

"Well I had work to do, you know my parents aren't getting any younger, besides I missed this, this is nice, simple, it's not like back home."

"So you keep saying," walking over to their car and opening the door, "personally I still don't see the difference."

"You never do," walking over and hugging him, "and that's one of the reasons I love you,."

(Looks like you did good Cassie,) slightly nodding my head, (shame about you and Jake though, he probably could use you more than you know.)

"So now what?"

(What else, we follow them, we hit up the reunion see where things go from there,) shrugging my wings .

"That has got to be the worst plan I've ever heard."

(Considering you don't even have plans most of the time your in no position to judge me,) spreading my wings and flying off.

"Still man, I thought you could come up with something better than that."

(I'm reactive by trade, I'm not saying I can't make plans, I just prefer not to when I'm hunting, and lets face it this is a hunt, and David's setting the rules so there's no point in trying to predict anything. Just let it come and deal with it then, that's all I can do besides hoping for the best.)

"Again I was hoping for more," keeping up with the bird as they flew off.

(Whatever comes we'll deal with it, look when we get there I'm going to stay out of sight and up in the rafters, see what you can do about staying on the ground floor and putting your ghost sense to good use.)

"And I'm suppose to do that how?"

(Go invisible, overshadow someone I don't care just get down there and keep an eyes on the others, keep them safe in case something happens.)

"Oh I can see this ending well," rolling his eyes and flying ahead of me, already knowing where we were going. The whole thing tonight was going down in a banquet hall in the rebuilt down town, ironically almost dead center where the yeerk pool had been, irony is a funny thing, I was going right back into the middle of the things that had put my life into a tail spin. By the time we got there the sun was already going down and the first hints of dusk were in the air, a more than a few people in varying styles of dress were gathering outside the building.

(Times like this make me glad I don't wear pants,) the thought just slipping out and making Danny stop in mid air, a quick shift in my wings was the only thing that kept me from running into him. (Why'd you stop we got a problem?)

"Yeah you putting a horrible image in my head, never talk about you and not wearing pants around me, that's sick and wrong."

(But I don't wear pants most of the time,) shaking my head and flying by him to the building.

"So not the point feather face."

(Feather face, nice come back, what's wrong were claw toes and wing arms taken?)

"Shut up," catch up to me, "you know what I mean."

(Yeah, now lets get in there,) his arm slipping around me, something the hawk still wasn't use to but I was. We went intangible and shot through the walls till we hit where we were inside.

"This is it," Danny asked quietly.

(I guess, I don't know what reunions are like outside of what you see on tv shows.) Like the outside of the building people in different types of clothing were inside making small talk. Decorations littered the walls and ceiling, a bank was off on a stage, along one wall was buffet.

"I was expecting something better, something more, I mean this is pretty boring."

(Lets hope it stays like this,) glaring at him and jumping away and landing on the rafters of the room, (do whatever you want but watch what's going on, I'll see what I can do from here.)

"Alright, still think we could come up with something better," the shift of the air telling me he had left and letting me get a better read on the situation, the exits, the people, the lay out, anything I or David could be able to use if the situation got ugly. For the most part it was just normal stuff, nothing that would help either one of us in a fight but better to know that than be surprised. One thing however did catch my interest, but it was more for personal reasons, a collage of those who'd died from their graduating class, or should've been in the class had they lived. More than a few of them had died during the war in one way or another, and two the photos unparticular were of interest to me, the ones of Rachel and I. You could tell just how different the two of us where by our place on the board, Rachel had a huge picture, looking beautiful as always, right in the middle of the board. I on the other hand had a small shot, probably from the yearbook off in the corner almost obscured by another persons photo.

(Figures, the stuff I did and I barely warrant a remembrance, not that anyone remembers what I did, I wonder why Nikki didn't rewrite their memories of me and give me a better send off.) Then again Rachel and I weren't the only one on the board I recognized, low and behold a little shot of David was there too. It was funny in a way, we were both so different yet on the collage we were the same, just little photos of people no one remembered. Shaking my head I pushed the thought away and turned my attention to the party, I wasn't sure where Danny was now but it was pretty obvious where Marco was given the small crowd that had gathered around him.

"Yeah of course I know them," I heard him say in that usual Marco tone, "nice guy, not stuck up at all, very approachable. Yeah I was over at his place, we talked about me getting a part in his next flick, no really…," at that point I stopped listening. It was obvious he had a good life, or at least one he liked so I wasn't going to complain at least he was happy. Of course the fact that he' chosen to shave his head cracked me up to no end, it was just weird seeing him like that no matter how many times I looked at him.

Cassie on the other hand didn't really have anyone around her but her husband, from the look on her face despite her desire to get here she wasn't having as much fun as she'd hoped, that or she was just missing someone. It wasn't that hard to figure out who, back before she'd had more than a few friends, but Rachel was still the one she was closest to, so it wasn't really a shock when I saw her hanging around the board of those of us not here. Not surprisingly she didn't seem to be shedding any tears for me, but then again it wasn't like she knew me in this version of history.

But compared to Jake those two were actually themselves, or at least the people I'd thought they'd go into. The strong brave kid he had been had drowned in the sea of fear and anger, of something he wanted to do, of guilt he couldn't quite escape. I'd seen his record as a cop he was impeccable, he had more commendations than pretty much anyone on the force, which was even more impressive for his age, but I could tell by just looking at him his life was empty. He was alone here, no one was around him, and he just hung out along a wall sipping something thing from a cup and trying to stay away from everyone else, why he was here I couldn't be sure but I knew he had to have a reason.

In a lot of ways it hurt me to see him like that, in so many ways we were now alike, as sad as that sounded, both alone. Yet we were both different, he really was alone, where I'd gathered people around me, somehow broken free of the pain and fear. (I wish I could help you man, I really do,) looking down at him but keeping the thoughts to myself.

I stayed up there for a good hour and just watched as the people moved back and forth mostly just making small talk, comparing lives, this and that, the normal things. I was glad when Marco pulled Jake aside and had a talk with him, from the way they looked it was pretty obvious this wasn't the first time in recent history they'd been in contact. It was nice to know Jake was still in contact with one of the others because given the looks he and Cassie kept giving each other that whatever had happened to break them up was more than time could heal.

After hour two I started giving up on watching the others, listening to their relatively boring personal history over the last few years, that is save Marco who was expecting a kid soon which I had to admit was both cool and frightening. But for the most part it just got boring after a while, curse of living a really exciting life I guess. I starred focusing in on some of the others in the room finding it a little weird that I could still recognize most of them from above despite the different hair or in some cases the lack of hair. (Controller, controller, human, Melissa, human, jerk, jerk, controller, don't know, jerk, human, human, don't know…,) I just kept going on like that for a while a little surprised that my memory was even that good. (This has got to be a set up, David would've attacked by now, there is now way he has this much patience, there has got to be something I'm missing.)

"You know you Marco's up for a roll in Ghost Hunters Three?" Danny's sudden vocal appearance scaring me a little, I'd become to involved in looking around. And get this he says the script is based on what's been going on in Amity Park, how ironic is that, he might be hunting fake ghost in our town while we're doing real ones."

(Well I'm glad your happy,) staring at him even though I couldn't see him.

"Oh come on your telling me your not exited by this, we're going to be in a movie, well I might be, this is awesome, he even said something about rewrites for some of the new stuff that's been going on, dude you might be in the film too, you might be my side kick"

I just glared at him at that, my feathers ruffling slightly, (happy happy joy joy.)

"Lighten up man, this is great."

(Yeah Marco's having a great life, Cassie has a husband, Jakes starting to fall apart, and I'm getting this all shoved in my face for no reason at all because David isn't here so excuse me if it puts me in a foul mode.)

"Bird joke nice one," I wanted to glare ay him harder but I couldn't help but laugh a little, I appreciated him trying to cheer me up.

(I'm just really tired right now, kinda feels like I'm wasting my time here.)

"Hey we still have a lot of time left, I mean it's only Saturday, and they do have that thing tomorrow."

(Yeah,) looking down at my old friends, (or maybe he's not here at all and taking about the others, or this really was a set up by your sister to get me here.)

"Trust me, Jazz is a lot of things but she wouldn't do this, I'm guessing whoever armed him when he went after you is the one responsible for the heads up."

(Which still leaves the possibility of a trap for the others.)

"And if that was the case we would've gotten a call, so relax and come with me so we can ask your buddy more questions about movies he's been in."

I shook my head, (nah you do that, I'm going to get some air before I go nuts, never been good at cages, even really nice looking ones.)

"Another bird joke," diving back down.

(Thanks for trying Danny,) looking down where I thought he was going, (but right now I need to be somewhere else and get my head clear.) I didn't bother with anything fancy and just went lizard and walked over the railing to the wall then a quick shot into the ventilation system, a few twists and turns later and I was upon the roof, the night sky full of stars, or as many starts as you could get in the city.

(Things are never easy, story of my life,) looking at in the darkness as far as I could, the night sky just wasn't meant for a daylight raptor. (Time to fly,) focusing on my newest addition courtesy of my Cassie's parents. I knew it was a little stupid, but it felt right grabbing a new form from the barn, a way of reconnecting to my past and if nothing else it was time I added the DNA to my inventory. The change probably only took about a second, then again I wasn't changing much as I morphed a Great Horn Owl. I had a few minor differences, different beak, better night eyes, wings designed to be silent in the sky, but for the most part the differences were minor, and for the most part they didn't really effect me, even the instincts were virtually identical.

Spreading my wings I jumped into the night sky and caught a breeze and flew away from my past, I wasn't sure where I was going I just knew I needed to be away from all of them for a little while. After a little while I did realize one thing, I should've gotten this body much sooner because it was really cool, I'd always had a bit of respect for my enemies, now I had even more. I flew for about ten minutes, letting the wind drive the confusion from my mind and replace it with the simple joy of flight and the occasional pangs of hunger coming from the bird a it saw a mouse or shrew.

Finally I sat down on a church spire, maybe it was a little gothic, but at the moment it felt right to stop there, it was high and maybe I could sort things out from there. (What is going on,) looking up into the sky, (David's not this good, not patience enough for this he's all about the kill, the pain, if the guys knew he was coming that might play into his style but I haven't seen anything that would indicate that, except to me. So what is he planning, the guy doesn't do mind games unless they're flat out so I have to be missing something. Come one Tobias think you know how this guy operates, he like to terrorize, torture, he likes to inflict as much pain as he can before taking the final shot, but what is it, what would inflict serious damage on the others without actual…..oh crap,) my mind flashing back to when David had me back in Amity Park. He already had a plan for this, he was just taking it one step further, and there was a good chance I was already to late to stop it.

I spread my wings and jumped, a thousand ideas running through my mind, should I get Danny, was I over thinking things, where would I hit if I was him. That was the part I really hated, because the last thing I wanted to do with think like that lunatic, but it had to be done. Five targets, well four technically since I doubt he'd waste the energy to go after me, and with luck I was at the top of his list now. Even so that still put Jake at number two, number two with a bullet, shifting my wings and turning ail and using every trick I knew of to gain speed as I headed towards Jakes parents home at top speed and really hoped I was wrong and knowing I probably wasn't.

I saw the Berenson home after a few minutes and from the outside nothing seemed wrong, but I'd learned a long time ago tolerances were quite often deceiving. I went in fast and grabbed a spot on the lamp post but didn't see anything through the window, but again that didn't mean anything, as I trained my eyes on glass, something seeming wrong but I wasn't sure what. It might've been my imagination but after a second I really thought I saw something, a flicker of light reflected in a mirror, a dark glow, if I was trying to convince myself of something I was doing a good job.

(Roll the dice, either I'm right or I'm about to start the mother of all urban legends,) and jumping down from the pole and demorphing a new form already in mind, it might not have been the best but at the moment I needed a tracked that could move in a human world without much trouble, and that left one thing as frightening as it might be for the normal humans inside. Feathers turned to scales, wings to claws, and I shot up in height to become a Deinonychus once again, a form again I'd ironically gotten from my time here but had never had a chance to use in these surroundings, something I wish I'd been able to do. The second I had my nose it picked up just what I thought it would, and more, the smell of David and blood, that psycho knew exactly how to put fear into someone.

If I had fur it would bristle, feathers would've risen, but I had to make do with a growl that would scare marines. For half a second I considered kicking in the door but pushed the thought away and brought my clawed hand to the door knob and turned it as best I could, the door pushing open silently and filling my nose with a stronger taste of blood and driving the dinosaurs instincts to kill and eat on to greater heights than I'd known in this body. Even so it wasn't enough to take over or deter me from my mission as I skulked into the room as quietly as I could following the scent of blood and hoping I was wrong about what I thought I'd find.

After a second I picked up a voice and my blood began to boil, but it also made me a little more hopeful. "Well won't old Jake be surprised when he gets home and find you," a wet slap echoing down the hall. "Mr. High and mighty hero can't even protect his own parents, not that he ever could, not from me. And you are so lucky to be first," his voice growing condescending, "after you I'm going to see his little girlfriend, and then Mr. funny boys family, then finally the witch that spawned that little blond deviant. One by one I'm going to rip away their loved ones, and I do mean rip."

By this time I'd narrowed down where they were and could manage a little peak around the corner to get an idea of just how bad the situation was. Both Jakes parents were tied to chair with gags in their mouths, there clothing was torn, no cut open I could tell by the pattern of the edges. From my position I could see at least half a dozen cuts on them ranging from shallow and painful to deep enough to die from. Both their face were virtually invisible under a mask of blood, and I wasn't sure but I thought Mr. Berenson was missing an ear. And it figured to top it all off Jake's mom had her shirt torn off, I could only imagine what he might've done to her before I got here. I got a front row seat as a still human in appearance David slapped a very bloody Mrs. Berenson, "then I'm finally going to turn on to them. I'm going to make your little boy and beg for death, for a relief of the pain and the knowledge he let you die, doesn't that sound like fun?" In disgust I pulled away from the scene steadying myself for the coming fight and trying to figure out how to get him away from them without getting anyone killed.

I heard someone whimper something, or try to both their mouths had gags in them so at least I knew they were alive even if they looked like they were dead.

"The only question is how to let him find you, like this, inches away from death so he can see you and watch you die or just flat out killing you and leaving him to wonder why. Maybe just one of each as I go from family to family but then again it only takes it only takes one person to deliver a message," even though I couldn't see him I could smell him as he ignited in fire, "and it's not like it has to be a long one before they die," his voice descending into a primal lion roar and tearing away all the time I had left to plan.

With a growl I couldn't stop I darted out around the corner moving as fast as I could, for a moment his eyes met mine and we both knew how this was going to end tonight. He didn't stop and neither did I, his claws growing closer as I watched and I knew I couldn't out run him, that didn't mean I could out smart him shifting my body into a spin and ducking down, my tail whipping the legs out from under the chairs David had tied them to and brought them down just as his claws were going to bite into their throats.

"Miserable bird," he hissed hitting the floor, his claws digging groves in the floor as he shot back up and snapped his jaws at me.

(This coming from a serial killer slash rapist,) snapping my own jaws at him and positioning myself between the Berensons and David.

"What are you even doing here," jumping at me, I knew I could move, the dinosaur even wanted to but I knew if I did he'd get Jakes parents, so I let him collide with me, his claws biting into my flesh and drawing blood.

(Same as you,) biting down with my maw, sinking my teeth into nothing but fire and burning just about everything in my mouth, (I'm here for a party , didn't know I'd have to deal with a gate crasher.)

With a primal snarl he dug his claws into my back and tore me off and flung me across the room, only stopping when I hit a wall, given how I felt when I hit I guessed I put a dent in it. "Now where was I," I heard him growl, the sound a little garbled in my head, but not enough to stop me. When I looked at him his claws were raised high and I know what he was going to do, this time however I have more time, and jumped at him but passed right through him as he went intangible, thankfully however his claws when right through me as well. It only took half a second to stop and turn but it was enough as I grabbed David and pulled him back, his flames burning me, not that I cared and ripped him out of the room for lack of a better word.

With a grunt we hit the ground and rolled into the living room and kept moving, his claws flashing in the light and roaring, not that I wasn't doing the same. Somehow we ended up in a pile, not that this was my first one, kicking him with all the power I had in my legs sent him flying off me and into a grandfather clock they had for some reason.

Looking back at the room I'd come from I barked, (DON'T COME OUT OF THERE FOR ANY REASON UNTIL WE'RE GONE!)

"That all you got bait breath," he snapped lunging forward and tackling me to the ground, his claws tearing across my throat and taking a good chunk of it along for the ride

(You wish,) screaming out a raptor roar right into his overly sensitive ears, and watched him pull back in pain. (Not so tough after all are you kitty-cat,) I growled staggering to my feet and jumping forward and sinking my teeth onto the side of his neck, or trying to, at the moment I was more interested in the in just getting him away from everyone else in the house.

"Stupid bird," his body flaring in front of my eyes and knocking me back catch part of me on fire. I sailed through the air without power for a moment before I was caught by a china cabinet, well that's a nice way of putting it, another way is I was hurled through the cabinet and about twenty plates and a couple of plates of glass, and I'm not sure how much wood were imbedded in my body.

(That sucks,) I groaned reaching up towards my head feeling what might be a serving tray lodged dangerously close to my brain.

"I haven't even gotten started," pouncing on me and ripping a chunk of my body away, my own blood splashing against the walls, some where off in head I heard a voice say, 'I wonder how many rooms in this house have that same paint job now.' When he came down across my tail I snapped out of it but not enough to keep my tail attached to my body. "Anything else to say before I kill you freak?"

(Clang.)

At that he pulled back, "clang what kind of last word is clang?"

He got his answer as I pulled the bloody tray from my head with my claws as best I could, a new stream of blood flying everywhere making my grip all the weaker, and hit him over the head with it, a clang filling the air for the first three hits, after that the sound became more of a thud. (We're about three steps from a food fight here, you know that?)

"You think that's going to stop me," as I tried to bring the burnt and warped tray down on him again only to have it knocked aside, but it did it's job, it got him away from me a little. Charging at him and breaking through the plate glass window and crashing onto the street, the to of us landing in a pile.

"Tougher than you," he snarled twin jets of flame jumping from his paws and hitting me in the chest and knocking me back. I could feel my skin start to rip off in the process and did my best not to scream.

(In your dreams monster.)

"Brave words from a freak of nature, a sad stupid little mutant who doesn't get that no one wants him! A misshapen monster that doesn't understand anything about power!"

(Oh yes because people with real power attack the helpless,) I spat feeling my blood loss starting to affect me. (You think you're so much better than us, at least we did what we did head on, we didn't hit the innocent, we're better than you are you lunatic. You kill for no reason, hurting people who have nothing to do with this, if you want to hurt us, do it but leave those around us out of it you gutless rat, you pathetic tiny little man who doesn't deserve anything he's been given, not the power, not the life, not his very existence. I may be a freak but at least I'm to afraid to die with dignity, to go down for what I believe in.)

That on got him, his flames ignited higher and brighter, his snarl became almost deafening and he shot at me, that was enough. I wanted him mad, anger equals stupidity if done right, and I wanted his as mad as I could get him, anything to buy me a few more seconds. He came, I dodged and run, the whole while he kept on my tail just like I was hoping and shifted into my hawk mode and hit the sky, this was a bad time for me to fly but I needed to get him away from the Berensons and this was the best way, unfortunately in order to stop him I had to do something incredibly stupid.

I morphed my owl for additional speed and glanced back to see David hot on my heals in his golden eagle form, the black purple bird slightly obscured by the darkness of night. For those that saw us it must've been a hell of a show, an owl weaving in and out of traffic with a giant flaming birdman on his tail, all the while him screaming death threats at the bird. Of course they didn't hear me screaming insults back, I called him the worse things I could think of and truth was they were all still to good for the likes of him. More than a few times I thought he'd catch me, his claws grazing my feathers, a jet of flame searing a strip of feathers, and worst of all a full mess of feathers gone as hit bit them away.

It took a while to get where I was going but I finally saw the banquet hall, looking back he hadn't really backed down and I hoped he didn't know what was in there as I put my thoughts on a tight beam. (Danny, if you can here me I need you outside now I have a flaming bird of death on my tail and I can't loose him without you so get away from Marco and help me.)

I got my answer a few seconds later as Danny popped out of the wall and headed towards me, "whoa, you guys didn't say he looked like that." I was glad to see him, gladder still when he came at me, his hands in his backpack pulling something out.

(Save the talk man, get my stuff I need a little extra firepower if I'm going to help take this guy down.)

"Done and done," throwing a small capsule at me, the object easily caught in-between my talons, "now lets time to show you what happens when you miss with my sister," his eyes glowing green but to no avail as David disappeared in front of us. "This is bad right," the half ghost floating in midair and turning, looking for where David might be, using everything I'd taught him to try and here him out before he could strike at us.

(Words do not exist for how bad this is,) I huffed landing on his shoulder and going back to my hawk form, the capsule still in my claws.

"Where'd you find him?"

(At Jakes parents place, he was cutting them open with a kitchen knife, something for Jake to see next time he came home, from the way he was talking I think I stopped him before he started cutting into the rest of the families.)

"Crap man just how crazy is this guy?" his head spinning and staring at me with disbelief.

(Lets hope you never find out,) listen for him, and trying to regain a little strength when it hit me like a bolt from the blue. (He's going after the others,) looking at Danny, (banquet hall now, claws out teeth bared this is going to get bad real quick.)

"As if it isn't now."

(It's gunna get worse trust me,) holding onto him as he flew towards the building as fast as he could a good idea of what we'd find in there already forming in my mind. (I rolled the dice and lost here, doesn't mean I'm going to let it end this way.)

"Hear that," he nodded phasing through the room, thankfully when we entered it wasn't a bloodbath. "Somehow I was expecting worse," he whispered, "maybe we were wrong, maybe he ran when he saw me, figured he was out gunned and out matched."

(Not with his ego, he's here he's going to finish this just to spit in my face and prove I was wrong about him.)

"Next time you have something to say keep it to yourself," as he watch the ground.

(Can't be helped, we need to go down there and figure out were he is, if he's inside someone, before he hurts people.)

"Can't say I've used my power like that before," diving down into the crowd of people walking past people, I mean while stayed on high alert on his shoulder, looking for any difference in how they moved, what they said, anything from how I'd seen them from above earlier. He moved this way and that, Danny did his best to stay calm, to stay at a reasonable speed as he moved, he passed Cassie and Marco without anything happening, much to my joy. It took a few minutes to make it through most of the room and in that time I noticed one glaring problem with the search.

Somehow I wasn't surprised when we got near Jake at the buffet and a wisp of blue smoke slipping out of his mouth. (Figures, don't bother being subtle just drop him and get David out,) he didn't have to reply, or do much of anything for that matter as Jake jumped back and grabbed a carving knife off the table and brought it to his throat bring the attention of everyone in the area to him.

"Still think I'm afraid freak," David hissed in Jakes voice, "think I won't do it, that I can't kill him that you, that anyone can save him."

"JAKE," it was Marco from behind us, the actor running up a few feet away from us, "ok calm down buddy just put it down, I know things are hard but…"

"Hard! You have know idea what hard is monkey boy."

"Excuse me," obviously hurt and a little confused by what he'd heard, "Jake man, what's happening with you. Look I know things are tough but you have got to calm down and put it down it's not worth it, it isn…"

"Oh shut up jokey, no one cares what you have to say no one ever did, so just shut your hole and back away it'll be your turn all to soon."

"Jake," Cassie now coming up next to Marco, "please calm down."

"Always the peace maker huh Cass, guess what that's not going to work anymore, you had your shot you could've saved me but you turned you back on me just like the others. Your as responsible for my death as everyone else, I'm just choosing to take out little Jakey here first," his voice shifting into his normal tone as he pulled the blade closer into Jakes neck a trickle of blood running down his throat.

"MAN STOP IT," Marco barked lunging forward only to be stopped by Danny's invisible hand, "what," trying to move but un able to.

(So this is it,) my thoughts going everywhere in the room, the singular reaction being disbelief as they looked around, all that is save David/Jake.

"What still not happy, still think I won't do it," he hissed.

(No I know you will,) hopping off Danny and landing on the table regaining my color, (thing is what's the point? Tell me what's the point of killing someone that had no clue what's going on,) I had no idea what I was doing I just knew I had to do something to stall David till I could get him out of Jake.

"They know," bringing the blade closer, biting into more flesh.

(Really, does anyone here know who this guy is?) looking out at the others, (Marco, Cassie this guy ringing any bells what so ever.)

"Is the bird talking to us," Marco whimpered looking dead at me.

"I…may….sorta….what," Cassie whimpered looking at me as well.

"I thought you were the animal expert?" his voice growing smaller.

"DON'T PLAY JOKES YOU KNOW WHO THAT IS," David roared out.

(No they don't,) staring him in the eyes, (they don't know who I am, they don't know you, they don't know anything about this.) I switched over to private thought speech so only David, Danny and I could hear, (they don't know because no one knows. Everything that happened has been forgotten, they have no clue who you are, what they….what we did to you. Your trying to take revenge on people who don't know you from Adam, your just another name, a boy that transferred in and simply disappeared from the school one day and no one cared. You and I, we're all that's left the only ones that know what happened, the only ones that know what you did, the atrocities committed stay between us, you can do whatever you want to them but in the end all you'll be doing is taking revenge of shadows of he past, on people that have essentially been dead for years.)

"No," his hand shaking,

(Oh yes, no one here gets it but us.)

"Do you have any clue what's going on," Macro looking from me to Cassie to Jack to Danny, or in his direction since he was still holding him.

For a second I thought David was going to explode, Jakes eyes glowing purple-black as an inhuman roar slipped out his throat and he leapt straight out of Jake to the surprise of everyone in the room and shot towards Cassie and grabbed her by the throat. I could tell Danny wanted to make a move but I stopped him with a look.

"Do you know who I am," he roared at her still in his human form and holding her off the ground, "I WANT THE TRUTH!"

"no," she whimpered quietly and weakly struggled, fear having taken most of her strength.

"YOU," looking over at Marco.

"I don't even know what you are!"

"THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE," throwing Cassie back.

(Yeah it is, it's just you and I, we're the only ones that know, yeah you can kill them, but it won't get you anything.)

"Then I'll just have to settle for being happy myself and personally just knowing."

(DROP HIM,) , I barked at Danny thankfully I didn't have to tell him twice and he dove into the fight and punched David in the face with the glove he'd brought with him from the future. For half a second I actually thought I was getting through to him, stupid me. Turning my thoughts to everyone in the room, (attention everyone, GET THE FRELL OUT OF HERE, THIS PLACE IS ABOUT TO BECOME A WAR ZONE!) Yep that was enough everyone that hadn't started moving when David popped out of Jake was moving now and getting out quick. Well almost everyone, Cassie, and Marco was still on the ground and Jake was trying to bandage his neck as best he could with what he could grab from the table.

(Guys,) looking down at them, (you really have to get out of here and I mean now because the guy in the black has every intention of killing you and I'm not one hundred percent sure we can stop him.)

"Who…what are you," Cassie whispered looking up at me.

(No one of consequence, now if your smart stay you'll forget this ever happened, grab Jake and get as far away from here as you can get.)

"Not a chance," Jake hissed his voice scratchy and painful but still his and stronger than it had been all night. "Whatever is going on we need to know, it involves us."

(No Jake you….,) my words stopping as something crashed. Turning I saw Danny bounce off a wall and hit the ground.

Lifting his hand up, "I'm ok," then collapsed back down, "or I'm just going to lay here for a little while till the nice birdies and stars go away." From where he landed the other couldn't see him, his body obstructed by an over turned table, twin rings flashing over his body returning him to his normal human appearance.

(Great, lost another one, Jazz is going to kill me if I don't bring him back in one piece,) the thoughts staying with me alone.

David ignored him and floated near us, "all four of you in one room, that's all I really wanted, it's shame I can't get all six of you at once, ah well this is enough."

(Not a chance,) hopping off the table and morphing my Hork-Bajir, blades popping out all over my body, everything shifting as I became pure alien, only the my feet still close to my own. (Your getting to them through my dead body,) snatching the canister off the table and crushing it in my clawed hand and covering myself in smoke, along with parts of the others as I positioned myself between them and the ghost.

"That is kinda the plan yes," popping his claws out and roaring.

"This is getting really weird here now," Marco half laughed half cried.

(Not the time for jokes here Marco,) crossing my arms in front of me and snapping my beak, (your not getting them.) I forced myself to stay calm, right now I was all that stood between them and death, I knew that, but that didn't make it easy to keep the appearance up.

"Wake up bird you can't stop me, I'm a ghost, I'm invincible when it comes to fighting you living breathing foo….," his words stopping as he hit the ground face first and sliding over the ground.

"This is getting weirder and weirder."

"Shut up Marco," the voice ringing in my ears, one I and everyone in the room knew well, except Danny but I wasn't even sure he was conscious at the moment. As soon as they said it all eyes turned to the originator, most not believing it, personally I was hoping everyone in the room wasn't going to end up dead.

(Rachel looking at the half woman half cheetah standing behind David.

"Cousin?" Jake sounded and looked like someone had punched him in the face.

"I don't believe this," Cassie whispered.

"Ok I thought she was dead not a mutant," Marco looking from her to Jake, "what is up with th….," his voice stopping as Rachel disappeared and reappeared next to him holding his mouth shut.

"Again shut up Marco," looking from him to David to me.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!" Jake barked pulling out his gun, I was kinda surprised he brought that here and even more that I didn't know he had it.

"Congratulations cousin I'm a ghost, happy reunion," looking over at David, "well what do you know the little redhead was right you are here."

"YOU," David snarled, "I WAS HOPING TO GET ANOTHER SHOT AT YOU!"

(Dude your in idiot,) looking at him, (you do realize she'd going to beat the crap out of you eighteen ways from Sunday right?)

"Beloved I'm touched, you have that much faith in me," giving me a weird smile with her muzzle.

(I've been on the receiving end of your claws enough to know better than to doubt you,) snapping my beak at David.

"Well as sickeningly sweet as this is it's time to take you all apart," the flame ghost snarled and dove at us coming down from the sky, boy did he not know who he was dealing with. Rachel was gone in a flash while I dove in back and let him miss me and slashed his claws out at my neck only to miss as I pulled back and slashed at him, my coated claws finding their mark and slicing through flame and getting a scream from him in return.

"Very nice you've learned a few things haven't you," Rachel seeming like little more than a blur as attacked David and sent him skidding back along the floor.

While she went after him I looked around the others having vanished from where they had been and now located against the far wall near the door. That is save Danny who was still where he use to be on the ground. It wasn't hard to figure out that Rachel had picked them up and moved them with her enhanced speed.

(We really got something going here,) watching the fight between Rachel and David rage, for a few moments I had thought I could get involved in the fight, but seeing that made me realize just how out matched I was. Rachel had gone half grizzly and was trying to bludgeon David with her paw and doing a good job of it. His claws lashed out and sliced into her stomach, or as much as it could considering she was a ghost.

"You telling me that's it," she hissed touching the wound with her human and laying a elbow into what use to be his spine, "I was expecting more from you David."

"You couldn't stop me before what makes you think you can do it now," he snapped raking upward with both hands and tearing groves into her body, cutting through fur and clothing, her body rising off the ground and flying back and landing with a thud.

(RACHEL,) the thought involuntary.

(I'm good,) she barked back mentally as David jumped shifting into his burning birdman form and dove down, fully intent on pouncing on her with his hands and feet, his talons bought to bear. Despite his efforts the strike didn't come as she changed to her half squid form and covered him with tendrils and held him in place. "Come on now David, you telling me that's all you got, I was lead to believe you were a threat, Tobias could take you down without me, but since I'm here I guess I should take you back to Walker, I already have a nice cell picked out for you."

"YOUR NOT TAKING ME ANYWHERE," flaring brightly and forcing the tendrils off him, "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU."

"Neat trick considering we're already dead," the tendrils sucking in as her skin went gray, a tail ripped out of her, a fin grew on her back, and part of her head flattened and elongated, in short she became part hammer head shark. "And you picked a fight with the wrong woman," shooting at him, cutting through the sky faster than I could and hitting him dead in the chest head first, a bright light coming off the spot where her mouth hit and spent him back through a wall, fart of it coming loose and falling on him.

(I am never ever ticking you off,) I whimpered looking at her and she floated over to me.

"Good to know birdie," the name Jazz always used slipping out and making me nervous, "I can't say I like the sound of that," all her sharp shark teeth flashing. "Oh yes I met her that's why I'm here, just to let you know I like her, she has spirit, I question her lack of faith in you, but she has potential none the less."

(Oh boy,) I had no idea what else to say, and truth was the fact that she seemed to like Jazz was scarier than anything else.

"Don't be like that," grabbing my head in her human hand, "I'm not going to kill her, as I told you before I'm glad you found someone on this side, but you still belong to me beloved, always have, always will."

"Rachel," Jake half coughed moving over to us his gun still trained on her.

"Hey cousin, bet you never thought you'd see me again," the smile she gave him could give anyone nightmares given her teeth.

"What kind of sick game is this," he snapped, "my cousin is dead, I don't know what you are…"

"Told you I'm a ghost," poking herself in the chest.

"BULL, GHOSTS DO NOT EXIST," his hand shake just a bit.

"Yeah we do," looking at him and walking over and tearing the gun out of his hand with her human hand, "give me that before you hurt someone."

"Whoa…what," looking from his hand to her to the gun.

Spinning the gun in her hand she tapping him in the forehead with the butt of the weapon, "you do not point guns at family especially when it won't effect them stripes," and tossing it back him.

"Are you nuts," scrambling to grab the gun, "this thing could've gone off.

"Doubtful I put the safety on," turning away from him, "I'm not sure if I still have finger prints but if I do that might prove something, providing you didn't smudge them."

(What are you doing Rachel,) I hissed in her mind.

"Relax, I got this," patting me on the cheek, "doesn't mean I will next time thought."

"Rachel."

"Yes Cassie it's me," not looking back, "and by the way very impressive, I always knew you'd clean up good, just never thought I'd see it, figured that layer filth couldn't be taken off."

(Excuse me Rachel, how about taking the murdering rapist psycho and taking him anywhere else but here, before he decided to hurt someone else, like people beside the rest of your cousins family.)

That you got her , her head snapping around to stare at me, "WHAT DID HE DO!"

I looking away from her, looks like all her talk about not caring about the living wasn't quite as true as she'd claimed. (You don't want to know, lets just say they need a hospital, possibly some reconstructive surgery, and leave it at that.)

"Your dead now," snapping her teeth and snarling as she became part grizzly again, "that is deader."

The only problem was he wasn't there anymore, in those few moments he'd disappeared, (this is bad,) moving over the Rachel the two of us going back to back and staying near the others, old instincts taking over as we moved as one.

"Oh yeah," her body shifting, tiny furs tickling my back, a quick look back let me see she was part wolf now, "I'm not picking up a scent."

(But he's not gone,) like her I couldn't sense him but I knew in my gut this wasn't over yet, something like that you can tell even if you don't have other proof.

"Oh yeah, Davy's learned a few new tricks," pulling her ear back, "came across this once before, it's not easy to stop."

(Good I do like a challenge,) my tail quivering in excitement.

"You never change do you beloved," her tail slightly intertwining with mine.

(Just every time I turn around, and can you quite the beloved stuff it's creepy,) for a moment forgetting she could throw me through the wall without much trouble.

"So what do you want me to call you, rap, red, bird, feathers?"

(Rap works,) Something about being this close to her feeling natural, feeling right, feeling like home, which really sucked when I looked over at Danny and remembered his sister and getting a pang of guilt in my chest.

"Get something," she asked as I stiffened.

(No,) growling darkly and pushing what I was feeling for her out of my mind, now was not the time for that.

"Come on show yourself coward, or are you still more rat than man," she snarled snapping her teeth.

"Fight smarter not harder," voice coming from above us, before I could move Rachel swiped with her wolf hand and send small blades of energy flying from the claws but hitting nothing. "Oh very close," his voice now coming from the other side of the room, Rachel turned and fired off another blast and missed again as his voice rang out from what seemed right next to Jake.

(Great in addition to everything else he can throw his voice,) a growl slipping out of my throat and I could tell from the Rachel felt on my back she was about to lose it. (Keep the claws in amazon, and we aren't dead yet.)

"Excuse me," she growled back.

(You know what I mean,) glancing back our eyes meeting, then focusing our thoughts on Danny, (GET UP NOW NIGHT LIGHT!)

"Huh what," he groaned softly, I wasn't sure if he had passed out and just chose to lay but now he was back with me.

(Remember the last thing we talked about back in the forest?) and idea flashing in my head, but how good or bad it was beyond me considering it hinged on what he might be able to do.

"Your going to have to be more specific," I could tell by his voice he wasn't doing that well.

(Modified ghost sense, NOW!)

"I'm not sure I can do that," he groaned.

(DON'T CARE, WE NEED IT!)

From where I was I could see light erupt from where he was, so at least I knew he was part way there, "here's goes nothing," he groaned and yelled out getting nothing.

(Focus,) trying to keep my thoughts calm while trying send out a calming scent from the Hork-Bajir's body, I had no idea if it would effect Rachel but I hoped she still remembered it. (You can do this man, just project the voice, force the effect outward as far as you can, I know it's hard and I'm asking a lot but we are in real trouble here.)

"Alright," he coughed weakly, "but your asking a lot here," a moment later I could here the lower rumbling at signaled what was hopefully the beginning of our turn around. The trick was hard I knew that, it was a combination of a vocal attack he said he'd seen his older self in the possible future he'd been to, but he had yet to develop, mixed with the chemicals, or whatever it was, that that came out whenever a ghost came near him. We had a theory what this could end up doing but till now we'd never been in a position to actually test it. Looking back at Rachel I could tell she heard it two, he body tensing up, but also thankfully starting to glow a light blue color.

"Ok this is new."

(Go with it, David should be doing the same soon.)

"Now this is a plan," the pair of us looking around, "how'd you come us with this?"

(Dumb luck, good partner,) looking for David.

"You and the halfa work well together, let me guess you've been training him?"

(Actually we've been training each other and this is so not the time for this, and we have a target,) nodding my head forward David lighting up like a billboard.

"Alright no more games," jumping away form me and heading right at the ghost hiding in the rafters, caught without a hope in the world of beating this woman.

"Aw what you gunna do, your just chasing you tail like all dumb….," his voice trailing off as it hit him, "you can see me can't you?"

"Let me answer that by removing you face," shifting back into her grizzly form and cutting through one of the beams like it were nothing but missing David as he jumped back.

"Temper temper," leaping from beam to beam, Rachel on his heals and tearing through the support structure of the roof.

After a few seconds I was able to put things together and know where he was going and not liking it one bit, (RACHEL STOP YOUR GOING TO BRING THIS DOWN ON TOP OF US!) It didn't matter really I was already to late as the roof started coming down, a rumble filling the air and letting everyone know what was about to happen. The one good thing about this though I did see her get him, shame I couldn't focus on that though.

"THIS IS GOING TO SUCK," Jake putting into words what I was thinking.

(Danny, we gotta get out of here,) darting back and grabbing Jake and Cassie in my hands and wrapping my tail around Marco.

"On your tail bird boy," his voice coming from behind me and gaining.

"WHERE'D MY STUNT DOUBLE, I NEED MY STUNT DOUBLE!"

(Shut it Marco,) running as fast as I could and knowing the roof was hot on my heals, the sound becoming nearly deafening as it came at me. The light started going out, the power cutting off to them, the darkness from the outside world streaming in, in a lot of ways it was fitting. This had been my home, I'd fought here, nearly died a thousand times, and had somehow gotten out in one piece, and yet the moment I came back a bulls-eye had been marked on me, as if fate itself had decided I wasn't going to leave it again. To make it all worse, I was taking the others with me, and they didn't even have a clue what this was even about, lucky them.

(Danny,) a strange calmness flowing over me, (get out of here, I'm out of time, tell your sister, I'm sorry and that I lo….," the words not finishing as something sliced through my neck, my head barely still attached and the world went dark.

I'd always heard you were suppose to see a light when you die or maybe your life, or, I wasn't sure if I believed that, especially in light of the things I've learned recently. But in any case, the next thing I saw was not what I expected, it was Danny, still glowing, hovering over me, Cassie, Jake and Marco well behind them, cuts over various parts of the their bodies and looking very tired, but very much alive. I tried to move but couldn't unsure if I was dead or paralyzed or who knew what, all I knew is I was more than a little bit scared and so was the hawk.

(Easy, I got ya,) the voice seemingly coming from everywhere and no where at all, (your going to be ok Tobias,) suddenly feeling very empty as a purple light shone between my eyes and seemed to come out of me then take shape as Rachel, "I'm amazed I could fit in there," looking down at me.

(I'm not dead am I,) looking from her to Danny.

"Nadda beak breath," getting a ditty look from Rachel, "it's a term of endearment back off," Danny defended.

(Ok why aren't I…we…dead?)

"Your friend isn't the only one that can overshadow my little formerly severed head," a weird smile from Rachel, despite the muzzle she looked like the old her, not the crazy creature she'd been in out last meeting. "Personally I didn't think it was time for you to pass on, hope you don't mind. "

(Thanks, how'd they survive?) looking at the three.

"I also become intangible thank you very much," taking a small bow.

"Any second now I'm going to wake up from this dream," Marco insisted.

"You can't because I'm going to wake up in an insane asylum," Jake half joked.

"Some immature funny guy spiked the punch didn't they, that's the only explanation here isn't it," Cassie whimpered and hugger her knees a funny slime on her lips.

"What's up with them," Danny jerked his thumb behind him.

(I'm going to say psychotic break with reality, don't worry they'll be fine,) looking over at Rachel, (what about David?)

"Lost him in the chaos," shrugging her shoulders

(WHAT…WHY?) snapping at her and spreading my wings, the hawk taking over and trying to impart fear into her by looking bigger than I was.

She tapped me on the head, "get him or save you what did you want me to do here?"

That one kind of got me, putting my wings down I looked away, (thank you, but why, I thought you wanted me with you?)

"I do," putting her hand under my beak and lifting my head up to look her, in the corner of my eye I could see Danny and know he wasn't happy about the situation. (I want you with me more than you know, but I don't want you like this, if your going to go out it's not going to be on my watch, and not because of that monster.)

(Technically you brought the roof down.)

(Don't get smart we're having a moment.)

(Sorry.)

(I'm waiting for you, don't forget that, but still I want you to have a life in the here and now, I don't want you to come to me out of some technicality.) Looking over at Danny, (you love his sister don't you,) looking back at me and tapping my beak, (and don't you lie to me.)

(I don't know, maybe, it's confusing, I want her but part of me wants you to,) I wasn't sure why I was telling her this, maybe it was fear, maybe love, maybe she was doing something to me I couldn't pick up, but the truth was just slipping out of my mind.

(Good,) stroking my head, (I want you to remember that always, you want her but you also want me, you have an obligation to me, to us, but I want you to still have a life here,) bending down and kissing me on the head. (Have a good life Tobias, and don't worry about David, he falls under my jurisdiction, and right now he's running scared, he shouldn't be bother you anymore, if he does give me a call, I got no problem coming back. I can only think of one other ghost that needs to be locked up more and that's already covered.)

(Rachel,) my words stopped as she put a finger on my beak.

(Shhh, don't say anything else,) pulling away and looking at a tired Danny. "By all rights I should take you in right now as a gift to Walker."

"You can try," the threat not coming out as tough as he'd probably hoped.

"I'd win," giving him a feral smile, "but I'm letting you go, I've had enough to deal with tonight, and I said before he's made you better. You've shown potential, I think in a few months your going to be the hunt I've been waiting for, then again maybe not," stroking his face. I could tell he wanted to pull back but had the sense not to move, "I've heard stories, whispers mostly, I'm not completely sure you won't be better for us free, or at least better for me," looking back at me, "take care of my bird, if he gets hurt I'm taking it out of your hide," grabbing him by the collar and bring him nose to nose with her, "and you don't want that do you?"

"No ma'am," he whimpered

"Ma'am," lifting her human eyebrow, "do I look like a ma'am to you," pushing him back, "do I look that old, your dead now."

(RACHEL,) barking into her mind as Danny backed away in the sky.

"I'm joking," moving over to me and laughing, "you use to like my sense of humor."

(Your still hilarious in a creepy, but beautiful, animal girl kinda way.)

I watched her blush a little at that, at least I thought she did, she got a little blue in the face, but given her purple skin I guessed that was how she should look. "Flatterer," and lifted into the sky, shifting into her half wolf form she threw head back in a howl, a large werewolf like ghost appearing next to her a few moments later. "Time to go home Wulf," stroking the creatures face. I watched him slash his claws across the sky and open up a hole in the air, for a second it looked like she was going to go in then looked down at us. "Be good you guys, and for what it's worth I'm sorry about everything," then slipping into the hole, the other ghost behind her.

"No ones ever going to explain what's going on are they."

"Look into your new movie you'll find answers there, provided they don't put you in a padded room after all this," Danny joked grabbing me and shooting into the sky, "so we done here?"

(Well lets see, Jake's parents home is on fire, they're bloody, I tore down a banquette hall, and I had a really weird conversation with Rachel, yep I think we're just about done here, but I'd feel better if I blew something up before I left.)

"You need a lot of help bird boy, and by the way we are going to be talking about you and Rachel and where that stands with my sister."

(Not the time for this Danny, now fly, or at least get us out of here.)

"Yeah keep thinking your the boss see where it gets you," flying away with me and landing on the ground a few blocks away and shifting back to his human mode, I did the same a moment later.

"Well I feel like deep fried slag," I coughed sitting on the ground.

"Welcome to the club," stretching his back, "so on a scale of one to ten, how bad is this from this towns point of view?"

"Four maybe a five, remember it's seen a whole alien invasion, but this is still pretty bad, but all things considered everyone seemed to be ok, of course if they stay that way till morning is another matter."

"Meaning?"

"Remember Jakes family?"

"Right fire," nodding his head.

"Can I borrow your cell phone I need to call Nikki see if she's heard anything," reaching my hand out.

"Yeah sure," giving it to me.

A few rings and I got Nikki, "nice to know your alive," her voice strangely calm.

"We endure, we ain't happy, but we endure, I think we're done with David for now but I'm not sure yet."

"I'll have the others keep an eye out."

"Heard anything about the Berensons?"

"You mean the fire?"

"That and everything David did to them, come on Nikki, tell me you kept an ear to the ground on this one?"

"I knew they were attacked I wasn't aware it was him," the information jarring her voice a bit.

"Well what'd you think happened?"

"I didn't want to speculate."

I had to control myself from screaming at her, "well it was what's their condition?"

"Stable last I checked, they were hurt bad, I think they're in surgery now if not needing to be, I have to hear this face to face," hearing a tapping in the background, "I've found you, we'll be around to pick you up momentarily."

"Thanks Nikki," clicking off the phone and giving it to Danny, "we'll have a ride in a few minutes but it doesn't sound like they know what's going on with the Berensons yet."

"Sorry."

"Not your fault," leaning further back into the wall, "now if you don't mind, I don't feel like talking much, it's been a long few hours and I just want to rest for a while."

"Yeah, you got it," nodding slightly and leaving me alone, a few minutes later Nikki showed up with the Chee disguised as her parents. They helped load us in and drove back to their home, they had a few questions for me that thankfully Danny was able to cover but for the most part they already knew everything, not that that was a real surprise they usually were three steps ahead of us.

I'm sure a lot happened over the course of the trip, but I didn't hear any of it, I was lost in my own thoughts, what had happened, what it meant, where things might go next. David had been here, maybe still was, someone had set this up and I didn't know who. Not to mention David was a little bit more crazy than I thought he was, I mean I knew he was bad, but what I saw was more than I thought he'd do especially to those not involved. Then there was he lives of the others, I wasn't sure they could make it back, and if they did they'd never be the same before. It also didn't help that I was jealous of them, they had real lives, that beat the heck out of me. Then there was Rachel, she'd popped back in and I wasn't sure how I felt about that, on the one hand knowing she'd helped us was good to know, on the other hand it made things more complicated. She really confused me, I still care about her, I do, and things had come back so naturally but I also cared about Jazz, it was like being in the middle of a soap opera, a badly written one at that.

But beyond that was a whole other reason I was freaked out, I was out classed and I knew it, up till now I'd refused to admit it, I'd tried to justify everything thing that had happened but it was true I was hopelessly outclassed here. All my fights had been won by luck or coincidence, the only reason I beat the wolves was because I had surprised them and because despite all their skills they were just wolves and I could fight those. Skulker, I'd been lucky, he'd underestimated me, and in the end it fell to Danny to really deliver the finial blow. Visser and Howlers I hadn't even touched, the only reason I'd only been able to take them was because of Denoxgo Lihnep's natural powers, that hadn't been me at all. And now David, I had yet to actually beat him in a fight, yes I might've driven him off when Jazz was there but again that hadn't actually been me just the form I was in. If any of the other hadn't been there I would've been times several times over, in this fight I was useless and I didn't want to be, the question was how did I stop being like this and actually help them the next time a fight came in the form of a ghost.

All I really know is at some point I demorphed and slipped back into the room they'd let me stay in back when I'd lived here and just went to sleep, my brain still a buzz with all these thoughts filling my dreams with weird visions I didn't understand.

* * *

**Rachel POV**

Things were getting more complicated, they had been ever since I'd first seen Tobias in Amity Park, but things were just getting out of control. David was on the lose, Walker had lied to me, and the worst part was I couldn't do a thing about it. I hadn't wanted to tell Tobias but I was prohibited from going after David, well not him specifically but I couldn't go anywhere near Vlad Plasmius or those in his employ, curse my various noses I'd actually picked up the half ghost's scent. The question was why was that monster with him, and what did Vlad want with my home.

"Other than the obvious," I hissed to myself while walking through the corridors of the prison.

"Problem," the guard in front of me looking back.

"Just talking to myself," not bothering to looking at the faceless prison guard, it wasn't like he really mattered to me.

"Of course, this is his stop," swiping his card over a door and opening the cell, "I'll take him from here."

"Fine with me," turning Wulf over to him, a part of me felt bad about using the ghost to get where I needed to go by use of wolf pheromones, but at the moment I had enough on my mind without getting guilt over that. "Keep him tied up, and treat him well, he's special to me."

"Of course," following him into the cell, the door closing behind him as I continued down the halls to the elevator something else I needed to do in the here and now. I went down a few floors, this level reserved for only a few inmates, but only one of them on my mind, one I hadn't really spoken with in a long time, one I didn't have a reason to that is till now.

When I'd told the halfa's sister I wasn't going to help it hadn't been a lie, I really had no intention to go and help them. Then something happened, the blasted voices kicked in as I floated away, well technically they grew louder, ever since seeing Tobias they'd calmed down quite a bit, I wasn't sure why but they had, but they were still there and after seeing his new mate…girlfriend they had screamed many different things. Some wanted to bring her into the pack, other wanted to kill the intruder, others wanted to eliminate the competition for the males affections. To many voices to many ideas, but thankfully I had kept them under control and resisted the urge to crush her skull between my fingers.

No these voices were different, some were animals true, but most were the voices of the person I was back when I'd first arrived. I'd wanted to leave them alone, to let them fight it out, to see if Tobias could win the battle alone, but something had screamed in my head I had to go, had to protect the others, more than likely the same voice that spurred Tobias on, the one that convinced him to go to that realm of nightmares for us both. I tried to ignore it I really did, to let it wash through me and just go away like so many other desires I'd had since dieing but the truth was I couldn't, it stirred memories in me, and I couldn't just get rid of them no matter how hard I tried.

As much as I wanted to bury it, it didn't work, I was removed from them all in every possible way but it didn't change the fact that they were still my friends, still my family. I couldn't help but laugh a little at that I'd forgotten what family was, I'd spend so much time trying to be independent, trying to be strong in order to survive and to make a place for Tobias. Trying to insure my survival against all these creatures I'd thought I'd gotten rid of that part that still had emotion, buried under years of mental scars and the roaring of beasts that didn't care about love or family. Well most of them didn't anyway, the wolf still whimpered in the night that it wanted a pack, other yearned for a mate, but those longing were few and in-between.

Yet somehow when she told me what was happening, walls shattered, voices became tame, and a weird clarity came up around me and as much as I tried to fight it, it just hadn't worked. I had to go if for no other reason to see if it was true, if they were ok, I didn't really know why but I did. No that wasn't true I did know why, that little voice, for all I knew it was the part of me that was still human, still that idealistic child, had screamed I had to, they were family, and despite everything else that was what mattered most.

"Maybe there's still something human in there after all," speaking quietly to myself, the voices in my mind staying totally quiet for the first time in a long time, and I wasn't really sure why. Part of me thought it was seeing Tobias again or maybe it was seeing all of them, or maybe it was just having something bigger to hate, something I really wanted to, some they all could agree on, David.

Years hadn't dimmed my anger at him, raw rage still at the surface, a feeling more primal than anything the beasts ever stirred in me. I wasn't sure how but I was going to get him at some point I didn't know how but I was, forget Walker and his rules, that boy was going down at some point I just had to figure out how within his rules, then again breaking them and risk being imprisoned myself might just be worth it to deal with personally. "Or maybe a louder voice is now screaming in my head and drowning the rest of them out."

It hadn't helped that Walker had lied to me, he did know about David, had for a while, and that he'd been trying to deal with him alone. He was a mistake, someone that had slipped through his net of mental manipulation, we didn't know why but he had, maybe the morph tech in his system, maybe it was the knowledge that he held, maybe it was because of the deal The Crayak had made with him. In any case Walker wanted to deal with him alone, he had some reason that was his own, something other than the load he'd tried to sell me. For all I knew it was because he was afraid of what would happen when I go to him, he wasn't all that found of collateral damage and half the time that was my middle name. And then he'd gone to work for Vlad, well less work than being kidnapped and not being seen since in the Ghost Zone, the scents on him just sealed the deal. Vlad, his vultures, the Fright Knight and now David, the halfa was assembling a major force, I wasn't sure what he was planning but I knew it couldn't be good, and it made me question what Walker was thinking.

In the end I couldn't be sure, to many choices, to many things to consider, but I had time, it was the one thing in my life that was a constant. In time I'd figure things out if not alone than with help, something would end up making sense and when it did I'd make my next move, I'd figure something out, and when I did right or wrong I wouldn't go back. I'd always lived in fast forward, hit hard, hit fast, don't look back, so why was I going so now.

I swiped the key card over the reader and pushed the door open and walked down the corridor to the special section of the prison. Where everywhere else was cold gray metal and bars this was actually pleasant, warm lights, colored walls, carpets, comfortable furniture, individual rooms, a small library, even a pool, if anything this place was more like a big hotel then a prison. Granted it was an odd hotel, a bit of zoo mixed in, but a hotel none the less. Like always the second I entered every eye was on me, each one looking at me through the shield that separated the walkways from their home. I got the normal calls, monster, psycho, demon, let me go, I don't belong here, the normal stuff not that I cared, I'd grown use to it.

Shifting into my eagle form I took flight up a level, to this day I'm not sure how going down on floor in the elevator can yield a three tire level but it does, just another mystery of he Ghost Zones engineering I guessed. A quick flare was all it took to land on the catwalk and look in the normal spot for my target, not that he was ever happy to see me.

"Cousin," he snapped darkly, his usual reaction to me.

"Tom," nodding my head.

"Unless your letting me go I don't care."

"It's about Jake," the words jarring him and making him jump towards me and giving me an eyeful of is altered form. Those with morphing tech in their system basically had a crapshoot on what form they'd take. Some where like me, part recognizably human while other parts where distinctly animals, other were like David normal looking humans one moment animal like creatures the next. Others still worked like they had in life, straight human to beast changes, then there were a few hybrids as we called them, stuck between human and something else a perfect fusion for the two that never changed, well not quite the human side didn't change but the beast side would depending on what they wanted to be, that is if they had control. Then there were those like my cousin, a genetic mish mash, all the DNA codes mixed together, a fusion of all the creatures, for some it was bad, Tom was lucky he only had two other DNA codes, some had over a dozen.

"What about him," for the most part his was built like a human, two arms, two legs, head, body, but that's also where most of the similarities ended. His body was covered in yellow-orange fur with the distinctive black fur pattern of a jaguar, not that most of it could be seen over his pants and tee-shirt. Well most of it was, his hands started around the forearms had scales of the cobra in his system yet kept the spots, his fingers ending with retractable claws. The same situation held for his feet below the knees, but those where generally hidden behind pants and shoes. Out his backside swung a tail that was weird, a light coat of fur covered it, but the scales were still on display, the appendage was totally prehensile and of more than a little use in a fight. His head was mostly cat, except for his mouth that still had retractable cobra fangs that flashed when he got mad, and of course the hood, the mark on the back of his head, the one thing that separated it from all snakes occasionally opening up when he got mad, like now. It was actually kind of funny when it came up, it just looked more stupid than intimidating on him.

"He was attacked, so was your family…our family," correctingmyself.

"Is he…they…please," the anger draining out of his voice, tear tracks forming on his face and matting his fur.

"Jakes alive, a little shaken up but alive, I'm not sure about your parents though, but I have every intention of finding out."

"What happened, who did it?"

"A ghost, with an old score from when he was alive, I have every intention of stopping him before he can go after them again," it was hard to not shake in rage, what little control I had seeming to melt away as I said the words, my hatred for David doubling and tripling as I spoke.

"Rachel," he hissed.

"I know," putting my hand on the shield, his meeting mine on the others side, old angers between us draining away in the wake of shared pain, pain I wasn't aware I could still feel.

"Why are you telling me this," looking into my eyes.

"I thought you needed to know, I felt I owed you that much, when I find out more I'll tell you."

"Thank you," pulling away from me, hints of old anger slipping back into his voice.

I turned to leave, wanting to avoid an old argument, but something inside me made me turn and look at him, "for what it's worth, and I doubt I ever said this before, I'm sorry for this. I really am, you don't deserve to be here, none of you do, but there are things going on out there you don't understand, and this is for the best. That doesn't make this fair, or right, and it doesn't mitigate anything, but for what it's worth I'm really sorry about this, and I wish I could undo it."

(Then why don't you,) hitting me with thought speech, something he hadn't done in a long time.

(In part my job, in part the situation out there,) not looking at him, (I want you all free,) when I said it I was actually surprised by just how much I meant it. (But letting you go will cause chaos out there, and if I did you'd just be hunted down, beaten and put in the general population you don't want that.)

(Because I know about the Yeerks,) the pain that generally came with that name, those memories not with him, I could smell it.

(Yes, people out there don't openly speak about them and for good reason, there are forces at work, things you don't understand.)

(So your afraid we won't keep out mouths shut, is that it?)

(Not me cousin, the one I work for is, and truth be told I question if you can really hold it together under the stress of interrogation.)

(I held out against the slugs every chance I got.)

(I know, and your probably stronger than most, but that doesn't mean even you can do it, that they could, I do want you out, I want you all out, but I don't know how to do that yet.)

(Yet?)

(I have things in the works but be smart keep that to yourself otherwise I might end up in this fancy cage right newt to you.)

(We wouldn't want that now would we,) hissing the thought.

(Not it you want out, or want to know about what happened to our family, be smart cousin, don't do anything stupid, things are changing for me and you might get swept up in it for better or for worse.)

(I'll stay quiet but I need to know what's happening to my family.)

(Done and done cousin,) flying down and leaving the section, truth was I didn't know what I was going to do, I had vague ideas but nothing I wanted to commit to, not yet. Things were coming up in the future I knew that much, things I couldn't control, a lot of paths were going to be open to me very soon, and in that time I was going to have to pick one. The loyal bounty hunter, the good cousin, the hunted rebel, the beast, the girl, the lover or fighter, all were possibilities in one form or another, the one thing I knew is that he wrong choice could throw everything I knew into a tail spin, heck even the right choice could do that at this point.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

(So they are ok?)

"According to our reports yes," Nikki nodded flipping through the newspaper in her hands sitting at the breakfast table in her home.

"Well that's good to know," Danny comments between bits of bacon.

"Depends on your definition of good," the Nikki sighed, "they will recover physically but I'm not sure about anything else. A lot of the mental scars, like the physical ones aren't just going to go away, I can't be sure what's going to happen with them in the future."

(You will keep an eye on them?)

"Of course, but still, they ended up pretty bad, Mr. Berenson has two broken arms, shatter ribs, you don't even want to know about the organ damage, and chances are his face will never be totally repaired. Mrs. Berenson on the other hand has broken leg, there's considerable fire damage all over her chest, thankfully nothing more than second degree burns…"

(But it's the matter of how she got those burns that's the real problem.)

"Yeah, add those to all the other cuts and burns well we're estimating David tortured them for at least three hours."

"Sounds about right, I mean we saw them before that right?"

(I think so Danny,) nodding my head and turning away from them and looked out the window from my spot on the kitchen island, (not that it really helps, they still went threw it.)

"Thankfully they don't seem to remember it though, I'm thinking some kind of specific amnesia, it's been known to happen, the human mind is very adaptable."

"It doesn't help there home though," Danny sighed having flown out earlier that morning and seen the burn husk that had once been a house.

"No, but we will, we do owe them after all, we'll arrange for a new home as soon as possible, not sure how yet but we'll manage."

(Small miracles.)

"Ah come on man don't be like that, ok so we didn't do great at least they're still alive."

(You also didn't see them Danny, you don't really know what he did to them, we didn't really win this, we might've survived but that's it, in all the ways that matter we failed, he still managed to do what he wanted, he put fear into them, into me.)

"You?" Danny looking at me.

(Never mind,) not looking at him.

"No lets get this out, you think I can't handle this that your somehow better than me, more prepared?"

(No, I think I've seen more death than you, seen more tragedies, know the difference between a win and a loss.) I turned around to look at him, (yes we may have technically one, but the price was to high, lives were ruined and nothings going to change that. If your expecting me to get up and cheer well it's not gin to happen, we failed accomplish what we came here to do, and that's something we have to live with now. The only reason you think we won is you didn't se them.)

"I heard what happened and I'm sorry, I really am but no one saw that coming…."

(But we should've.)

"….and it's not like we could've been everywhere at once." Standing up and pushing the chair back and yelling at me. "And I'm getting sick out you coping this I'm better than you attitude every time things get ugly, yes you've seen more than me it doesn't give you the right to keep treating me like I'm an idiot. It's not like you treat Jazz like this, what is it, because she's actually seen what you've seen…"

(Don't go there,) I growled

"Then what is it, why do you keep treating me like an idiot, I know things are bad I'm just trying to look on the bright side."

(Because you don't get it and can't, you've never seen it and hope you never do. You think I'm happy that Jazz saw what I did, I'm not, but it does give me…us a perception you don't have. And yes I get it, we did do good to a point, a lot of lives that could've been destroyed weren't, but it doesn't change that several were, and some will never be the same again, and it was my fault, I didn't see it coming, I failing to protect them again….like I always do.)

"Thank you Mr. Egomaniac, Mr. Me Me Me, get over it man it's not just your fault, it's mine to, we both screwed up, it doesn't mean was still didn't save people, that we shouldn't at least look at what we did do instead of what we didn't! People heal, things fix, yeah they to hurt but it could've been a lot worse at least they are still alive, at least they have a chance of putting things back together!"

(And if we'd done better…)

"Woulda, shoulda coulda man, doesn't matter at least we managed to save them, so we screwed up, everyone does at some point, given out respective records I'd say this puts us a head of most!"

"GUYS," Nikki cutting in, her voice shaking the walls and making us stop for the moment, "it's like watching a chicken peck at itself in a mirror, I've never met to two so much alike," running her fingers through her none existent hair. "Yes you screwed up, and yes you did save lives," looking from Danny to myself, "but in the end no one died and no it's not all your fault," staring at me. "We were out there to Tobias, we were looking for him, we didn't see him, we didn't know what he was doing, no one predicted that, no one thought he was that messed up mentally, it's no ones fault this happened. Just maybe you should look at it from Danny's perspective, lives were saved, in the end isn't that all that matters, if your situations were reversed wouldn't that be what you'd been telling him?"

I wanted to snap back at her but I couldn't a part of me had to admit she was right, her cool logic cutting me straight to the heart. In shame and anger I looked away from her, from Danny, I didn't really know what was going on inside of me, I just knew if I wasn't careful I was going to say something we'd all end up regretting later, chances are I already had.

"Let me guess you want to be alone don't you," she asked me walked past me and opening the window, "don't let me stop you I know you need to cool down." Without looking at her I took wing and few out the window and shot into the sky. Nikki was right I did need to be alone, to think, and I could only think of one place that I could really do that in the here and now.

* * *

**DP Style**

"So where have you been," The Fright Knights voice was cold and harsh as watched David fly past him in the Master's castle, his expression hard to read, even for the trained warrior.

"None of your business," brushing past him, not in the mood for this discussion.

"Vlad has put me in charge of you, that means everything you do reflects on me," the anger in his voice very real, even if he didn't know what had happened.

"Then you should do a better job of keeping tabs on me!" he snapped floating past him shifting into his lion form and leaving claw marks along the wall with his hand.

The Knight waited till David had vanished from sight to sigh, "false bravado, misplaced rage, everything I was expecting the next step is up to him." Crossing his arms he sank through the floor, moving away from the younger ghost, ideas flashing in his mind. David would either reach out to him now in one form or another and attempt to grow stronger or his anger would blind him to the truth and he would continue with misguided belief that he had nothing to learn and no one to answer too.

A few moment later he walked into the room the plan had first hatched in, the vultures in the middle of another card game. "Wait let me guess problems?" the one in the dark glasses asked as the black clad warrior ghost came in.

"Yeah the boss probably found out about his plan," another joked.

"Then I take it you haven't been monitoring the boy," looking over at the monitors.

"Off and on, after the little shella sent him running we gave up on him, but we're still recording everything, of course one of them did go off line after the roof collapsed and you already know about the malfunctions we were having part of the time."

"Every time it came near that one home," nodding his head still finding it odd.

"Eh," another shrugging, "it's what happens when you mix technologies and don't test them first, the things been glitchy sense it came on line, and it's not just that place they were blinking on an off for most of the trip. Mixing ghost with human technologies just doesn't work, not without an expert anyway, I told him we needed Technus to work make it work. Human recording equipment with ghost invisibility we're lucky any part of it's working at all."

"Still," sitting down in the too small chair, "it is curious why it kept cutting off," looking at the screen, "and how is our other quarry doing?"

"Our cousin, eh he's ok, taking the beating about as well as you can expected as little whining, a little feeling sorry for himself, he even ditched the ghost kid."

"Really," looking back at the screen, Tobias still on it but not doing much, "how is it you can tell all this," looking back at them.

"We're birds too, we know how to read him, trust us he's hurting, he may not even have what it takes to come back, something's definitely going on inside his head."

"Good," bring his fingers together, the fire around his head flaring brightly, he might not have been sure about David, but he had a good feeling where this would take Tobias. If he was the warrior he believed him to be he would soon come out of it with a new appreciation of life, of himself, and hopefully seek to improve his abilities, become stronger in the face in the face of this new challenge. "Step by step," he whispered quietly to himself and traced a finger around the outline of Tobias shattering the fragile monitor in the process by accident.

"That's coming out of your pay check," all three birds speaking as one.

"Bah," waving them off and leaving the room, then turning at barking at them, "keep recording till he leaves I want to know everything he does there."

"Yeah yeah," the birds turning back to their card game.

Pulling his blade of the Knight looked at it as he moved, the light catching it from time to time and making images dance on it's surface till he retired to his private quarters. They were truly private he'd gone to great deal of work to destroy anything that could watch him, a warrior after all needed some measure of privacy, even one indebted to another. More importantly a warrior needed a place to make plans himself, to look to the future.

David was part of that future true, but he was more interested in those that fought against Vlad than the worthless child he was forced to tutor. Even if he did reach out to him there was still only so much he could do with David, but with his streak of cruelty he would never be a true warrior, in the end he'd be little more than a berserker. The very fact that Vlad allowed him to be here painted the older halfa in a dark light and made the Knight question his loyalty to him, what little loyalty he did have to him, his main propose at the moment was gaining worthy adversaries, worth challenges even if he had to make them himself.

Pulling a scroll free from a spot on the wall, to any who looked at it they wouldn't look twice at it, but to him it meant much. Unrolling it he waved his hands over it and recited a small incantation bring hovering stylized images up from the material, his fire growing slightly brighter, but not in rage but rather in happiness as memories of past confrontations flooded him mind. Almost all on the scroll had been worthy fights, ones that shook his being to the core and made him stronger in all ways. The only three on the scroll that he did not include in that tally were Vlad, Danny and Tobias, the three having yet to actually truly fight him, save Daniel and he anticipated great things from him soon, his skills were already growing, already changing, soon he would be the challenge he hoped him to be.

Waving his hand over the scroll the images disappeared and replaced by a larger version of Danny's alone the image changing slightly as lines seemed to grow out of him, lists of abilities, and skills appearing from them. Soon everything he knew about the halfa was now listed before him, at least till last night pulling a quill from the top of the scroll he quickly brought it to the description come from his mouth and added the new skill he'd displayed.

"A very interesting skill indeed, it's uses in battle could be considerable if harnessed correctly," continuing to jot things down on Danny's profile then waving his hand again and bring up Tobias' image. His human and hawk forms back to back, his other forms becoming far smaller and gathering around the other two in a circle facing outward. "And now to you," looking at the image, "such potential there do not disappoint," binging to write down the new information he had gathered, the bird's cunning having been previously underestimated, and writing down the new strategy.

"Such potential," running the quill over the image changing it slightly, adding new lines and slowly trying to perfect the images he's created with his own hands. "Perhaps more than the others you have the potential to be a great challenge for me, or maybe even something greater. I've long beem in search of a disciple, someone to pass my knowledge on to, my last attempt at such an endeavor might have failed but in you I see the chance for success. But that is an enterprise for another time, after you have proven you are not simply wasting my efforts."

Pushing the thoughts from his mind he moved his hand over the parchment again and made it blank, "this may be premature but so be it." Pulling the quill and beginning to make a new image, his tool flashing over the air quickly and with great precision, years of practice going into a craft few knew he was capable of as he began to draw Rachel. "You had better be all that I hope you are girl, I don't like putting such work into my masterpieces only to be forced to erase them, but I do see something great in you, even if I don't yet understand it. You do move as he does, and flow with him as if part of the whole, I may not understand your alliance yet, but I do see great things in store for you as well."

* * *

**Tobias POV**

There are few places a person can call home, so far I've had three that I can remember, one was the forest I use to live in, another was the whole of Amity Park, this is the third and I'm actually surprised it's even still here. To most this place doesn't exist, honestly I'm not sure anyone on earth can actually find it except for me now, but it's still home to me. The Hork-Bajir valley is weird, that is something that can't be denied, this section of the forest that's somehow been folded out of space and time by The Ellimist, a last refuge for a fallen people, one they no longer need and can no longer travel to.

I'd lived here for a time, when I got tired of the forest and wanted to be near other people, and by that I mean a shot to the ego. As far as the Hork-Bajir were concerned I was a god, the creature that liberated them, of course most Hork-Bajir weren't that smart bit still for a guy that had to catch his own food being treated like royalty felt good every now and then. Later of course I'd had no choice but to live here out of safety reasons much like the rest of the others after we'd gone public.

Of course there was no one here, no one save the ghosts of the past that is, and unlike the other ghosts I'd dealt with these couldn't physically hurt me, just emotionally. Everywhere I looked was a piece of the past, a piece of who I use to be, the life I use to have, people that had been my friends that no longer knew me, a girl I no longer understood.

I had no idea what to do about Rachel, I knew I wasn't really over her, that I thought I'd put it behind me, made piece with what she was and where I was. I thought I understood how I felt about Jazz, I didn't know how she felt but at least I was looking towards the future instead of pining over the past. Yet now I didn't understand anything, Rachel and I had just fallen back into the rhythm so fast it was scary, we didn't even have to think about it, it just happened. Two acted as one, moved without thought with the simple knowledge the other would be there to back them up. Something like that just didn't develop over night and couldn't just be forgotten. She and I were more linked than any two people had a right to be, we knew each other inside and out, even after all this time it didn't stop us, the second we got on the same page we were a force to be reckoned with.

On the other side there was Jazz, she was new and exciting, and warm, even without the history there was a link there. It wasn't really anything I could put into words, we talked and joked, but that wasn't really it, it was just the feeling I got when I was around her, like I was safe. Somehow everything I was went away, the death, the violence, I just became me, a normal person who was anything but. Not to say that was the only thing, she knew how to put me in my place, how pull me up, how to calm me down and lighten my spirits all without saying a word. We joked and laughed, forced away each others demons and made each other feel something…I don't know…safe, secure, confident, loved.

I didn't understand where we were going but it didn't change that I cared for her, that she made me better, made me stronger, made me feel like a reason person instead of a pretender. And it didn't stop the feelings I had for her, that I wanted to swoop in sweep her off her feet and take her away from all the insanity and turmoil and give her a normal life. She made me want to give up my wings and lay beside her for the rest of my life, to just be a simple guy in love with a simple girl.

From what I understand few people have ever experienced something like this, let alone twice, which made getting answers hard. I really did love them both, wanted to be with them both, but that was unfair to everyone involved. Well maybe not, the things Rachel said about sharing me, as strange as it sounded that actually seemed like a good idea part of the time, of course the rest of the time I realized just how insane that sounded. I just really didn't know what to do, Jazz was here, now I could be with her and then be with Rachel when I died, but then where did that leave Jazz later on. Or I could flat out abandon Jazz and wait for death and be with Rachel so Jazz could move on, as much as that idea made me sick that might've been for the best, I mean leading her on wasn't fair to her.

(Ok Tobias if the idea with her makes you that sick why are you even considering it,) I asked myself, the idea totally valid. The idea of her being with anyone else enrages me, enrages both the human and the hawk, she was my mate after all. (Ah crap,) I hissed, (it's happening again,) the hawk was starting to have opinions on my life, it was times like this I wondered what it must've been like to have multiple personalities. I'd heard this before the hawk looked at Jazz and saw my mate, of course it also saw the same thing when it looked at Rachel, of course when it say Rachel it didn't know what she was.

So the question remained what do I do, I couldn't be with both, yet I didn't want to be without them either of them. (Shame I can't just nail them both together, that would solve everything.)

"TOBIAS?" Danny's voice ringing through the woods and making me jump, which wasn't that good because I was sitting on a branch at the time missed my footing coming down, fell face first on to another branch, and pretty much hit everyone one on the way down.

(Thanks a lot Danny,) I braked up in all directions looking up at the trees from my spot laying on the ground.

"Where are you I wanna talk."

(That's complicated, never mind I'll come to you,) sitting up as best I could and did a quick check of my body, making sure I didn't have anything broken. Near as I could tell everything was still where it was suppose to be and took off into the sky, weaving in and out of branches, around trees then shot out into the sky. (Where are you?)

"Um here," his voice faint but close enough for me to track down after a moment and land on the tree above him.

(What do you want?)

"To talk what else."

(About?)

"Whatever you want, Nikki said I should go and look in on you, figured you'd stewed enough, although why she knew you'd be here is beyond me."

(That is complicated, nah wait,) looking form my branch to the valley, (lets just make this simple, someone else might as well know about this.)

"About what," looking where I was looking.

(You see,) hopping down and land on his shoulder, (go forward follow my directions and don't question anything I say you will regret it.)

"I regret the day I met you," flying forward.

I could see it, the same way I saw it every time, this invisible road for lack of a better term, half instinct half knowledge. (Up, down, up, left, straight, down, up, down, right, left.)

"Where are we going."

(Don't question, left, down, right, stop,) suddenly bursting out into the valley the look on his face alone was enough to make bring him here worth it.

"What is the place?" looking around picking up indications that people lived here.

(Home of an alien race for a while, consider yourself on sacred ground,) hopping off and flying over to a branch.

"Your kidding me….no wait I slept in a house with aliens and I just got out of their dog playground basement your going to have to pull out more to impress me."

(This is an alien habitat I can't give you any more,) spreading my wings and flying away.

"Oh come it was a joke," flying after me, "come on man."

(Yeah yeah very funny,) setting down on a branch, (why are you really here.)

"Because I'm worried about you, and more than that if I don't bring you back my sister will kick my butt, something she can do a lot easier thanks to you," folding his arms and looking at me and growling, "or don't you care about her."

(Danny,) I warned.

"No we're having this out here and now, I don't know what's going on in your head but I know my sister likes you, yeah she denies it but she does. If you like her to, fine I can deal with it, all things considered she's gone out with a lot worse, but if you still care about this ghost woman then deal with it and set things straight with my sister and let her get one with her life."

In another time and place I'd find it funny that he said almost exactly what I had been thinking but now was not then. (You don't think this is hard for me,) I told him after several long minutes and looked him in the eyes, (you don't think I've been thinking about this for a while now. I do care about Jazz, but what I feel about Rachel just doesn't go away, I mean if she was dead, and by that I mean as in not coming back every few weeks. If I knew she was really gone I might be able to move on with my life but with her still in my life, it makes things hard.)

"Then just tell my sister to move on with her life."

(I can't,) I barked at him.

"Why, you don't love her, your still in love with this other girl, other woman so just tell my sister to just get on with her life so she can be happy."

(Except I do love her,) I snapped back at him.

"Then what's the problem."

(The problem is,) if I knew the answer to that I wouldn't be having this conversation, (you know what this is the problem,) spreading my wings and flying off, Danny on my tail till we stopped at a place I hadn't wanted to think about for a long time.

"Um, it's a pot."

(It's an urn, and it's Rachel…mostly.)

"And your showing me this."

(Because this is my problem man, if she would stay there this wouldn't be so damn hard, but no she came back, I know I wanted that, and in another time and place this might be ironic but now it's a pain in the butt. I want to be with Jazz I do, but it's kind of hard to justify that when your ex-girlfriend can come bursting through the doors at any second and kill her because of you. And I know Rachel told me to move on and live in the moment and stop trying to live in the past but that still doesn't make it any easier,) my own words hitting me in the face and partially clearing things up.

"You did just hear yourself right," a grin on his face and it took everything I had not to dive down and tear something off him.

(I can kill you over a hundred different ways right now, so do me a favor and shut up,) looking at the urn and going private, (I'm never going to stop loving you am I? You already know that to don't you, that's why you keep telling me that don't you, you want me to have a life now, something we both deserve but only I can have. Damn it Rach why can't things ever be simple, why,) shaking my head then looking up at Danny, (alright.)

"Alright your going to let my sister down or alright your going to go home with me and we're never going to mention that I said you, my sister, and love in the same sentence."

(Option two,) flapping over to the urn sitting on the tree stump and going private thought speech, (alright, I don't know if you can hear this, but know I do love you and I'm never going to stop but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop loving Jazz just because you walk back into my life. It's not fair to me and it's not fair to her, I'm not going to go crazy every time you show up trying to sort these feelings out. Whatever happens when I die, happens then, I'm not going to look towards it and miss the now.)

When I looked over at him he nodded his head slightly and from the look I gave him he knew it was alright to speak. "So you going to be ok?"

(At some point, not now, thanks for…thanks for knocking some sense into an old bird who can't see straight anymore.)

Shrugging it off and picking me up, "like you won't do the same for me at a moment's notice."

(Don't tempt me, so your really ok with me and your sister?)

"Huh what, you and my sister what are you talking about we never talked about that," feigning ignorance.

(Fine, so how are you and Sam doing?) playing along with him and seeing how far denial would play.

"Not going there," looking up and around the valley, "this place is amazing what lived here?"

(The bladed creature I became last night, very nice guys, most of them weren't that smart but they were some of the gentlest creatures you'd ever meet.)

"The things with the five hundred blades is gentle?"

(Completely, they're also vegetarians, see those scratches on the trunks,) nodding my head over. Truth was they were hard to see years had gone by and they were mostly healed but a bit could still be seen.

"Sorta," floating over and getting real close.

(They used the blades to cut that off and eat it.)

"Your kidding me," looking up.

(Nope, think of them like a race of Sam's only not as smart, not as goth, and with the ability to cave your skull in at a moments notice.)

"I'm pretty sure Sam can do the caving the skull in think already," he joked.

(Yeah I'll make sure to tell her that when we get home,) glancing up and getting a slight laugh out of him.

"You do that and I'll Jazz a few of the stories you shared with me coming up."

(Alright truce,) slipping out of his arms and flying over to a tree, (so any idea what you want to do before we have to get home?)

"Well lets see, I've hung out with aliens, been at the homes of two aliens, seen all your old running biddies, talked with a Hollywood star and had the living crap kicked out of me, yeah I don't think you can do anything here to top this. Besides we need to get going, Nikki found a flight back to Amity Park and I do have to hit that trip back home, Jazz can't cover for me forever, and no I don't want to think about her running around in my body."

(What if I could show you one more alien habitat before we leave,) and wasn't sure if this was a good idea, but considering how much he had done I figured I owed him something big, and it was about time I put all those old fears to rest once and for all.

"Between actually hanging out with the alien mechanical dogs and the seeing the home of the killer mutant knives I didn't think there was anything else here to do with," his eyes going wide as guessed where I was going, "one mean, I thought you said that place was off limits?"

(It is, but I might as well put all these old fears to rest, and I have a few places I want to go to and you might as well come with me, see what I see, learn about my life as it was.)

Holding his hands out, "tour of alien war zone, going home," doing the measuring options thing in his hands, "yep I'm going to go with aliens, always aliens."

(Alright, get me through the tree line and lets get going, a lot of things to see, and not a lot of time to time to do it in.)

"I can live with that," picking me up and soaring through trees and tossing me as soon as we where clear.

(Stay on my tail it's time for a crash tour,) taking off as fast as I could making a quick stop off at my old roost.

"This is it," looking around

(What were you expecting I'm a bird I'm not going to live anywhere fancy,) peeling away.

"Still man I was expecting more than that," keeping pace with me.

(You obviously haven't seen my spot in the park then,) heading back towards the out skirts of the area, it took a little while but I figured he'd enjoy it. It was in the middle of no where and in a bit of disrepair, but it was still there, to many it was the Holy Grail of conspiracies.

"This is Zone 9," looking around.

(This is it,) perched on a bunker.

"It's a dump, what happened to having alien technology, super secret aircraft, all that kinda stuff?"

I shook my head an laughed a little, (there wasn't much of that when this place was still in business, after the Yeerks went public they packed up and ran with their tails between their legs. As it was the most advanced thing they had here was an Andalite toilet, and trust me, that wasn't all that impressive.)

"Great, all this way and I got nothing," a slight growl in her voice.

(Way things go,) spreading my wings, (you can stay and dig or we can keep moving.)

"I'm up for moving," falling in behind me as we headed back towards down, however I had to make a small detour at the gardens for old times sake and to let him know where a good chunk of my forms and stories came from. "We can't stop there why?" he barked behind me as we flew over.

(No time gotta keep moving beside you have a good amusement park at your place.)

"But that costs money to go to."

(So does this on technicality, but then again we can slip in without anyone noticing so it doesn't really matter.)

"Someone gets it, SOMEONE GETS IT!" his yelling making me turn and look back as he did a few spins in the sky. "The others don't understand it, I'm not saying I should ways use my powers like that but slipping in every now and then isn't a giant crime."

(Walking into a gray area there,) looking back where we were going, (true at times slipping in isn't a crime, but those are more in times of emergency.)

"Ah man," I could tell I just put a stop to his good time.

(Of course,) catching a headwind, (there are exceptions to every rule, like say a stake out, and you don't always find what your looking for there the first time around.)

"There is hope for you yet bird, there really is."

(I have my days,) heading into the wind and heading towards our last few stops in town, stopping off art various spots, the site of the old school, the car lot I'd helped total, the site of the little zoo we'd torn apart, a few others odds and ends.

"I don't think I could come back here if I was you," floating next to me, but other wise being quite out of respect.

(Your not me though and I hope you never to live through this,) looking down at the high rise, the old constructing site finally rendered a building, my fathers place of death hidden away not that anyone really knew about it.

"You miss him don't you."

(I never really knew him, there was a connection a link but that's it. I knew he was special and in those few moments together I came to respect him more than just about anyone else. I loved what he meant, that somewhere people did care about me, that there were still brave people out there willing to do whatever it took to accomplish what they believe. That there was hope even in the darkest night, but love him, I don't know if I ever could anymore than he could love me and respect me from those few moments we spent together. But in the end he was my father, regardless of everything else, and I do want to love him, want to see him respected, but I don't think he'll ever get that on earth.)

We stayed like that for a little while, this wasn't my first trip here, I knew every inch of it, or at least what it had been. I'd already made my peace with the demons here, I'd mourned for my father a thousand times in a dozen different ways, not only for him but for myself as well, what I could've been under his eyes, his guidance.

"For what it's worth," Danny finally breaking the silence, "I think he'd proud of you, your crazy and dangerous, but you fight for what you believe in, do what you have to in order to protect those around you. I may not know much about him but given how you talk about him that sounds like the kind of thing he'd do, sounds like the things his brother does."

I rolled that around for a second, I wasn't really sure if Danny meant it or was just paying me lip services but still I appreciated the effort. (Maybe, I hope so,) sighing deeply, (I'm depressed now,) spreading my wings, (so we might as well finish this off.)

"Last stop?"

(Last stop,) flying away from town trying to remember the layout of the town to know where I was going, (and this is going to be a big one.)

"Given everything I've seen that's going to be impressive."

(This is bigger than all of them soaring through the sky for a few minutes then finding it, or at least I thought we did, it was hard to tell after all this time, and it wasn't like a had a full map of the area anyway, we never did. (Alright there,) shifting some feather and heading into a thermal and riding it up and circling the area.

"Here what?" looking around

(Just go straight down,) landing on his shoulder, (and I do mean down, through the street and the rock and everything else, keeping going till I tell you to stop.

"Straight down?"

(All the way down,) holding my breath and hoping I didn't throw upon him, what I was about to do was quite possibly insane.

"Alright," taking us down and going intangible, flying though the street, the sewer, a few feet of rock and dirt, then the first strip of metal.

(It is still here isn't it,) I hissed more to myself than Danny as we hovered down through the Yeerk pool, the half ghost's hand lighting up to give us some light.

"Whoa," looking around, "this isn't what I think it is, is it?"

(What's left of the Yeerk pool,) flying away from and landing on a jutting piece of metal.

"I thought you said you blew it up?"

(We did,) looking around, the room itself was small maybe three times the size of his living room maybe bigger it was hard to tell in the darkness, but compared to it's full size it was nothing really, probably just a section under construction. Metal hung from this various points, most sheered off and flung away in the blast, one side was caved in, a by product of the explosion. I could almost hear the scream radiating from it, all the lives this place had destroyed, all the people I'd killed down here.

"This is amazing flying forward, how can people not know this is here?" floating forward.

(The same way that didn't when it was at it's full size, a combination of technology and fancy information manipulation.)

"The Chee?"

(More than likely, that or this place is really well shielded, which is a possibility.)

"Still I was expecting more, I mean a highly advanced race use to hang out down here and all we have are a few chairs some hunks of metal, so…..oh my god what is this, tell me this is what I think it is, please please tell me this is what I think it is," dropping to his knees.

(Oh crap this can't end well,) seeing what he was seeing and realizing I'd just unleashed a monster into the world.

* * *

**Authors notes**

Cliff hanger, what is it they found, Yeerks, technology, a host that somehow survived down there, the next chapter will tell the tale.

I know more Rachel and David, 2 chapters in a row with them, it's just how things worked out, but don't expect them to show up for a few chapters, well at least not and play a real role in the story.

I'm not sure this came off as well as I wanted it, but I guess things can be expanded later, I have loose ideas to bring the Animrophs into the story in one way or another, Marco if no one else might play a part in an up coming story I just haven't figured one out yet.

Hopefully this is the last of the Tobias pinning for Rachel sub plots, I'm not sure to not, I don't really plan them they just kinda show up as I'm writing them, I'm not sure if they're really organic but they fell that way.

In the mean time I need to get craking I only have like 4 other stories for this saga coming together, I need to start brain storming where to go next, still have to figure out how to get Ax in a story, pick something specific Vlad is building to (I've come up with several things), need to take these stories back into the school, I want to make a chapter that has Dash in it in a bigger way, have to finalize the plans for Val and put a story to them. Too many ideas no real idea how to make good stories out of them. I never actually thought I'd make it this far.

Please R&R


	14. ride in style part1

Quick note this was meant to be one story but do to length I cut it into two chapters, the scary part is cutting it here it just about perfect in the story

* * *

**Tobias POV**

"Come on man tell me this is what I think it is, please say it, SAY IT MAN I GOTTA HEAR THE WORDS!"

(It's an alien spaceship,) I muttered looking at the vehicle.

"THANK YOU," pumping his arms into the air, and kissing the ugly machine.

(Your disgusting,) watching him make out with the Bug Fighter and shaking my head. It was half buried in the rock and dirt but I knew what it looked like despite that. A vehicle the size of a school bus looking more like a giant silver cockroach than anything else, underneath it just out of sight should be twin spears, that were really very powerful dracon canons, each with enough power to cut through a building as if it were nothing. I knew asking him to keep the light on was probably to much to ask at the moment and shifted into the owl form so I could keep an eye on him.

"Man this is the holy grail, this is a space ship, and actual working space ship, and just because I like the sound so much I'll say it again, SPACESHIP!"

(First off that thing and those like it killed off a more people than you can count, second it's a metal giant cockroach that hasn't been touched in maybe five years and your kissing it, three no one said that thing is an actual working spaceship anymore.)

"You're a buzz kill you know that," looking over at me,

(Don't you mean buzzard kill?) the words just slipping out of me.

If he heard me he ignored me, "come on, this is still a spaceship, who cares what it did when other people were at the controls this is us now, we can't just let it sit here." Stroking the ship, "your telling me you never wanted to fly in an alien ship."

(Already have, several times, not that big a deal anymore, also been shot by them a couple of times which really hurts my appreciation of them.)

And again he ignored me, "what about going into space, you can't tell me you don't want to do that," slowing his caress of the metal and it wasn't hard to figure out where he was going with this.

(You were already in space, well another planet another planet,) I reminded him.

"But I didn't really get to enjoy that did I, and really that's not the point I don't just want to go to another world, I want to go into space, to see the stars to look down on earth." His voice began to waver and shake and I could see the tear slide down his cheek in the darkness. "Come on you can't deny me this, it's so close right now, you have to let me do it, I won't ask you for anything else again ever, I swear, you can beat me like a piñata everyday for the rest of my existence just please let me do this, let me go up. I've always dreamt of being an astronaut, being in NASA, every kid has and I know I don't have the grades, this might be my only chances, please man, please let me do this, help me do this."

I growled as best an owl could and rolled everything he said over, part of it did make sense, and considering he'd come here, and gotten his tail handed to him because he was trying to help me it was hard to just flat out refuse him. On the other hand he really didn't understand this thing, it's history, with me, with the universe, he really didn't get just how much I hated looking at that thing and how much I wanted to torch it then and there. I just wanted to destroy it to see it sizzle and burn, to break apart what was left of that and scatter the pieces to the four corners of the world and burn those parts all over again then dump them all in the ocean. I have issues.

(We don't even know if this thing will fly, not to mention we don't have a way to get it out of here, and more importantly we don't know if it can take the strain of getting into orbit and back.) It was a stall in tactic, or at least looked like it, and I had a feeling he recognized it but at least I felt better about not saying no. (Besides we have to get home remember, Jazz taking your place, if we hurry we can catch the flight.)

"Or we can take this back," his voice having a creepy far away sound to it as he fondled the alien death machine.

(Again we don't even know if it can fly, and if we get this thing home where would you keep it, it's the size of a school bus, it's not going to be easy to hide.)

"I don't know in the woods, under the pier, I'll put it in the storage space if I have to I'll figure something out, I will."

(Danny,) I hissed, I knew there was a good chance I couldn't convince him to just let this go, but there had to be something.

"You can't tell me you want this to stay here."

(Yeah I can,) glaring at him, (I can because I don't want to be anywhere near that thing, EVER!)

"And what it someone finds it, huh, what if one day some human finds this, and the government gets this and turns it into a weapon, or worse yet what if someone like Vlad got a hold of it and decided to go on a rampage, it's almost like our…like your duty to make sure this never gets into the wrong hands."

(Don't, don't even start,) I didn't want to tell him, but he did make a really good point there, what if Vlad or David got this thing, who knows what they'd do.

"Yeah, who better to guard this thing than you, I mean you know what it can do, the damage it can cause, of all the people to watch over it it should be the guy that actually respects it. I mean lets face it if I was using this I'd fly around town and blow up the school, maybe go after Dash, but you, you'd respect it, keep it out of reach from guys like me."

(Ok,) hopping back, (are you trying to convince me to take this thing or make sure you never can get in it?)

"The first one, I'm just saying who better to guard this thing but you?"

(But I don't want to guard it, I want to see it turning into several piles of scrap metal.)

He just glared at me and tapped his foot, and as much as I hated to admit it he was making sense, "and what if we need it one day? The things we can do with this might end up saving our lives if used right, I'm not saying it's the best plan, but work with me a little here….."

(Danny)

"….this thing is too cool to just leave sitting here…"

(Danny)

"….and we don't know what the future holds…"

(Danny)

"…..and I really want to go into space," hopping up and down slightly.

(DANNY!) barking into his head and making him stop.

"What, if you say yes I'll stop talking."

(You had me a while back, but keep talking your about to change my mind,) flapping over to him and landing on his shoulder. (But lets get a few things straight here, even assuming this thing can get into the sky, you don't get to do anything with it without my say so. That means no joy riding, no using it to attack people, no doing anything that I don't approve of, this thing has to be treated with real respect because it will kill you other wise. More important than that, this thing killed a lot of people, I won't let it go back to doing that, we do this, we have to find a way to redeem this hunk of junk, to make it something that isn't just a harbinger of death.)

"And we do that how?" looking at me.

(I have no idea,) looking back at it and demorphing and then becoming my human morph, "now give me some more light I'm not even sure I can open this thing."

"I can phase us through the wall," his other hand going intangible and trying to put it through, arcs of energy leaping off his fingers as he touched it, "ok maybe not," pulling it back and blowing on it.

"Well that's nice to know," probing my memory and trying to remember where the control was and not coming up with anything. "Ok this isn't going to work, go back up stairs and find Nikki and get her down here we're going to need her help."

"And I have to do this why?"

"Because your the one that can phase through things and I'm the only one that knows how to fly this hunk of junk. Don't worry if the shields on I couldn't do anything to it if I wanted to."

"Swear to it?"

"Yes now go it'll be here when you get back now beat it."

"You better be," losing his color and flying through the roof of the cave and leaving my alone and in the dark.

"I can't believe I'm letting him talk me into this," looking the machine over and trying to remind myself that it wasn't evil. The Yeerks were evil, this ship was nothing more than a tool to be used. "No," it made it much easier for them and it only had one real purpose but it was still just a tool I reminded myself and there not really evil just specific in it's function. "And now it's going to be out tool to do with as we see fit, and hopefully that isn't anything that'll get us taken down by the Andalites the second we get into the sky….aw crap the Andalites are still watching us aren't they." When I realized that I started to bang my head onto the ship and didn't stop till Danny and Nikki showed up.

"I was really hoping you were wrong about this," she sighed looking around, "I knew there were sections that hadn't been totaled but I never imagined this was down here."

"Well it is, can you get it to fly?" Danny sounding way to happy.

"Tobias you didn't actually agree to this madness did you….and why are you doing that?"

Stopping and looking over at her in the now green lit room, "because I just remembered we have people above us keeping tabs on everything we do and if we fly this thing out of here we're going to end up with more problems than just David and Vlad."

"Well at least someone thinking this through," she sighed walking over to me, "so we're just going to leave this thing here?"

"No, Danny's right, if we leave this thing here we're just asking for trouble later on, if anyone finds it everything could come apart." Looking at her expression I knew she wasn't happy with what I said, "and what do you mean other places?"

"There are a few sections along the outside of the pool that managed to survive the blast, bits of the equipments survived but I had no idea a ship was actually down here."

"And you were going to tell me this when?" I was totally blown away, I had no idea she'd keep something like this from me.

"Never, Tobias you have to understand we didn't want anyone knowing about this either, we decided to simply keep it hidden from everyone so long as we functioned."

"And if someone found it?"

"No one was going to, no one knows it's here and eve if they did we're monitoring all the others chambers there's no way anyone can possibly get to it with out us knowing."

"And your keeping these chambers why, I know your nonviolent but you can destroy equipment."

"We might've needed the spare parts at some point," she shrugged, "humans won't get to this level for a while and we didn't know what might lie in the future. Besides if humans did find these chambers we'd make sure they'd never find the equipment."

I glared at her and shook my head, I couldn't believe this, that she'd fallen through this kind of crack, "except we found this one so who knows how many more there are. Add that to the fact that Danny found this place without much problem so there's a chance this place is ghost assessable."

"Which means Vlad might pick upon this place if he's keeping tabs on me," Danny chimed in, "lets face it ghosts attacking a town, that's something he's going to hear about, just watch."

"He's right," nodding at the half ghost, "we have to get this stuff out of here, all of it, and you probably need to beat it to Nikki."

"This is our home Tobias we're not leaving," forcing the whole of her iron will into the words, "and we can take care of ourselves."

"So be it, but I'm not going to leave weapons lying around."

"We can take care of them."

"No Nikki you can't, you can stall, you can hide, but you can't stop them if they come, we can, look I don't want this crap near me, but if it'll save one person later I'll deal with it."

"Tobias," she sighed and grabbed my hand gently, "you don't have to do this, we can prevent this from falling into someone else's hands."

"I know you'll try, but you also know I'm as stubborn as a vulture and relentless as a seagull looking for food, I'm not leaving without this stuff, all of it."

"This is a very dangerous idea."

"I know."

"So does that mean we get to fly?" Danny asked up till now staying more on less quiet.

"Yes but I don't like it," Nikki moving past me, her hologram dropping and waving her hand over the Bug Fighter, the door popping open. "Shields off, coming," walking into the vehicle, a normal looking Danny a few steps behind her, I followed a moment later after going back to my hawk form, I knew enough about these things to know it'd be a tight fit other wise.

Inside was pretty much as I expected it to be, a little cramped, smooth walls, equipment here and there but no lights. Up at the front was the cockpit and the twin windows that let the pilots see out. It seemed to be a basic Taxxon and Hork-Bajir design, the Taxxon side was pretty much bare around the side but with a bunch of buttons and switches and a yoke for the flying while the Hork-Bajir side had a chair and a joystick that helped operate the weapon systems.

Danny whistled while he looked around, "kinda freaky in here, I was expecting something more alien but this thing looks like it could be made on earth."

"Actually in orbit," Nikki corrected, "and don't let anything here fool you, what's under the hood is far more complex."

(Will it fly Nikki?)

"One second," running her hand over the controls a tiny whirr filling the air and lights started to come on one by one.

"Ok this is impressive," the room growing brighter around us.

"Ok now to see what works," sitting down in the chair, her hands flashing over the controls so fast it was nearly impossible to see them move. "Weapons are on line, shields at ninety percent, I can fix that," looking up at us, "flight capable, hull is air tight, oxygen filtration system working at full efficacy, orbital abilities are go, reentry systems are undamaged, cloak is a little glitchy but I can fix that too. All things considered I can get this things in the air in under any hour."

"So this thing can get into orbit?"

"Yes Danny it can get into orbit, but I'm going to need to check everything out before I clear that, you may be the ones wanting to do this but if I don't clear this thing to fly you aren't going anywhere."

"What is it with you guys and thinking your in charge," Danny looking back at me.

(Because we know how to fly this thing and you don't,) I offered, (in any case while she's doing this we need to get everything else to be on the safe side.)

"And we're going to do that how?"

"Try this," Nikki putting her hand back and a hologram appearing outlining the area of the town from above including areas in a colored area along what I recognized as the border of the yeerk pool.

(Alright,) hopping over into the hologram, (we need to hit up all these places and grab everything we can Danny, we can't leave anything at all.)

"This is going to be a lot of work isn't it?"

(If you want to fly we have to do this now lets get going, I can find these places easy.)

"Ok I just want your word this is all going to end with me in space," picking me up and flying through the ceiling.

(Well if you hadn't insisted taking this thing we wouldn't be having this problem,) I sighed and watched the sky come back into view. It took almost and hour to hit up all the places on Nikki's map, each trip requiring us to come back to the main cave with a backpack and arms full of equipment. By the time we were done we had fifteen dracon guns, a chunk of the yeerk pool fixture itself, something that might've been part of a blade fighter, and more odds and ends of equipment than I could count which did things I could only guess at. All I really knew was by the time we were done the ship was packed full of stuff, most of which was completely broken, but still had to be years ahead of what humans would come up with.

"Sure you have everything," Nikki asked looking things over.

(I think so,) sitting outside the ship and looking in, (how about our escape, we going to have to worry?)

"No, with the cloak online they shouldn't be able to detect you, and just to be on the safe side I've upgraded it with a little Chee hologram technology, so you should be safe, and I've already put a few security measure into it to keep anyone from getting into anything to ahead of them. I also rewired the flight controls, they work more like an earth plane now and added a bit to make things a little more user friendly, except for the mental aspect."

I huffed slightly at that, "right I remember this, half physical half mental, at least I have the mental flying down."

"For someone in you position it would be essential," folding her arms, obviously not happy about the arrangement. "I've also rigged it to display everything in English for you and display simple diagrams to walk you through everything. There wasn't much I could do as far as getting you an extra chair though, you'll have to figure something out."

From the way she sttod I knew she wasn't happy even if she tried not to show it in her voice, (Nikki we've known each other a long time, just be straight with me, what about this plan don't you like?)

"How about the fact that you don't trust me," she hissed with a fair amount of venom that would most likely haunt her later in life, her will to stay calm finally breaking. "I've been hiding things since before anyone in your family could walk upright, don't presume to lecture me on how to do things."

(Nikki…)

"No Tobias, I know you think your in charge, that everything has to rest on your shoulders but it doesn't I may be peaceful but I can take care of myself, we all can."

(I know Nikki, that's why I'm doing this,) looking her in the eyes and stopping her, (you've been doing this a long time, you've accumulated enough nightmares to put any person out for a while and we forget what we see, in case you haven't forgotten you don't. You've saved my tail to many times, put your own life on the line in more ways than even I knew, and I don't want you to do that anymore. If I take this stuff then there's a good chance you'll be clear for a while, if we take it people will be targets us not you, you'll all finally be able to get the lives back that you had to give up because of us.)

"Oh," what I'd told her hitting her in the gut like a sledgehammer, ok that wouldn't really effect her but it would me, "I wasn't aware of that."

(I know, look Nikki your smarter than me, your nicer than me, and you don't deserve the stuff I bring into your life. I know this might be a mistake, that I'm asking for trouble but at least this way it's my butt on the line not yours.)

"What about him, his family," nodding over towards the ship where Danny was, trying to understand the manual Nikki had given him for Tucker, that or trying to turn on the radio.

(He knows what he's in for, he's ready for it, he's young he doesn't know better yet, not like us. He and I, the others we'll get through what comes our way, we always do, don't worry about us, worry about yourselves, make a better life for yourself than you've had since the yeerks.)

"Tobias," taking my head in her hands, "I don't regret what I've done since knowing you, neither do the rest of us. Don't think you have to be our protector, we can do that ourselves and as far as I'm concerned it's been a blessing to know you, even if your skull is thinker than mine."

(So does that mean we're ok?)

"Yeah, we're always ok, but next time actually tell me these things so I don't get so mad at you for no real reason."

(Sorry Nikki, you know me.)

"Yeah I do," patting me on the head, "don't be a stranger ok, and drop me a line from time to time, Jazz has my information."

(Ok,) spreading my wings out and doing my best to wrap them the woman as she awkwardly hugged me back.

"Watch yourself ok, if you get hurt up there your on your own."

(What else is new,) pulling back and flying over to the ship and pulling myself through the small hole at the top we'd set up for me to move in and out of.

"Crazy bird," I heard her sigh as the door closed behind me.

"So we ready to go," Danny looking over at me as I hit the ground.

(Just about,) hopping over the controls in the pilots position and tried to figure out the best way to do this before just going human and kneeling down next to the controls. "I guess now isn't the best time to tell you I've always been bad at video games, and most machines for that matter."

"Then why are you flying," leaning over the side of the chair.

"Because I'm the only one here who knows how."

"Good point, lets bounce."

I looked at him when he said it, "I hear you say something that stupid near me again I'll send this thing hurtling into the sun, got it?"

For a moment his eyes lit up in mock anger then shrugged when he figured out I wasn't buying it, "fine," leaning back, "So when are we doing this?"

"That's complicated."

"How so," honestly not seeing the biggest problem in front of us.

"Because I only see two ways up, one we turn on the cannons and burrow out way up," Patting the control console, "which while fun is very messy or two we, that is you, make this entire ship intangible and I fly this thing up through the street."

His eyes got wide and he grabbed me by the shirt and pulled me forward, "you were going to tell me this when?"

"Um now, what you can't do it?" I was playing towards his ego, I didn't know if it was going to work but I hoped it would, "I mean if you can't an all that's nothing to be ashamed of."

He pulled back, anger, frustration, confusion, annoyance each one seemed to run over his face till we got to defiance. "Can't do it, I'll show you can't do it, just be ready to get this thing moving," grabbing the dash and shifting into his ghost form, his body fading away. For a second nothing else happened then the area around him started to fade as well and a few beads of sweat started to fall down his face as he struggled to keep it going.

"Yeah I didn't really mean now," turning back to the controls and focusing my mind and trying to remember how to do this. I grabbed the stick and focused my mind, and let the hawk that was eternally part of me gain more control.

"Can't really stop," his grunted between clenched teeth .

"Not asking you to," pulling the stick back the ship rocking violently for a second, almost to the point where I thought it wouldn't come out then with a final jerk we came up throwing debit away from it bits from the top falling through the ship as the intangibility spread . "That's stage one," looking up followed by Nikki as she feel into the ship.

"Sorry need a way out," her body going intangible with everything else in the ship.

"Nothing like a little more pressure," he groaned and continued to put everything into his power. It took almost a minute but finally managed to get everything intangible. "Whatever your going to do do it fast because I'm not going to hold this for very long."

"Right hang onto your butts, we're either going to go really fast or your going to see a fireball from the inside." Pulling the stick back the ship jumped half a foot forward then stopped, then jumping again and again not getting us very far.

"Come on man I can't do this much longer."

"I'm trying," doing everything I could think of to make it move properly.

"Calm down," Nikki laying a hand on my shoulder, "this is more mental than physical, you know how to fly, just do it, let the hawk take over."

Taking a deep breath I relaxed and leaned into her hands and let the human mind receded further as the hawk came to power. "Fly," I hissed there but not, the ship ceasing it's struggles the leaping forward and rocketing through the ceiling into the basement of a building and then straight through it and through another before finally hitting the sky.

"Finally," Danny coughed weakly and leaned back into the ship the ship regaining it's color very quickly.

Focusing I managed to stabilize the ship and stopped it from moving, the three of us hovering over the city. "Ok," looking back at the screen, "cloak is online so we are secure, engines are at one hundred percent, and shields are go, I think everything is ready."

"Impressive flying," Nikki putting her hand on my shoulder.

"Still have a long way to go," looking back at her, "how you going to get out?"

"Preferably Danny."

At that he the half ghost next to me groaned, "your kidding right, I just got this thing in the air you expect me to do anything else?"

"If you want to get into space, get her out of here, unless you don't think you can do it?"

"Yeah that's not going to work this time," putting his hand in the air and pointing at me.

"We're not leaving till she's gone Danny."

"Space, tired, space, tired, space…..space," rolling out of the chair and taking her hand, "I'll be back at some point."

"Hurry," tapping on the controls to put the shield down, "if this thing explodes I want to make sure someone dies with me."

"It's things like that that don't make me trust you," the pair disappearing right through the floor.

"Things like this that don't make me trust myself," looking over the displays, really hoping I wasn't going to crash this ship into something. After a few minutes a very tired Danny flew back and collapsed in the chair.

"I don't care where we go, but I'm not doing anything else till we get there," closing his eyes and pointing towards the sky.

"Ay ay captain," giving him a little salute and pushing the ship forward, thankfully Nikki had equipped it with a GPS so I could actually find where I was going. The beginning was kinda rocky, I didn't know what I was doing, the blast getting us out of the cavern was easy, everything else was rather hard. Eventually though I did get it, the subtle balance between the human and the hawk, in a lot of ways it really was like normally flying for me. After about half an hour of experimenting I picked up a soft sound that turned out to be Danny asleep again, not that he didn't deserve it, getting this up had to be a real ordeal for him. Sighing I looked up, the sun still high in the sky and balanced what I was thinking with what I knew, and took control of the stick and flew towards Amity Park.

About thirty minutes later I shook Danny on the shoulder, "GET IT MAN SOMETHINGS ON FIRE!" enjoying the look of pure fear on his face as he jumped straight up and hit his head on the ship.

"Agh," holding his head, "fire where," looking around for me obviously still confused.

"That," grabbing his head from behind and pointing him out the window and shutting him up as he looked into the sun.

"Real mature man, I was having a good dream," shaking my hands off and turning around to look at me, "do you have any idea how ha…rd…it……..is," spinning back around to look back outside. "Oh my…..sonnva….whoa….this is…..YES," putting his hands on the dash and leaning forward.

"Welcome to space," leaning over the chair and looking at the inky blackness highlighted by bits of star light and the Sun itself. "So everything you ever imagined?"

"Whoa," not moving from his spot.

"Danny," slipping around and waving my hands in front of his face, "you are in there right?"

"We're in space?" his voice having a far away quality to it.

I rolled my eyes at that, I knew he was excited but this was a little ridiculous, "well welcome to the party we're not in the middle of the ocean."

"This is amazing," running his hand over the cover that separated us from the void.

Looking back out I had to admit seeing it through his eyes it was pretty cool, "at least I'm not getting shot at this time," I laughed a little.

"We're in space," his voice getting a little louder, "WE'RE IN SPACE," getting out of the chair and jumping up and down. Jumping over to me he grabbed me and flew around the room, "THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!"

"Ok I get it, your welcome, but be careful this thing in kinda fragile and it's not like we can get a tow truck up here."

"This is awesome," flying back over to the portal, "why aren't we floating, can we turn this thing to see earth, we got time to buzz the moon or maybe mars," looking back at me with wide eyes, and more than a little innocence as more questions spewed out of him. I wish I could've been him, to see space and just see space, but all I saw was death, war, unknown monsters waiting to come back and finish us off if we weren't careful.

"This thing is equipped with artificial gravity, no I don't know how to turn it off, yes we can see earth, we pretty much have to if you want to go home, and no we are not buzzing anything till I know we can get back to earth in one piece, preferably not as a fireball people can see in Rhode Island." I choose to blow off the other questions, they were mostly pointless fantasies.

"Come on man we have to do something, we're in space, please we have to do something cool here, anything I don't care," grabbing me and shaking me.

"Danny," I hissed after a few second and grabbed his back, "look I've done a lot here, most of it you've talked me into, but right now, we're not doing it. This thing is dangerous, I know this is cool for you, and I promise we'll do must of this stuff, but right now I don't really know how to fly this. This isn't something you should really guess at, so we're going home, we're going to pull out the owners manual and we're going to learn it, then and only then are we going to do anything up here, you got me?"

"But?"

"Danny. Do. You. Get. Me." putting everything I could into each word.

For a few seconds he stared at me and I knew he wanted to fight but finally I could see his eyes change, a subtle shift as I penetrated the excitement in his head and hit rational thought. "Ok," he finally sighed suddenly seeming very tired, "but I do want to come back up here."

"Ok, but only after we understand this thing, ok?"

"Alright," sitting back in the chair, "but can we have a few more minutes?"

"Take some time, we have plenty, at least I hope we do," kneeling down at the pilot station.

"Thank you," looking around and looking into space and just staring into it. Taking control of the ship I repositioned it to give him a better look at earth. "This is incredible, this beyond that, why can't everyone see this, it would solve so much, I mean it makes you feel so small."

"You want to feel small, wait till five different alien species are staring you in the face simultaneously, then you feel small, and that stuff about earth having the only races in existence, it goes out the window real quick and doesn't come back."

"I'll bet," just looking and going back into far away mode and he stayed like that for almost an hour, just looking, not moving, not talking, just taking it in, I ended up having more than enough time to demorph and shift back while he was doing so, not to mention figure out how to get us home again.

"Not to break this up but are you ready?"

"I'll never be ready, but if we have to go, lets go," not looking at me.

Leaning over and putting a hand on his head and ruffling his hair, the response was immediate as he pushed it off an glared at me, "think of it this way, your not leaving space, your going home to gloat that you've been there."

That got a laugh out of him, "oh yeah, home, time to rub this," rubbing the ship, "all of this in Tuckers face."

"Do we have to show him this, we'll never get him away," taking the controls and positioning he ship for earth reentry.

"Well I'm not going to keep this a secret from him."

"Well there goes that fantasy, any idea where we're going to put this thing, lets face it this thing is pretty noticeable," firing the engines and heading towards earth, the design of the ship keeping it cool and preventing any kind of shaking I'd always seen in the movies.

"This is sweet man I need a camera next time we come up."

"And I need to gag you the next tome we come up," flipping a few switches and preparing the ship for atmosphere flight. Thanks to the computer I'd arranged for a straight shot down to Amity Park when it came under us so it only took us a little while to be home and bring then ship down over the city. "Again where are we going to put this?"

"We're here? That was fast."

"Stop avoiding the question, where we going to put this thing?"

"I guess the best place would be the shoreline somewhere underwater, this thing can take this right?"

"It should, I've seen others take the pressure and at least it'll work for now," aiming towards the water and taking it several miles past the pier to what looked like an abandoned area. It only took a few minutes to find a good place to leave it, from what I could tell of the read out on the screen the place didn't seem to have much interaction with people which was enough for me. "So you sure you can get us to the surface," looking over at him as he changed into his ghost form.

"I think so, I mean we'll find out after a few seconds won't we," grabbing me and pulling me up.

"Yeah that's a good way of finding this out, give me a second," demorphing back to hawk.

"So what's the point of that?"

(If this doesn't work at least I can morph into something that can swim us both to the surface, thats not to say I don't have faith in you or anything,) hissing the last part out with a bit of sarcasm.

"I'll keep that in mind if I decide to let go," flying us up into the water, the chill hitting us like a hammer and making the bird in my terrified.

(SURFACE NOW,) screaming at him as the hawk completely lost it being this far under water, if I were an eagle or an osprey I might be fine but a hawk did not do water. A quick nod was all I got along with a little splash of bubbles slipping from his mouth till we hit the surface, throwing water in all directions as he shook his head mean while I just hacked and coughed and tried to keep the hawk from stabbing Danny with my talons.

"Calm down," grabbing me and tossing me up.

The hawk in me was fine with that as I flapped and got back into the sky, the water made it a little harder but for the most part but not enough to really stall me. (Thank you, I needed that,) heading back towards land, and flapping hard to get some semblance of lift, my body not adapted for flying over water.

"All things considered it's not a problem," catch up with me and hitting land a few moments later. "So where are we," looking around, from his expression I guessed he wasn't familiar with this part of the city.

(Pier is that way,) nodding my head up the shore line, (so we need to go that way,) nodding to the left.

"That works," flying into the air and heading back towards town, with me on his tail, over all I preferred the wind under me than a ship. It only took us a little while to get back into town, while we were going discussing what could be done to the hunk of junk, I couldn't say I liked everything but adding a chair for the pilot was defiantly on the list, just not the kind he wanted. That argument raged long into the flight including when we saw Sam and Tucker through the Nasty Burger window and sat down and took our regular human forms.

"Fine we'll let them settle this," I snapped at him somewhere between angry, annoyed, and charged up to the door as we crossed the parking lot.

"Works for me, they are my friends after all, they'll agree with me?" barking back, like me a mix of emotions coming out of him.

"I wouldn't be to sure of that," glaring at him and we pushed open the doors, the argument still raging.

"You are so going down," he growled.

"Not a chance, I have the inside scoop remember, and there is no way I'm letting that thing anywhere near it."

"Your back," Tucker looking over at us and waving us over, not that he needed to, a look of surprise when really heard us.

"Wow whatever gave you that idea," I snapped at him, still charged from the fight.

"Hey," Sam growled defensively rising to meet us.

Danny got between us and forced her back into the booth, "ignore him, he's just mad because he knows he's wrong."

"I am not wrong, and I will sick your sister on you," sitting down.

"Big words rat eater but you know the deal they decide right her right now end of conversation."

"Fine but I already know what it's going to be," leaning across the table.

Sam waved her hand between us breaking the eye contact, "what are you two talking about?"

"He won't let me have the chair I want," Danny fired off first.

"This is about a chair?" Tucker scratching his head, "your mad about a chair," looking at me.

"No I'm made that he wants an owl leather chair," I hissed snapping my head around to look at him.

"What's wrong with that," he asked.

"That's what I said," Danny throwing his hands up.

"This what your fighting about," Sam staring from him to me.

"Yep now tell him he's wrong," Danny pointing at me.

"Can't he's not," pushing Danny away from here, "that's barbaric."

"Thank you, I knew she's get it, stale mate not getting them," pointing at him.

"No way tie breaker, we're finding my sister," he snarled back.

"Fine already know what she's going to say, you forget she's not going to like it either," pointing finger at him.

"What's wrong Fentoad trouble in paradise," Dash laughed slamming his hands down on the table and making us jump.

I don't know why I opened my mouth, maybe I was just jazzed from the fight, maybe I was actually enjoying having a guy to hand out with again, maybe that part of me that was still a stupid kid kicked back in but I still opened it before Danny could. "Wow you think of that yourself or did the thousand monkeys with the thousand typewriters do it for ya?"

About a thousand emotions ran across his face in the space of a few seconds but mostly I just watched his jaw hand open. "What…..what did you…..you said what to me?" part of him not process what he was saying or not use to people going after him.

"Sorry was that to high brow," the words slipping out before I could even register them.

"Do you know who I am?" the guy slamming his knuckles on the table.

"No, should I care?" again the words were slipping out before I could stop myself and from the look on the others faces that was probably a mistake.

"I'm Dash Baxter," grabbing me by the shirt an pulling me out of the booth, "and no talks to me like that especially someone sitting with Fentonio."

"Tell is not being able to say Fenton genetic or are you just committed to the this shtick?" I really didn't know where this was coming from but I had to shut it off fast before I got in real trouble, or as much as a teenage boy could give me.

"Alright outside I'm going to wail on you funny guy ," pushing me to the door.

"Wow how'd you get a marine mammal in your pants," my eyes going wide and grabbing my mouth, something was either very wrong or I was picking up Danny's bad habits. Grabbing me by the shirt again he pulled me in the loading dock behind the restaurant my mind going a hundred miles an hour trying to figure out a way to escape, of course the crowd we had gathered was going to make that hard. Flight was out of the picture, I really didn't want to fight this guy, I didn't really have a problem with running away, but the crowd was going to make that hard.

When we hit the back, I had nothing so I was pretty much committed to play it all by ear as he pushed me away, a half step was all that kept me from hitting the ground. "I don't know who you think you are," the overly muscled blond slapped at me cracking his knuckles, "but it's the last thing your ever going to do," tossing his jacket another teen.

I quick look gave me a few ideas, some I wasn't all that proud of, but one did kinda come up that could work taking a few steps back. "your going to kill me with this many witnesses, you have guts I admire that, not a heck of a lot of brains, but guts."

"What," looking over at them.

"You know your going to beat me, I'm going to call the cops, I'm going to have about two dozen witnesses that say you did this."

"Like they're going to take the word of some guy over me."

"True, very true, I guess you do actually spend some time in class, I guess your not one of those jocks with the mental skills of a retarded cigarette smoking circus monkey." Oh yeah that one got him as the crowd ooohhed and Danny, Tucker and Sam were giving me all kind of hand signals like shut up and run, and I'm going to die.

"YOUR ARE DEAD," charging me from his spot on the other side of the alley, by not even cracking the top one hundred of scary things I've been charged by.

"Quick question do you know the three things that separate humans from most other animals," a slight smile of my face at he got closer his hand pulled back ready to put it through my face. With the skill of someone that had obviously done this a lot he unleashed it, on another person it might've worked unfortunately for him I was also part hawk, part predator and even with the human body I still had the reflexes of one. Moving left I got an eye full of his face, a line of droll slipping off his lips his body and hand still going forward, not in a position to stop, his fist meeting the wall that had been behind me with all the force that he'd planned to go into me.

"AHAHHAHHA," his scream echoing off the walls of the area, no one else saying a word as he dropped to his knees and held his now very tender hand, if it was broken I couldn't be sure.

"As I was saying," moving just out of his reach, "what separates humans from most others things on Earth, tools, strategy and medicine. You probably going to want to look into the third right about now because that looks like it could be really bad."

I got a glare from him not that I cared, I could see a mix of rage and more importantly fear in his eyes, I wasn't sure if it was of me or for his future, but he wasn't in a position to get back up and I had to admit I felt bad about putting him down there. I honestly though he would've moved with me or at least not committed that much to it, apparently I'd read him wrong.

"As the man said so long ago, exit stage left," walking away from him the crowd moving to one side, I wasn't sure if they were afraid of me or just in shock, personally I was hoping it was the second. "What you never seen a combination of dumb luck and intelligence," moving through them only to be grabbed by Danny, Sam and Tucker and drug away as fast as they could while staying on the ground.

"What is wrong with you," Danny hissed when we were a good deal away from every body else.

"And can you teach us how to do it?" his friend added.

"Do you have any idea what Dash is going to do to me now?"

"Whatever he does it won't be for a few days at the earliest a couple of months at the latest, so you have time," Sam cutting me for and getting a dirty look from him.

"So not helping now Sam," glaring back at me, "what happened to not abusing our talents?"

"What abuse I opened my mouth, he attacked, not my fault he's stupid enough to throw a punch when I'm that close to a wall. Honestly who does that, did he not know that might happen, I've known rats that were smarter than this guy, and that's saying something."

Danny opened his mouth, more than likely to yell at me some more but in let it go and laughed, "you humiliate Dash, we actually agree on things, and I can talk you into incredibly stupid stunts, whatever he does to me," pointing where we had come from, "is so worth it."

"Ok," Tucker waving his hand in front of Danny's face, "who are you and what did you do with the real Danny? That must've been some trip you had."

"That's one way of putting it," I sighed.

"Lets just say it was a trip to remember, got to talk to Nikki, met his friends, we got beaten up by David."

"We?" lifting an eyebrow, "he knocked the crap out of you, I was more or less fine."

"Except for the point where he made you run away like a little girl," and getting a glare from Sam, "not that there's anything wrong with running like a girl, or that girls are weak anything, because they're not, they're strong and powerful and please don't kill me."

Tucker moved half a step away from the two, "you are so whipped."

"Tobias," Danny not even having to look at me.

"Right," hitting Tucker on the back of the head for him.

"Ack," grabbing the spot, "since when can you hit me by remote."

"Aw crap they bonded," Sam looking at the two of us.

"Yes we have," Danny putting a hand around my shoulder.

"Great," holding the bridge of her nose, "instead of two people that can barely stand to be near each other we have a pair of over powered idiots working together."

"That's right."

"Ok since when am I an over powered idiot," looking from the half ghost to the goth, "never mind, I forgot all the things he's been talking me in to, I am an idiot."

"That's right."

"Say that again I dare you, see what happens."

"At some point you are going to explain why you were arguing about owl leather seats right?" Tucker moving further away from us.

"And that's still disgusting," Sam added.

"Told you so," look at him.

He just glared at me, "my sister is still going to agree with me."

"Jazz will never agree to that, if she does I will eat road kill in front of you."

"I'm going to hold you to that."

Sam sighed and snapped her fingers in front of Danny, "enough buddy stuff I'd like some answers."

"Right," pulling away from me, "you guys are going to love this, we brought with us," I didn't let him get the rest out and covered his mouth.

"Danny please a little class this isn't something we can just say out loud, it has to be seen."

He growled something I couldn't quite make out but finally nodded his head, "we'll go down there you get my sister, I'm sure there are things you need to tell her."

"Thank you," looking him in the eyes and knowing what he was thinking and slapping him upside the heard as he turned to leave, "don't even think it, you have no idea how to handle it, we deal with it together or don't at all."

"Your faith in me is astounding."

"You know where I come from, the stupid thing's I've done, because of that I know what your thinking because I've thought it at some point, so don't even try."

"I liked you better before we got along," the three of them walking off.

"Sure you do," demorphing and hitting the wind and heading off towards the Fenton home but for the most part taking my time it wasn't like I was really in a hurry or anything. (Besides I want to see how long Danny will actually wait for me to get there.)

A quick spin around the house a little while later didn't reveal Jazz though any of the windows. (Jazz you here,) keeping my thoughts private, (give me a sign I'll recognize it.) After a few minutes of not getting anything I pretty much put it together and landed and morphed and knocked on the door, more than a little afraid of who might answer.

After a moment thankful Mrs. Fenton opened it, I wasn't sure I could handle her husband, "oh Tobias," I was still a little shocked she would greet me this warmly, "looking for Jasmine?"

"Looking and not having much success," putting my hands behind my back.

She gave me a little smile, I wasn't sure if she liked me or not, then again we hadn't spent much time together, but at least she tolerated me. "I think she said something about looking at new computer Jack kind of blew up her last one."

"Blew up bad software, blew up threw it though a wall, blew up exploded," the comment slipping out and getting a small laugh from the woman much to my relief.

"He disassembled two of the computers in the house, and we're not sure he can put them back together, actually I'm not sure what he did with one of them, it's currently in about a hundred pieces up stairs, and I think he's missing part of them considering how much he's screaming."

"I'm sure he'll figure it out, I mean he built that didn't he," pointing up at the command center.

"Actually I build most of that, but don't tell him I said that, he's very proud of what he does add."

"I can understand that," looking at her, "everyone takes pride in something and that's a lot more than I could do."

"Don't sell yourself short," laughing lightly and giving me what I could only assume was a motherly smile, I'd never gotten one before so I couldn't really be sure.

"Thanks Mrs. Fenton."

"Maddie please," bringing her hand to her chest, "I'm not that old."

"Alright, thank you Maddie," turning away from her and running down the street and starting to demorph, my hearing kicking and letting me hear the last thing she said before shutting the door.

"I'm beginning to understand what she sees in that boy."

A few seconds later I was air born, a little happier than I probably should be, but it wasn't everyday I actually felt accepted. I road it out for a few minutes before letting it die away a little and looked for Jazz, there were more places to buy a computer in the city than I thought there'd be, then again I didn't have much use for computers so I wasn't the best judge. Thankfully Jazz was driving so it wasn't that hard to find the store, I just had to look for the right car.

(Bingo,) dropping out of the sky when I saw it and morphed and walked in and immediately felt like a fish out of water. I use to understand computers, I wasn't as good as Tucker, or Marco when he was younger, but I knew enough to get school work done and look on the net. The stuff I was looking at here however just seemed a little alien, I recognized some thing but others blew me away, some looked like fashion statements other systems modeled on cartoon characters, just weird stuff and the fact that is was so sterile didn't help, I preferred an earth look to my surroundings. Brushing it off I walked through the isles her hair being hard to miss as I found her from the back.

"So," walking up behind her, "I'm off getting my tail kicked with your brother…" I didn't get anything else out as she turned and hugged me.

"Birdie," pulling me close, "when I didn't hear from you…."

"It's ok…we're ok," putting my hands around her and hugging her tight, I wasn't sure why I did it but it felt right, natural, her body trembling slightly next to me. That came as a real shock to me, I thought Jazz was made of stronger stuff, than again what little time she'd spent around David might've been enough to know what I was in for.

"Danny," She asked pulling back, her face slightly redder than before as she blushed.

Laughing lightly, "as well as he ever is."

"Oh thank you," she whispered slightly and hugger me again then pulling back and slapping me across the face, "would it kill you to pick up a phone next time I felt like I aged a couple of years in a day."

"You don't look it," grabbing my mouth after and came out and hissing between the fingers as she glared at me, "I don't know what's wrong with me but I have to keep my mouth shut today."

"What," a mix of curiosity and anger in her voice.

Scratching the back of my head, "you know a guy named Dash?"

"Everyone at my school does why?"

"Well started by opening my mouth to him and it might've ended with him having a broken hand I'm not really sure," laughing nervously, something Jazz wasn't doing.

"You did what now," grabbing my shirt and pushing me into the shelf, "tell me I'm not hearing this."

I was a little shocked that she was taking it this seriously, "what you have a thing for this guy?"

"NO! I just want to know what's wrong with you."

From above "Fenton come to the service counter."

"Don't go anywhere I'm not done with you," walking away from me, I don't know if I have a masochistic streak but I followed her anyway.

"OK," the guy at the counter handing her what looked like a new laptop, "we managed to transfer the information from the boards you gave us into it, gotta tell you there seemed to be some weird stuff on there."

"What do you mean weird stuff, that was mostly just my research and some personnel things."

"Um more like a copy of Doomed and some really weird stuff," looking over a sheet of paper.

"What," looking down at the new computer, and making some noises that weren't human,. "I grabbed the wrong components, this is from the other computer."

"Sorry no refunds, want me to put that right stuff in just bring it down and I will," walking into the back.

I opened my mouth to talk but the look she gave me stopped, "say it and your dead birdie," grabbing the computer and walking over to the other counter and paying for it.

"For what it's worth I'm sorry, about everything and if you want to blame me go ahead I got no problem with it."

"No," slipping into her car with me on the other side, "I'm just tired," leaning into the head rest of the car, it's been a long two days.

"Can't be as bad as mine."

"I don't really doubt that," looking over at me and turning the car on and getting the air conditioning blowing, the stream whipping her hair around, "I'll bite how bad was it?"

Scratching my neck, "Jakes parents were nearly killed, David is officially psychotic, and oh yes, Rachel showed up and literally brought the house down…with us in it."

"She showed up," her voice going a little giddy and nervous, "what are the odds of that," looking away from me.

Looking over at her and barking in the small space, "PRETTY GOOD CONSIDERING YOU TOLD HER ABOUT IT!"

"Ok ok," plugging her ears, "I get it, you know, I'm sorry it seemed like a good idea at the time."

"That seems to be a recurring theme with your family."

"Mean," growing defensive.

"Drive I'll show you," thumbing my way towards the road.

"Why?" looking where I was pointing.

"Trust me what your brother made me bring home has to be seen to believed, and considering their all waiting down there for us we probably need to put a move on it."

"They're waiting," slipping the car into drive and us moving forward.

"Your brother, his friends, all the stuff like that there, and trust me on this, when you see this, if your reaction is the same as your brothers you day will improved about ninety-seven times over in a matter of seconds."

"No way whatever you brought is that good."

"When you see it you will know, and those words will be eaten," sliding back into the chair. While we were driving I gave her the run down on everything that had happened, the fight, the condition of everyone, my condition, though I left out the stuff about questioning her vs. Rachel. For the most part she took them in stride even though I doubt she believed that her brother and I were actually getting along let alone beginning to become friends after a fashion.

Finally however she pulled over next to the ocean the other three waiting for us and given the look on Danny's face he was anything but happy. "What took you so long," he barked walking up to us, his eyes blazing green.

"What can I say as the crow flies is much faster than as the car drives."

"My fault," the redhead covering for me, "I had to pick some things up and I couldn't fly with them in my talons."

"Would somebody just tell me why we're here, I don't care what you say at this point I just want to know what it is and why your arguing about a chair!"

"He's not that quick on the up take is he," nodding over at Tucker while moving over to Danny.

"Watch it, he's my best friend, that still puts him above you on the food chain," taking my hand and lifting us into the air.

"This is getting into a weird area," a slight hint of sarcasm in Sam's words, not that I blamed her as Danny flew us out over the water and shot down, scaring a school of fish till we hit the ship.

"Yeah I'm still not use to that," water dripping off me, "so how you want to play this," looking up at him from the pilots position.

"I'm going to go up, give a nice lead in, then just bring it up," flying up through the ship and back into the cold water.

I shook my head while checking a few things, "you make this sound so easy," making sure this thing wasn't going to explode. "I need to have my head examined for doing this," looking back at the yeerk tech, it would be so easy to just destroy it all right now with no one being the wiser. "Yeah right, I'm alone in here who else would do it a giant squid," rolling my eyes and started counting off seconds. I wasn't sure how long I actually waited, personally I didn't care either Danny was either up there still trying to make himself seem important or waiting for me to make the grand entrance, regardless I knew I wasn't going to hit my mark so I just flipped a few switches and the great metal beast started to rise through the ocean.

I shifted the position of the ship a little so I could get a good look at the shoreline as I breached the water, and it was well worth it. Tucker dropped to his knees and might've wept that or it was the splash back from the ship. Sam's eyes went huge and her mouth dropped, if something came out of her mouth I couldn't here it. Then there was Jazz, who obviously recognized the design and looked at the ship with a mixture of hate and curiosity.

"YOU'RE A LITTLE EARLY," Danny barked flying up to me while I sat the ship down on the beach the others gathered around.

(Bite me,) demorphing and letting him fly in and get me to pull me out of the big metal coffin.

"What. Is. That," I had a feeling it was the only thing Sam had been saying.

Danny spread his arms wide and flew up to the Bug Fighter as if it were a showroom car, "ladies and gentleman I present to you, our very own, alien SPACESHIP. WHO'S THE MAN BABY?"

"spaceship," Tucker's voice very tiny and very far away and he crawled over to it.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT THING IS!" Jazz barked running up to her brother, "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING TOBIAS!"

(That is a very good question and I'd direct it to your brother because this is all his fault, he talked me into it, at the time the argument made prefect sense.)

"spaceship," tentivly touching it, and this time I knew he was actually crying, and it kinda scared me.

"That thing kills people!" Jazz snapped taking me away from Tucker.

(Preaching to the choir, I wanted to blow the thing up.)

"Does this thing actually work," Sam coming out of her stupor her head jerking back and forth between Danny and I.

Rubbing his hands together, "oh yes it works," his face lighting up and I sworn his face was going to break if the smile got any bigger.

"spaceship."

(Stop groping my ship,) barking down at Tucker and not getting a reaction, (Danny put this guy on a leash.)

"Do you realize how much trouble this thing is going to cause, DO YOU!"

"Sis relax we got this, besides if we didn't take it someone else might. Me, ghosts, chances are Vlad's there right now digging the town up we needed to move everything as quick as we could in case he ended up finding it."

"But do you know what this thing and all those like it did?"

(He knows I told him, and unfortunately his logic makes sense.)

"And it's a spaceship," thrusting his rams towards it, "this is like the number one dream of everyone on earth I had to take it'd be a crime not to."

"spaceship"

"Yes we get it Tucker it's a spaceship, it's also loaded with alien technology," that one making him jerk around and look at Danny, his eyes taking on a crazy expression.

"Technology…alien….there."

(Ladies and gentlemen his mind has left the building.)

"Tobias," Danny barked.

(What we shorted him out, he's gone time to through him in a padded cell in a nice hospital somewhere.)

"NO HOSPITALS," Tucker barked from his spot on the ground jumping from his knees and looking around, coming out of whatever was wrong with him.

(That was creepy.)

"No he's just afraid of hospitals," looking down at his friends.

"With good reason, those places are evil."

Before anyone else could get anything out a ear splitting whistle cut us off, "in as few words as possible," Sam snapped, "what are we doing with this, and I don't mean as in flying, I mean What. Are. We. Doing. With. This."

(You can take this one Danny you do it better anyway.)

"Yeah that explains why she talks me into everything I end up doing," sighing and going into everything he had told me, every leap of faith, every distortion of the evidence, every fear tactic, scary part is they all still worked on me. "And that's why this is here, and I don't really know what we're going to do with it, but whatever it is I've finally been to space, I can die happy."

(In this line of work I wouldn't make jokes like that.)

"I'm choosing to ignore that, rat breath."

(Your choice, but I'm not going to shed any tears then.)

"So what can this thing do," Tucker running his hands over my ship again.

(Not sure yet, we don't really have a clue what anything does here other than flying and getting in and out of Earth orbit.)

"According to Nikki your PDA can interface with it and then you should be able to get….whatever it is out of it," Danny shrugging sitting on top of the ship.

"Except I have no idea how to use this thing," glaring up at us.

Snapping his fingers, "right forgot about that," falling down through the ship and popping up a moment later. "Nikki wanted me to give you this, it's basically an owners manual for your new toy," tossing him a small book.

"This is it," catching it, "a book, an actual book, what she couldn't make it a down load," holding the paper like it was toxic.

(You're a real snob you know,) flying down and landing on Jazz's shoulder, (some of us make do with what we have. PDA's didn't even exist when I was your age, and don't you dare make an old joke or they will not find the bodies, be lucky we even thought about asking her to supply you with one. For that matter consider yourself lucky she even upgraded that thing it was more than she was willing to do with us most of the time.)

"Down birdie," one of Jazz's hands resting on my shoulder, "it's not that big a deal."

"Yes it is, this thing is primitive," flapping the booklet, "I can't believe any…," his words stopping as Danny covered his mouth from behind.

"Tuck I've seen what he does when he gets mad, don't tick him off, now you want to know what goes on inside this thing or not?"

"I'll do anything you ask to get inside that thing."

"Leaving him alone in what is essentially a giant floating gun, I don't see anything possibly going wrong here."

(I'm with Sam on this one,) looking at the goth, (I don't even trust Danny alone in this thing, no way I'm trusting anyone else.)

"Which is why I'm leaving the three of you in there alone," Danny grabbing his friends hands and flying them into the Bug Fighter and coming out a second later for me. "Sam can keep Tucker reined in, you just try and keep them from blowing anything up or taking off."

(And your going to be doing what while I do this?)

"Admiring the beauty of my new spaceship and trying to figure out what color I want to paint it, and how to get rims on it," flying me through the hull.

(I must've missed the car gene,) looking in on Sam trying to hold Tucker down, the boy foaming at the mouth like a wild animal and clawing to get at the controls.

"It happens, you two," catching the others attention, "his ship, his rules, he says don't touch it you don't touch it, I plan on taking this back into space and I need him and this thing in one piece to do it."

(Your leaving me in charge I don't know the difference between a toaster and a tuna.)

"Again that's why Sam's here, she does."

"I was wondering why you left me with this tech obsessed madman."

"Well tie may hands behind my back why don't you."

"Tucker just interface with the ship and see what it can do that's all I want right now, if you want to explore more fine, but nothing that's dangerous."

With those words Sam let him go and I watched him run, or as much as he could in the tight space and jump in the weapon system seat. "Alright dazzle me boys, give me everything you got" his PDA lighting up as he tapped it.

"I'll leave you to then, this place is a little cramped for my tastes," going intangible and flying through the ship again.

(Sure leave me alone with these guys,) I barked in private thought speech, while watching him work an having no idea what he was doing.

"So," Sam leaning over the side of the chair, "you have anything there?"

"You would not believe the stuff I have here," his eyes constantly shifting between the screen to the book open in his lap. "I have access to everything in the computer, I can control the weapons, fly it, and those are just the things I recognize, I'm not even sure what part of the stuff even means. I have a read out on the engines that might as well be in latin it's so advanced, I'm not even sure what the operating system is, it keeps asking for things I don't understand."

"You mean in a alien language?"

"Sorta, it's in English I just have no idea what it wants."

(That might be because the ships half psychic,) the pair looking up at me with shock

"Your kidding right, that's not possible," pushing his glasses down.

Sam tapped him on the back of the head when he said it making him look up, "look around I think we've passed impossible a few miles back."

"Good point," looking back at me, "so how's this thing work?"

(A mix of physical and mental aspects, honestly I don't know much today was the first time I really flew one.)

"Good thing he's in charge," rolling his eyes and getting hit on the head by Sam.

"Just listen to the man."

(Thank you,) bowing to the girl, (it's a combination of the physical control and the mental mindset, they don't balance they don't work, and whatever your trying to do goes wrong real fast. On the plus side I lived with a guy who explained this to me a few times so I have a general idea how everything goes, but that's not much for the most part.)

"In other words you were hitting things without actually knowing what you were doing?"

(Bingo Sam.)

"And everyone is worried about me touching this thing," looking back to his PDA and tapping on it some more.

* * *

**DP Style**

"So how long do you think they'll be in there," Jazz looking her at her brother, the pair setting on the hood of her car.

Stretching his back, "I don't know, the bird isn't screaming at them so I guess everything is going ok."

"It's also been over and hour, for all we know they're all dead from someone, and by that I mean Tucker, setting off some kind of security system."

"You have no confidence in my friends do you?"

"I don't like that thing being near me," pointing at the bug fighter, "I remember what those things do, they're dangerous, and they can't be trusted."

"To which I say," putting his hands behind his head, "it's a spaceship, it's not evil, it's a ship that flies in space, it's under our control, it's a spaceship, and oh yeah it's a spaceship."

Looking over and glaring at her brother, "I get it, you really like the space side of the equation that doesn't mean this is a good idea, who know what the yeerks programmed that thing to do in case someone else got a hold of it."

Blowing his sister off, "if there was something wrong with the ship I think Nikki would've told us when she checked it out. Don't worry so much sis, we got this, there is nothing that can possibly go wrong with this ship, everything is completely under control."

Rolling her eyes and sighing, "and if this were a movie this would be the part where things go horribly wrong and we all end up dead."

"Your getting really wired you know that sis," rolling off the hood and yawning.

"Don't think of me as weird think of me as someone that's seen a lot, most of which she doesn't understand," sliding off the car next to him. Moving around and opening up the door, "you know dad disassembled my computer while you were gone?"

"I think we talked about that."

"Well now it's at the point where he can't get it back together, so I got something to replace it," pulling out her laptop.

"Nice upgrade," moving over and looking at it.

"Yep, not quite as much memory, a little bit slower, but it's wireless and I can take it with me so if I hear dad needs spare parts I can pick it up and leave and hopefully not have to worry about what he might end up doing."

"Since when has something like that ever stopped dad?"

"Good point," turning the power on, "but at least having the option of running away with it makes me feel a little better, shame I can't get my old stuff on it."

"The parts are that mixed up?"

"Beyond words, right now parts form my system are mixed with the computer from the basement, I thought I had my pieces and asked the guy to transfer everything I had into this one. But of course dad forgot which parts where which and gave me the boards to the other computer, so now I have," opening up a few files on the computer. "Your ghost files," looking over at him, "really stupid place for those little brother, a picture of Paulina in a very suggestive pose, where did you get this and does Sam know," glaring at him with a hint of a threat in her words.

"Sam doesn't need to know about that and you can't tell her."

"Ah huh," rolling her eyes, "and one of your games, that or our parents have a weird secret life I don't know about, which is very possible."

"Right Doomed, wow I don't remember the last time I played that."

"So you don't need it?"

"Not that I'm aware of…."

"So I can get rid of it?"

"Go ahead."

"Then it's trash," dragging the file over and dumping it.

"But I'm pretty sure there's a reason I stopped playing it though," saying it to late as her laptop started glowing and lifting off the hood of the car. "Oh right I trapped…"

"I AM TECHNUS MASTER OF ALL THINGS MECHANICAL AND SCIENTIFIC, BOW BEFORE MY AWESOME DIGITAL MIGHT!" His green face filling Jazz's screen as it hovered a few feet off the ground and spun while the ghost laughed maniacally.

"Um is that it," looking over at her brother not sure what to make of the ghost, and slipping off her shirt just in case things got bad.

"Maybe," cocking his head, his hair shifting into his eyes, twin rings running over his body and shifting him into his black and white form.

"YOU," Technus barking and lunging at Danny only to miss as the ghost boy went intangible and let the laptop pass right through him, "YOU WILL FALL BEFORE ME AND PAY FOR IMPRISONING ME IN THAT NOTHINGNESS, ME YOU ARCH NEMESIS !"

"This is your arch nemesis," his sister lifting an eyebrow and kicking off her pants, "I really need to learn how to morph my clothing," she sighed to herself.

Flying over to her, "not really he's just an minor annoyance, a little more than the Box Ghost, but not in Vald's league."

"WHAT I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO INSUL….what is that," spotting the Bug Fighter through the computer screen.

"What is what," Danny looking back.

"What a marvelous piece of machinery," the laptop flying over it, "I have to have it."

"Should we be worried," Jazz looking from the laptop to her bother and starting to morph Delilah, her purpleback gorilla.

"What it's not like he can get out of there," the half ghost flying over to it leaning on it, "oooo big scary ghost of the laptop what you going to do type me to death?"

"Actually I was thinking something like this," a jolt of green energy shooting out of the computer and hitting the bug fighter. For a second the laptop hovered in space then lost it's glow, only quick thinking by Danny caught it before it hit the ground.

(Well this can't be good,) Jazz stepping back and huffing, the gorilla coming to the surface slightly, not understanding what was going on.

"Ah man this is wireless isn't it sis," looking back at the great ape his sis had become.

(Yep, we're in trouble aren't we?) getting a bad feeling as the ship stared to glow and grow dark.

"A ghost in an interstellar war ship, no it's all going to be rainbows and puppies sis," he snapped sarcastically, his hands lighting up with energy orbs. Changing the machine he crushed the balls in his hands, and forced himself to control the flow of the ectoplasm, a trick he'd learned but still had difficulty mastering. From each end of his hand the energy shot out and spiraled up his arm, his arms soon encased in twin lines of green, occasionally the beams crossing each other till they hit his elbows, bits of ectoplasm jumping off his body in little flickers of light.

"Get out of there," punching the machine as hard as he could, but doing little as the shield came up and prevented him from doing anything of real merit against the hull.

"As you wish child," a green T surrounded by a circle with lighting blots appeared on the side and a hole opened up next to it, the three inside being flung out with a scream.

"Whoa got ya," Danny catching Sam as she fell.

"WHAT ABOUT ME," Tucker yelled ending up in Jazz's arms, Tobias managed to right himself half way down and landing in a tree.

(Happy,) dropping him on his butt

"Not really," rubbing the sore spot.

(What just happened,) the bird snapped turning around and looking at the ship, (what did you do Tucker, I told you to be careful.)

"Not his fault," Danny growled moving back at Technus, his hands still burning, the ectoplasm rings however had dropped down his arm a little, an indication of how much of its power he'd used. "We got a ghost in the machine now."

(Great it's evil again, I told you this would happen.)

Not bothering to look back at the bird, "not the time for I told you so's," hitting the machine again as hard as he could sending arcs of green energy in all directions as he hit the shield.

"Be gone ghost child," the ghost's voice seemingly coming from every part of the ship, one of the spear like protrusions from the bottom of the vehicle whipping out and knocking him aside, "I Technus master of circuitry, beeping things, and all things electrical now have enough power to claim all thing electronic as my own."

"Over my dead body," Danny hitting the ghost possessed bug fighter again only to be knocked to the ground by one of the dracon canons.

"That is kinda the idea," the ship turning to face Danny only to begin sparking and weaving as it did so, it's weapons flashing brightly as it tried to fire yet not working.

"This is weird, someone want to explain it?" Sam pulling her gun out from her backpack still on the ground.

Tucker looking from Sam to the ship, "I don't think he knows how to control the ship's systems, they're to alien for him, to complicated."

"In other words we need to hit him here and now before he runs away to figure out how to fly that thing and gains access to all it's weapons and technology."

"EXCELLENT IDEA CHILD, YOU REALLY SHOULD BE A TUTOR!" Technus roared shakily rising into the air.

(Smooth little brother,) Jazz glaring up at him.

"I have got to keep my mouth shut around him," shaking his and head and rolling his eyes, "never mind take him out!" When he said it Tobias and Danny shot into the air and followed him, doing their best to keep up with the ship, even as slowly as it was rising it was out pacing them. On the ground Sam adjusted the weapons settings and fired it off, blasts of energy bouncing off it as it rose and shimmered, it's cloak activating, and disappeared.

(Bring it home, we'll keep it safe, nothing can go wrong,) Tobias hissed in a mocking tone into Danny's mind, (I'm never listening to you again.)

Looking up into the sky, his arms losing their energy, "I'm not sure that's a bad idea." Taking a deep breath he opened his mouth, but didn't make a sound, at least none the others heard, yet Tobias and Jazz felt as it caused her control over her beast forms to waver for a moment. Up in the sky Technus began to glow as the ghost sense effected him, giving Sam a target, not that it did any good as he continued to rise into the sky, well past the range of her weapon.

(What was that,) Jazz holding her ears.

(One of Danny's tricks unfortunately part of it goes a little above the human range to hear, thing of it like a super dog whistle. If your not ready for it it'll freak the instincts a little if they can hear it.)

(We need a plan B don't we,) Jazz hitting everyone's mind.

"Depends on if he comes down or not," Tucker sighed.

(I'd be more worried what's already up there than him,) Tobias coming down and looking up into the sky, (we have things in orbit right now that could make this a lot harder if they find out he's coming. We might've just released a technopathic into the galaxy with access to star charts or whatever telling him where to go to become even more powerful.)

"What's he talking about," Tucker looking at him and scratching the back of his head, a look of confusion on his face.

Sam sighed and glared at him, "follow me here, Technus is inside an alien spaceship capable of flying anywhere, up there," pointing up, "are several planets with highly advanced technology, he gets those everything dies, EVERYWHERE!"

"Oh," a slightly blank look on his face.

"So," the goth looking at the redtail, "you know about this sort of thing what do we do?"

(Since when do I know about this?)

"Well you've fought things in space before," putting her gun back in her backpack.

(No,) shaking his head, (I fought aliens on earth, getting up stairs generally involved acts of stupidly that I can't replicate because most of those ships,) his mental voice growing hash, (were already on earth when we took them.)

"So we're dead?"

(I prefer screwed beyond imagining but ya pretty much.)

"I don't think we're in that much trouble I mean this is Technus, the guy screams out his plans as soon as he comes up with them, no sound no worry."

"Unless he figured out how to keep his mouth shut," Sam hissed, "we have to find someway of getting this guy done, and do it quick."

"Oh yeah, we can't let this go," Tucker looking up, "that gut won't even appreciate what that ships capable of."

"Not the time for this Tucker," Sam hissed

(Danny,) his sister looking at him, (start talking whatever you have on this guy tell me it, if I work up a psych profile we might have some clue what he wants, how to get him down.)

"You think that'll work?" Sam looking at her.

(Maybe, I'm pretty much guessing here,) looking up, (this is a little outside my comfort zone, but if this guy is anything like a person he'll have certain wants, maybe one of them we can manipulate at least for a little while.)

"Um," Danny still looking up, "he's technology obsessed, he screams his plans a lot, and he really wants to beat me."

Jazz just stared at him in disbelief, something that looked all the more frightening by the gorilla features, (ok anybody else know anything, preferably useful?)

"No that's pretty much it," Sam sighed then looked at Tucker, "you spent a lot of time with him in the game, you have any ideas about him?"

"Not really, he wants to be better, that was all he was really interested in in the game, just becoming better than he was. He wanted t learn all the strategies, power ups, cheat codes, thing's like that, mostly the same things he wanted when he got stuck in all the stuff at your garage sale."

(What,) looking at her brother.

"Another story for another time," shifting back into his human mode.

(You sold him at the garage sale?) demorphing and tapping her foot.

"Again not the time for this, all we really know is Technus wants technology and he wants to be the best."

(And right now he's pretty much in the biggest, meanest toaster on Earth.)

"If you have anything to say here, don't," the boy in glasses looking at the bird.

"Guys not the time," Danny getting between them, "we have enough problems with out turning on each others so cool it. Sis do you think you can come up with something…I mean about what you were talking about?"

"Given what you said, I'd say we have to give him a reason to come down, and out side of the Chee I don't think we have anything that's advanced enough to get his interest."

"So we're going to sacrifice one of the robomutts, works for me, this way I get to see what makes them work."

Tobias flared his wings and that and snapped in Tucker direction, (ok just because you don't think of Nikki as a person doesn't mean I don't, so keep saying things like that and we will have a problem.)

"Again guys not that time," Danny hissed.

Sam looked from Jazz to the boys, "what if we just lied to him? Technus isn't that smart despite what he thinks, or at the least he doesn't have any common sense, we could tell him anything and he might buy it."

(Still raises the question of how do we contact him, I don't know about you but I can't contact people in orbit,) looking up into the sky. (Lets face it we've have to break into NASA to get a message to him from here.)

Danny and Jazz just looked at each other and smiled, "you thinking what I'm thinking sis?"

"The communication equipment in the command center?"

"Knowing our parents it'll be ridiculously over powered."

"I don't know," Sam thinking back, "the ranger on P.A.R.T.Y. wasn't that great we didn't get outside of Amity Park."

"What's she talking about Danny," his sister looking from the goth to the half ghost.

"Again story for another day," moving over to the car and tossing her her pants, "put these on and lets get going, every second we waste is more distance Technus puts between me and my spaceship."

(I should've left that stupid thing buried, but nnnooooo, I had to be nice,) Tobias rolling his eyes and flapping into the sky. (I'll meet you there, I need to clear my head, think things through.)

"Do it fast bird man, time is not on our side here," Danny sliding into the car, Tucker beside him while Jazz slipped her clothing back on and dropped into the front along with Sam and started up the car.

Turning around Jazz looked her brother in the eye, "you really need to put warning labels on things like, it would've been nice to know my computer had a ghost in it before hand."

"So this is her fault," Tucker looking at the older girl.

"No it's our fault," looking at his friend, "we should've done something with him a long time ago and now were paying the price."

"Just so we're clear on that, I admit this my fault, but it would've been nice had someone warned me a bit sooner."

"Done, now step on the gas, I want to find this guy an I want to do it now."

"Done and done little brother, but remember I learned to drive from dad."

"SEATBELTS," Danny and the others scrambling to put them on, all knowing if she was half as bad as the elder male Fenton they'd all end up in the Ghost Zone sooner rather than later.

"Hang onto your butts, your about to see what happen when you learn to drive in part from Jack Fenton," tearing out onto the road as fast as it would take her, a speed that was greater than most would anticipate considering it was slightly modified by her parents on the chance she needed to make a quick get away from ghosts or boys if you listened to her father rants. Even so the trip was far shorter than it ordinarily would've been, Jazz navigating the roads like a woman possessed doing things on the road the others weren't ready for in the slightest, things they doubted her father would even try.

Danny for the most part was fine with his sisters driving having grown up with his dad, he was desensitized from the fear that the others were feeling even with their exposure to the elder Fenton. Tucker was leaning into the seat and trying his best not to scream in terror, both for himself and because he didn't want to give Jazz a reason to crash. Sam on the other hand up front was trying her best to imagine she was anyplace else right now letting her body go limp and keeping her eyes closed tightly.

"So tell me," Danny barking at here as she slammed on the breaks and missed setting off a police officer, "how'd you learn to do that, that had to be the third cop we've passed and you still haven't been caught."

"Trick I learned from dad, consider it a sixth sense," not looking at him while she accelerated, "you might learn it when your older."

"Your kidding right."

"Why do you think Dad never has any tickets yet drives like this?"

"Well I look forward to that," sitting back.

A few moments later Jazz slammed on her breaks in the drive way of the Fenton Works, "end of the line, we're here, GET OUT!"

"Small problem," Danny looking over at his friends and trying to pry Tucker loose.

"Great," moving around to the passengers side and helping get Sam out while her brother worked on Tucker. Between them it only took a few seconds to get them up and out of the car but both were still visibly shaken from their ride.

"I'm never driving with you again," Sam hissed.

"Ditto," Tucker barked.

"Not asking you to," pulling them inside and up the stairs, thankfully their father wasn't up there even signs of his work were.

Tucker looked around the room with horror, "it's like a computer grave yard, what kind of monster would do this to innocent computers.

"He's really taking this to far," Sam whispered over to Danny.

"It's Tucker, you were expecting less."

Jazz ignored them and tip toed around the command center trying to avoid the various components and tools that littered the floor and tables. After a few moments she managed to sit down at what she hoped was the right console, "anyone have any clue what to do here?"

"Sorry I was a little busy praying I didn't die on the way over to think of anything," Tucker groaned moving over and sitting on the console next to her.

"Let it go Tucker just let it go," Danny and Sam floating over to them avoiding touching the floor, "so how are we going to play this?"

(I think she just asked that.)

"Where are you birdie?"

(Ventilation system be with you in a few seconds, yes I can hear everything from where I am, and no I don't have a clue what to tell him.)

"Well we need to figure out something I don't want to be known as the girl that released a plague into the galaxy."

"Co-released and you won't be sis, we've come across worse, we'll figure something out."

"I'm going to hold you to that," looking at the equipment and spinning few dials before looking back, "I have absolutely no idea how to work this thing."

"Let me try," Tucker moving over and grabbing the keyboard and started typing looking at the screen and occasionally moving dials and switches.. "Ok," looking at the others and pointing at the screen, "if I'm reading this right that's him here," a small glowing dot on the screen seemingly orbiting Earth.

(The the cloak isn't on,) Tobias now standing on a table opposite them.

"Not sure," looking over at him, "whatever this thing is it blocks normal detection systems like radar, but I am picking it up on the specter detector, but even still it's not really coming through. I don't know what but something is definitely making it hard to pick up, so chances are it's the cloak."

(Makes sense,) nodding his head, (ghost tech isn't known on other worlds so chances are they wouldn't have a way to defend against it.)

"So how do we contact it?" Sam asked.

"I don't think we can with this equipment."

"My parents have the best stuff on the planet here Tuck, if anyone can do this we can."

"True, but it was all designed _for _Earth," adding a little emphasis to the word. "This stuff wasn't designed to send messages into Earth orbit, and like or not that's where he is. So near as I can tell we have two choices if this is going to work, one we rewire this thing till it is strong enough to send a message like that."

"How long would that take?" Danny growing hopeful.

"Maybe a week under normal circumstances, longer if we have to do this without your parents finding out, shorter if Sam flashes her name and get us some custom equipment," looking the goth up and down.

"How about we hear option two before you want me to start spending my families money, and there by increasing the odds I have to wear pink for the rest of my life or until I pay them back which ever comes first."

"Option two, we go somewhere that can send this kind of message."

(Got a place in mind?)

"I only know one place that could handle something like this."

"Don't say it Tucker," Danny warned looking at his friend.

"We have to break into Axion and get to their communications array."

"I told you not to tell me that Tucker," holding the bridge of his nose.

Tobias cocked his head knowing something was wrong but not what, (ok someone want to explain the problem to the bird, I'm assuming this is other than breaking into a place.)

"Val's father works there," Sam sighed.

(That would be strike one.)

"Her dad's installed a ghost shield around the place," Danny added.

(Strike two.)

"And the entire place is lined in anti ghost weapons," Tucker finished.

(And that would be strike three,) shaking his head (so who's next at bat?.)

"You were going to tell me all this when," looking at her brother and grabbing him by the collar.

"Um…now," giving her a lop sided grin.

Sam sighed and let go of Danny landing on the console and leaning back against the computer, "so it's out of the question, great I'll make the calls."

(Don't,) Tobias stopping her before she could dig her phone out, (it's anti ghost tech, not anti morph I can get in, I have in the past.)

"And where does that leave us," Tucker asked, "you said it yourself your technology illiterate and this isn't like turning on a computer we're talking serious stuff here and I can't talk you through it."

(Who said anything about me doing that,) lowering his head, something about his eyes making the others nervous. (I'm purely destruction and distraction, I can keep everyone in that building chasing their tails long enough to take out the shield and let you and Danny get in and get the message off.)

Jazz spun in her chair and looked at him a little shocked, "your kidding right, we're talking people with guns here Tobias."

(Oh gee your right it's not like I've ever come across that before,) fluffing his feathers, (this'll be like old times for me, only this time I won't be killing people, shame that would make things so much easier.)

"TOBIAS," she snapped.

(Love to say it was a joke but it wasn't,) shaking himself, (cutting through people is a lot easier than letting them cut through you, but I guess that's what separates the good guys from the bad guys.)

"This guy is a weird-o," Tucker hissed as Danny.

Crossing his arms, "I know isn't it great," looking over at the bird, "you sure you can do this?"

(You remember the stories right, this'll be like falling off a log, the only question is when do we go and how long do I do it for?)

"Tuck it's your plan, when do you think we ought to do this?"

"Sooner the better, the more he messes with the ship the harder he'll be to stop."

(In other words…now?)

Repositioning his glasses, "pretty much, can you do it?"

(I can cause carnage at the drop of a hat don't worry about me,) shaking his head.

"You really think we can distract them this long birdie?"

(What we, I'm going in alone.)

"Wait one second, I can do this as well as you can."

(Not doubting that but look around,) spreading his wings, (only five of us, I have to go in, so do Danny and tech boy. If this doesn't work someone is going to have to come up with a contingency plan and that's the two of you. Besides if this does work and we get him down we're going to need someone that's not completely tired out.)

"And that would be us?"

"That would be you," Danny agreeing, "it's a good plan, and if nothing else we need some eyes on the outside in case Val shows up, and I do know how much you want to talk to Val Sam."

"Don't tempt me Danny," pulling her backpack off and pulling out her gun, "alright, I don't like being on the back burner, but if that's the plan I'm up for it."

"But it still doesn't tell us how to get Technus down, how to get him out, and how to get through that shield."

(Can't think of everything,) Tobias shrugging his wings.

"Cross that bridge when we come to it," the half ghost agreeing.

"We're gunna die, I can see it now."

"Shut up Tucker," all three hissed simultaneously.

* * *

**DP Style**

Up in orbit Technus worked feverously trying to understand the mysteries of his new mechanical host. He'd begun to master flight and the weapons but the operating system was still a mystery to him, the technology to advanced for him to simply interface with. To make matters worse some of the files were encoded and protected by viruses and programs he didn't understand, each of a completely different creator than the rest of the ship.

"Amazing it's as if this wasn't made on Earth," his ghost form flying through a green void filled with numbers, screens and readouts letting him see both the inner workings of the ship, everything in inside the vessel and what was happening outside in space. "I understand parts of this but others, this might take days to decode, some of this doesn't even make sense."

Inside the ship itself things were changing, the black coloration spreading, green and gray lights beginning to glow from seemingly no where. Parts were changing not just in color, machinery was reforming, things appearing and disappearing, the spare part loaded in the back were slowly being absorbed into the superstructure. Each part changing and altering as Technus grew to understand it and absorbed it, modified it to be stranger and more integrated with the ship, making his new form stronger.

Within the vast landscape of the dataflow he flew past and grabbed a screen floating by and started tapping on it, "an I can't even begin to understand this, I know ever mechanical language, I even speak abacus, but this doesn't make sense at all, it's like it's not even a language. STUPID CREW LOG," throwing the screen away and while it the secrets of the Yeerk empire. "WHY CAN'T ANYTHING HERE BE IN ENGLISH!"


	15. ride in style part2

**Tobias POV**

"So we are clear on this right?" Tucker looking at me and holding up his PDA, a blue print Axion on it, "you can hit here and here, but you have to leave all this alone," Circling one area.

(I got it,) looking at the building.

"And you have to destroy this, I don't know how but this has to be taken out or…"

(I KNOW,) snapping at him, I didn't like being treated like an idiot, (it's the ghost shield generator and it's relays, it's the only thing that can insure the shield goes down. I hit the power supply it might blow up, I hit the controls the shield might not go down, I've done things like this before it's not a problem.)

"But you really need…," stopping when Danny cut in.

"Don't worry Tuck pointless whole sale destruction is something he's good at, I saw him do it enough yesterday to know that."

(Keep talking see where it gets you,) flapping my wings and heading into the wind, (just watch me work and wait for the sign.)

"And we're going to know that how?"

(You'll know it when you see it.)

"We'll know it when we see it," the two of us linking up, "well that's not creepy or anything."

(Ok we're just going to keep this between us and maturely and responsibly ignore it and never speak of it again.)

"No problem with that."

"Speak for yourselves," Tucker pulling out his PDA, knowing him he probably recorded us, whatever happened next I didn't here as I turned tail and headed towards the company for what would most likely be a show they'd never forget. What little time I had to think this through gave me two options for this, go in big from the start and see how long I could keep this going while fighting my way to the system shut downs or go in small, try and get the job done without them being any the wiser and let Tucker do his things then slip out without anyone getting hurt.

(As much as I like option one I have to go two here,) flying up to the building in a round about natural hawk way just in case security was watching and had in some way been warned to watch for rampaging birds. It only to took one pass to find the ventilation system and even less time to land on the roof next to it. (And there goes the easy part of this job,) doing a quick morph to lizard and walking over to the fan, (and now the part that's going to suck,) hopping up and jumping down it getting hit by the blades on the way through and bouncing off the wall. I first hit knocked me a little out of it and I missed catching it, thankfully the bounce sent me over to the other wall and I was able to grab on and pull myself to it, a mix of claws and the lizards foot pads keeping me attached to the metal. I t was times like this that I liked being small, small was tough, I could take about three of four times the damage I could if I was anything else taking the same equivalent force.

Getting down didn't take long from there, granted falling would've been faster, but I needed to keep my brain from being scrambled. (All the plans, all the ideas they had, Tucker just couldn't be bothered to get the lay out of the shafts for me could he,) while I looked around not really sure where I was, then again considering everything looked the same that wasn't a shock. A few seconds of scrambling and I found a grate and slipped into the light, something the lizard wasn't all the happy with yet making the hawk ecstatic, and me along with it.

(Alright now where,) looking around the halls, like the shaft they looked exactly the same to me, (great guess I should've looked at those plans a little bit longer.) I was keeping my thoughts privately but I still felt like talking, if for no other reason that to keep my mind occupied and off the insanity of what might come upon on us in a few minutes.

"So what's it like down in the secrets projects room?" one of the two below me asked as they passed.

"It's ok, not as exciting as I thought it'd be," she answered opening a door, my brain recognizing the smell of food when it came out.

(Ok now where getting somewhere,) looking over, even with the lizards distorted vision I was bale to read the little sign that said 'break room 3'. (If the break room is there,) moving under it from my spot on the ceiling and trying to pull up a mental map of the building, (then the computer is to my left, the armory should be to my right, and the generator should be two floors down.) I wasn't really sure if that was right or not, but it sounded good, (ok how do I get down there,) looking left, (elevators should be that way, it think,) turning an running as fast as my little legs would take me.

After a few minutes I found what I hoped was the right place, recognizing the little arrows above the door and waited, lizards might've been good for infiltration but working buttons was a little outside what I was currently designed for. I tried to stay clam while tapping my claws on the metal and waited for someone to come along and hit a button for me and let me in, however one minute quickly turned to two then to five and ten, and by that time my patience was up. (What does everybody here take the freaking stairs?)

Growing impatient I had to gamble and looking and listened with everything the reptile had and didn't get any indication that someone was around and dropping to the ground demorphing in the process. (Better make this quick flapping up and hitting the down button with my talon, leaving a small scar on the clear plastic, and waited by the door, knowing if anyone say me thing would go bad but I still needed to hit the next button and I needed to conserve my strength as much as I could. With a soft ding the doors slid open and thankfully it was empty and I flapped in and jumped up, chances are I must've looked pretty stupid doing that but again I didn't care and hit the right number while the doors slid shut and I started lower through the structure.

(Things are about to get interesting,) watching the door, I knew what I'd done when I waked in, there was a very good chance there was a camera on me, probably one when I morphed in front of the door to. That meant at any given moment the machine could stop or the doors might slide open and I could be greeted by a few dozen guns pointed at me. (Yep just like old times,) watching the numbers count off and hoping I was wrong.

All this meant I had two choices again, the same ones I had going in, be silent or go in guns blazing and see how far I could get and I still wasn't ready to commit to that. Going Fly probably would've been for the best, it was small, fast, hard to hit, bit I needed better eyes, and unlike the others I'd never really gotten use to insects or their senses. The lizard was fast and stealthy, but in the end I put it on the back burner since they might know to look for that by now so I took the other small thing I had that might not be noticed a mouse, I just hoped there weren't any screamers in the building letting fur replace feathers.

When the doors swung open I was dead on, luckily they weren't as they started firing off into the small cube with a mix of bullets, slime, energy pulses, and what might've been a stun gun, all of which didn't come close to getting me as I clawed my way up the ceiling and out of the way. After a few seconds of firing someone must've told them I'd moved or they realized I wasn't where they were shooting and two moved in quickly. (Stupid humans,) jumping down on ones back and getting a look as those around me, glad to only see one other person who wasn't focused on me or the body I was on and jumped off and scurried past him as fast as my legs would take me and ducked around a corner and regained my bearings on where I was and where I needed to be.

(Ok people are now on my tail, no problem I can handle it, just have to stay ahead of them and not get shot.) Thinking back to the blue prints, (all the way down the hall, left, take the third door, down the hall, first door on the right.) Looking down over my body, (I can see this not working in a millions years,) darting out down the halls the guards still as the elevator, but with my hearing I could tell others were coming given the weight of the foot steps. Hugging the side I ran as fast as I could as two more guards that looked like they could bench press a regenerator ran by and ignored me.

A few twists and turns, not to mention a lot of what felt like very close calls, I came across one very large problem. (Thanks a lot Tucker, you might've mentioned the giant freaking door between me and where I need to go.) It wasn't just a big door, it was huge metal one that given the smell probably had a tazer built in on the off chance someone tried to break in.

(Ok,) looking around and finding the vent and climbed up the wall. Mice are amazing creatures, I should know I've been hunting them for years and I knew first hand what they could do. The little claws could dig into tiny groves one else even knew where there, the legs could easily lifts into own weight all the way up a tree without much trouble, the tail could grab on to anything that might be useful. They might not have been designed to climb sheer surfaces but they could with the right mind guiding it. (And I think I use to be afraid to climb things when I was a human,) I laughed to myself grabbing the grate and pulling myself in despite the tight squeeze, living bits of fur, muscle and blood along it in the process.

(You guys so owe me for this,) running down the vent only to stop as I hit face first into something. I didn't mean that in a I didn't see it when I hit it, I just flat out didn't know what it was because there was nothing there. Creeping forward, the mouse in me a little freaked out not understanding any more than the human side of my mind did. Moving forward I hit it with my nose again and started to put it together, who ever had designed this thing had put something in the way to keep things out of this section of the vents. (Well nothing like having my hands tied,) hitting the unseen wall with my nose again, (looks like I get to have some fun after all,) turning around and slipping out the vent and spotting a few guards running at me. (Of course it would have to setoff a silent alarm wouldn't it.)

Someone once said when all your options are removed do what comes naturally, I don't know who said it, chances are I was miss quoting, but it was something I lived by. I demorphed fast and flapped as the people started firing at me which put me in a real foul mood. There's a time subtlety, a time for talk, a time for intimidation, then there's the point when you want to rip the crap out of things and not care, they all pretty much guessed what stage I was at pretty quick when I jumped into the middle of them and after a few seconds they started flying back as a white tiger forced his way out.

A few of the people had brains in their head and started running when they say me, obviously being paid enough to deal with the likes of me. Others stood in stunned silence, not that I blamed them, a hawk turning into a cat would scare just about anyone. A hand full of others however were either really committed to the job, crazy, or were operating on automatic because they kept firing at me. A few bullets ripped though my body painting my white and black fur red, others hit me with stun guns, hitting a tiger with stun gun is about as useful as hitting a tiger with a stick, and by useful I mean wants to makes them rip something throat out.

I gut checked one into a wall so hard he started coughing up blood, I did feel bad but I didn't have time to think about it. I let out a roar coming off him that stunned the others for a second, the sound triggering something primal in their minds, a common reactions by all primates. I dove in grabbed the female guard, not that you could tell by looking with all the gear on her, by the leg with my teeth and ripped her from the ground letting her hit with a thud. I wasn't hard enough to kill her but I could tell she might not move for a little while and just to ensure it I bit down a little on her, not enough to break anything but enough toe crack the layer of protection and give her some real pain if she tried to move on it. The third I just flat out pounced on driving him to the ground and taking the wind out of him without much trouble. The forth and final one I just hit with my paw, claws in of course, the giant appendage connecting with the side of his head and driving him to the ground, I kinda hoped I hadn't just given him brain damage. All total the fight had only taken a few seconds, human skill just not enough to take on raw primal instinct and power.

(Now to get in,) feeling the wounds starting to take effect on me but not enough to stop me, (question is how do I do that.) I padded up to the door, I knew I had a ticking clock over my head, any second now I could have company so I had to work fast. Turning around I walked over to the one I'd jumped on him, (I don't want to hurt you,) speaking into his mind, (but I will if I have to,) putting my paw over his throat. (This is how things are going to go I'm going to get off you, your going to walk over and open that door for me, this is nonnegotiable you'll do it or I will take your arm off, try and run and you won't get very far,) smiling down at him.

He grunted something which I assumed was a yes and I moved my paw off him, for a second I could tell by his scent he was thinking about shooting me but in the end self-preservation won out and moved over and swiped his card over a read and the door hissed open, "please don't kill me," he whimpered looking down at me by his side. By his smell I knew he was very sincerer in his desire to live and very close to wetting his pants.

(Don't intend to, now keep everyone one back and no one will get hurt, at least by me, got it.)

"Yes," nodding.

(An tell your friends I'm sorry about all this, I'm just trying to get a job done,) walking in the room, the various scientists scattered to various corners and away form me obviously having heard what was going on. Unfortunately the guard behind me decided to be brave and stupid, I could hear him reach for his gun and that couldn't happen. I kicked back with a hind leg right into his crotch and dropped him on the spot, getting more than a few ooh's, aww's a ooouu's from the people watching. (Told you to be smart but you wouldn't listen,) my tail swinging back and forth, I had 'happy tail' as some called it, not that I was proad of it. I walked over to the various machines the diagram Tucker had shown me enough to figure out what I was after.

(Now where is that generator,) looking around and keeping the thought to myself and finding it, (so big or small. Small's been working for me so far but at this point I thing big might be the way to go.) Padding up to the equipment and trying to figure out where things should be inside the machine from the pictures. (Ok that's the control panel,) looking at the section with the key board and levers, (so there,) looking up and to the left at a white panel with a few blinking lights, (should be where the instructions are routed.) Look past the section and continuing on, (can't touch any of this,) I wasn't sure what it did but Tucker had harped about not touching it, finally stopping at what I hoped was the right place, a large round protrusion sticking out of the wall. (That should be the power source for this thing,) looking straight up, (which means the relays to the device should be right about there,) looking at a section leading to the ceiling about a good deal above us. (Figures this couldn't be easy,) shaking my head, (who places something like that up there, that's gotta be murder to fix.)

I laughed a little at that, (yep fixing it is going to be hard…er,) jumping to the protrusion on the wall about ten feet above me. Turning around as only a cat can do on such a small space I leapt again, legs out stretched, claws out and a roar slipping from my maw.

"DON'T," a few people below me yelled, not that I cared, and quite frankly I couldn't stop myself if I wanted to.

(COME TO DADDY,) slashing my front claws onto the machine for a second doing little more than sending off sparks as I fell from the contact, then finally biting in and holding me there. (Your kidding me,) holding on and looking up, (I'm a five hundred cat, how can this thing not be….,) my thoughts stopping as I felt and heard things start to snap, the creak of metal starting to fill the room. (Ok it just took a second,) watching sparks start to shoot out as a gap grew in the metal, (I wonder how much this is going hurt?) The second the thought came out the entire chunk of hardware came loose and I found out as it landed on my chest, parts stabbing though my body, some part stabbed right through my leg and pinned me to the ground issuing a roar of pain from the cat as the instincts flared and struggled to get me free.

"SOMEBODY HELP!" one of the scientists roared, from my spot I could see several running towards the door and the downed guards.

(Great don't help the rare endangered tiger or anything, jerks.) Snarling I tried to move the shield generator off me with little effect, as strong as I was it just weighed to much for me to push away with only three limbs. (Wow this really is like old times, I'm trapped, people are shooting, lives depend on me, me life sucks I want someone else's.)

For a little while I just laid there I wasn't sure if Danny and Tucker were in yet, which meant I had to do something as much as I hated the idea of moving. Between the blood loss and the crushed bones I knew I had to do something soon, didn't mean I had to like it because if I didn't do this right I was pretty sure my wing would still be pinned down. (Here goes nothing,) demorphing and trying to control what I was doing when it came to the pinned leg, forcing it to shrink faster than the rest of my body, the metal ripping through it as I did and knitting together in the process, to say it hurt was an understatement, even with the sensation killing aspects of the morphing power I could still feel it.

After a few seconds I was a bird again and managed to claw my way out of the rubble, (well that didn't hurt at all,) looking back at a trail of feathers and blood, (no one should ever see this much of their own blood an still be alive.) Off in the distance I could hear people running up, more than likely more guards which meant I had to figure out what to become fast. (High ceilings, wide halls, mass chaos, people shooting at me, and the need for a signal,) looking at my reflection in a chrome panel, (yeah that'll work,) starting to morph as the guards drew closer, their voices becoming clear.

"REPORTS SAY IT'S A CAT-BIRD-LIZARD THING SO BE ON YOUR GUARD!"

"YES SIR!" the voices ringing down the hall, or did to me now. A few seconds later I saw them, and they saw me, and that was enough for most of them. "RUN AWAY!"

(GET BACK HERE JUMBO WANTS TO HAVE FUN!) I roared into their minds and released a roar from my mouth and tore after them as an elephant, my foot steps ringing down the hall. The ceiling were a little smaller than I thought, my back scraping the top, but it was enough for me to pick up some real speed as I charged them, they were a little blurry but I could still see them and was able to avoid crushing them as they dove away from me and into, wherever they were, how was I suppose to know I'm a freak of nature not a mind reader.

* * *

**DP Style**

"How long is this going to take, you sure he can do this?"

Danny just rolled his eyes at his friend, "relax Tuck he'll get it done," sitting on the grass in front of his friend and looking on Axion for a sign.

"How can you say that, by alright he should've done something by now."

"Because I know him," looking up at his friend, "over the last few weeks I've really gotten to understand him and if he says he'll do something he'll do it, just wait and watch. And what's your deal with him anyway, you've been riding him kinda hard today."

"Aren't we not suppose to be liking him and finding ways of getting him away from your sister?"

"Come on Tucker that was a while back, besides if you get to know him, I mean really get to know him, you'll find he's not that bad. In a lot of ways he's just like us, ok he's a little crazy, but so are we, but when you get down to it he's pretty cool. I'm telling you if you sit down and talk with him you'll find something you both like, if nothing else you need to here about the things this guys eats. You think you have an all meat diet you don't even come close to this guy, he's eaten things from other planets, he eats things raw, while they're still moving," shaking at the thought of the story. "Ok yes it's really kinda creepy but it works when he talks about it it really doesn't seem like that."

Leaning against a tree, "he doesn't understand computers, doesn't like video games, and he refuses to let us have the greatest chair in history, I'll never have anything in common with this guy…EVER."

"I'm pretty sure I said something like that to you about all of my sisters boy friends when you tried to explain that was a natural part of been a brother, which is weird since you're an only child."

"I still stand by that, and I'm never going to have anything to say to that….," his words stopping as the Axion building shook slightly and sent up a small cloud of dust.

"And that would be him now," Danny laughed lightly and stood up.

"That's the signal a little shake of the building?"

Looking at his friend while he changed, "that's also a really big building Tuck, a lot of force has to go into doing something like that." After he said it the building shook again, this time a section of wall coming loose as Tobias in elephant mode tore out of the structure while blasts of energy flew past him. "Ok how's that for a signal?"

"That's a good signal, that's a really good signal."

"And now it's time to go to work," grabbing his friend and flying towards the building while going invisible, and intangible and flying though the wall.

(Watch your back in there, everyone's a little stirred up for some reason,) Tobias blasted into their minds having heard them as they flew by. (And don't worry I'm going to keep there attention for a while,) charging back into the building and making the attackers dive and run for cover.

"NO ONE SAID WE'D BE FIGHTING ELEPHANTS," someone yelled from with in, "KEEP YOUR MONEY I QUIT!"

"Well he's having fun," Danny laughed as they whipped through the halls, only to stop rather violently and looked straight ahead of him.

Tucker looked up still tapping on his PDA, "what's wrong, we got a problem, the bird screw up on us?"

"No but this is looking like a worse idea all the time."

"Meaning," looking from his friend to where his eyes where, "ok this is really creepy."

"Beyond words," looking a large portrait of Vlad Masters, "things are just getting weirder are weirder, I'm really starting to get a stalker vibe here."

"You might want to save it for later," looking back at the directions, "we have bigger problems than him right now."

"You do know where we're going right?"

Tucker was tapping on his PDA, "the communication's array should be up three floors and…..," looking around, "behind us."

"You really have no clue where we're going do you?"

"I do to, now get moving I want to get that spaceship before the elephant gets us…….wow I never thought I'd say that."

"It'd be scarier if you thought you had," the pair flying up through the rooms on the way, a few seconds later heading in the right direction.

"Wait sorry," tapping on the machine, "I'm reading this wrong, it's one floor below us and that way," pointing right.

"This is the last time I ask you for directions," changing course and eventually finding the right room, "so this is it?"

"What the blue prints say," letting go of his friend and moving over to the console, "this is…wow…this is a mark five Daxrok transmitter, this thing is cutting edge, I didn't even know they were out, I heard they were only makes ten of these."

"So it's good?"

"Good," looking back as his friend while stroking the transmitter, "you can contact mars with this thing and communicate with only a thirty minute time delay, of course that's why they only make ten of them, the parts and power source are really rare and hard to make. The double matrix reverse coorditron alone can take almost three years to make."

"Lets pretend I know what your talking about for a second, does that mean you can work this thing?"

"I have no idea," sitting down in the chair, "didn't you just hear me I didn't know they actually made these things." Pulling out his PDA he interfaced with the device while the room around them shook violently and someone screamed.

"If Valerie wasn't mad at him before she's going to be now, well at least I'll have someone to run away form her with."

"I'd be more worried about him killing someone than her right now," tapping the PDA's screen, then looking at the transmitter and back again, "I love this thing."

Danny floated over to him and looked over his shoulder, "what?"

"I'm in, more than that, I have access to everything, you name it I can do it, these upgrades are amazing."

"Ok be amazed on your own time, find Technus and send the message."

"Ok part one's not a problem, I know the signature and the system has already found it, question is what message do we send to get him down."

Putting his hands on his friends shoulder and patting them hard, "make something up tech guru, anything you say is as good as anything we could come up with."

"What a minute," looking up to meet his friends gaze, "that's the plan? That is the whole plan, tell me you have something better than this in the works."

"I got nothing so send the message."

Looking back at the machine, "I'm working with mad men."

"Your just figuring that out now," looking down at his friend and shaking his head in amusement the room shaking again as the fight below them raged. "How there's something left of this place by the times he's done."

As soon as he said it he wished he hadn't as the room shook and the sound of tearing metal filled their ears and a hole bulge in lower corner of the room. After a moment the protrusion gave way to a hole and gray and red skin, Tobias head slowly being forced through the wall.

"Well this can't be good," Tucker's mind off talking to Technus now.

(You have no idea,) his thoughts hitting them, (you said they had a security system you didn't mention giant freaking robots!)

They both did a double take at that, "hudda whadda huh?" Tucker got out looking at the bloody gray skin.

"I'll check," Danny going intangible and flying through the floor and getting a nasty surprise as he flew through Tobias body and watched the elephant get torn away from the wall from with in. When the bulk was finally moved he was greeted by what looked like bad knock offs of the Ecto-Skeleton in blue and white. "Going to have to talk to them about this," he hissed to himself and moved over to Tobias who had landed face first into a wall. "You ok," keeping his voice low to avoid the humans in the suits from hearing him.

(I'm just ducky, you done yet?)

"We're working on it."

(WORK FASTER,) screaming into the half ghost's mind and staggering to his feet and looking at the guards with his dull eyes. Danny could now see the blood opening flowing from his right side, nearly becoming the only color on that side of his body.

"On it," flying back to Tucker, grateful the suit apparently didn't have a ghost detection system or weren't active. Flying back up into the room with Tucker, "ok new plan, I don't care what you tell him but you have to do it in thirteen seconds."

"That's not enough time."

"Eleven seconds and don't care," his eyes lighting up with energy.

"Crap," turning in his chair and looking at his PDA, "um…well….you," speaking into the microphone, "Danny Phantom says Technus is a big loser and couldn't figure make an full yield electron destabilizer with four hands and a schematic!"

Danny just stared at him with his mouth open "what was that?"

Shrugging, "sorry I chocked," giving him a goofy grin.

Danny moved like he wanted to yell or scream at Tucker but another room shaking scream of pain from Tobias, that was all the more impressive given the confinement, silenced his anger. "It's going to have to do, we are out of time," grabbing his friend and flying over to the, "if you can hear me bird you can stay and fight but we're getting out of here!"

(I'm bleeding and beaten, but with ears like these I'm far from deaf I already heard you, and Danny's right you could've come up with a better message than that. I'll see you on the outside, I'm going creative on these guys.)

"If the elephant says he can get out of it it's good enough for me, time to fly," shooting through the ceiling and pulling his friend along for the ride.

"I'll give him this, the guys got guts," Tucker barked phasing through floors.

"The scary part is I know he'll get out of that," Danny shooting back into the sun and letting it warm him and flying back to the spot were they'd been waiting for the birds signal, "the question here is when will he come out, and in what shape."

"Shape as in hurt or shape as in body?" Danny just glared at him when he said it.

Tobias meanwhile was having his own problems against the two exo-armor's, the suits not letting him leave or lightening up. (Come on guys how to you expect to beat me,) keeping his thoughts to himself rather than give them anything for identification purposes. The pair weren't as big as he was but they both had weapons attached to their arms that had cut through his body easily.

Moving as one they struck, each punching Tobias in the face, one of the blows taking off a tusk in the process. Landing one fired off a blast into his body while the other shot forward thanks to jets on his boots the delivered a knee to the beast's head, the combined impacts flipping him and making him crash down on the ground again.

(Ok, you two are pretty good at this, but tell me have you seen this trick,) snagging a chuck of hardware from the ground with his truck and hurling it at them. The second he let go he started running away from them, and doing his best to crush anything in his way under his feet, (when an elephant runs you don't get in the way.) Even without his ears he could hear them behind him, the jets having a distinctive sound, and knew he only had a few seconds to pull something off before it was to late. Unfortunatly he'd done a good job of making swiss cheese out of the building so anything big enough for him to use or hide behind, was out of the question.

Looking ahead he tried to put on the breaks as half a dozen guards moved out from their spots on the walls and started firing at him. At his size stopping wasn't an easy thing to do , especially with his instincts screaming to run as fast as he could at full blast, never the less he tired, but his feet not grabbing much traction on the floors. With a grunt and a stomp he managed to grab onto an exposed pipe with his trunk and slow down slightly, that tiny shift in speed enough to give him the necessary momentum shift to stop abruptly. The stop itself was just what he needed as the pursuing guards in armor slammed into his butt not ready for the bulk to simply stop like that, the impact from them however was enough to Tobias lunge forward and collapse onto the attackers in front of him. Well almost, the sight of an elephant not in control was enough to make them run back.

(Well not my finest hour, but I've had worse moments,) demorphing, more than a little glad to be rid of the bulk, and the wounds. With the holes in the building there was more than enough air to get air born not to mention ways out and he was able to find Danny and Tucker a few moments later. (Please tell me he's going to come because I really hate to think I went through all that for nothing.)

"Won't know till he gets here, although I do wonder where the girls are right now, and why they have Ecto-Skeletons," the half ghost folding his arms and thinking back, really not liking where this was going. "Why on Earth did my parents or worse yet Vlad give them those things?"

"One problem at a time here, he can worry about your crazy stalker later," Tucker growled looking from Axion to the sky and back again. "For that matter can we put some distance between us and them, if they are carrying those things now I don't want to be in the line of fire, I got enough of those when I say you in one."

(Whoa wait you know those things?)

"My parents made those things, or at least the prototype, but Vlad's suppose to have that thing now not them."

"Probably gave them the schematic when he bought the place," Tucker looking at his PDA.

Both looking at him, "what….when?"

"A while back, after the Pariah Dark incident if I'm remembering the dates right, Axion is a subsidiary of Vald's empire."

(Great the mind manipulating psychopath now has a legitimate financial excuse to come here, I have got to move to another state,) his head snapping around, (and sooner than expected, we have company and I don't think they're happy with me.) Spreading his wings he started flying away from Danny his ears and eye having detected what the others had yet to, the twin armored guards coming their way from the sky.

"What's up with him?" Tucker watching him leave.

"Got me," his mind changing as soon as the first shots were fired in his direction.

(Remember what I said about needing to leave?) Danny didn't bother responding and reached out and grabbed his friend while flying away as fast as he could, catching up to the bird after a few seconds.

"You coulda warned as about them!"

Looking back at the pursuers, (I figured you'd get it after a second,) shifting his wings and heading into the head wind and away from Danny, a moment later grabbing a thermal and shooting higher into the sky. Behind them the pair split up, one after Tobias the other heading right for Danny. (Crap I was hoping they'd leave me alone if I gave them a better target.)

"WHAT!" looking up at him, "OH THAT'S IT YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!"

(Technically I already am,) flapping away from him but only making it a few feet slamming beak first into something in the sky and falling back. (That hurts,) falling back and righting himself after a second.

Above him the possessed bug fighter appeared in the sky now a mix of black, green, gray and red. The appearance also halted the guards that were coming at them as they stared at the sight unsure what to make of it. The ship itself shifted at the cockpit forming a face that glared at the assembled, "I AM TECHMUS MASTER OF TECHNOLOGY, LORD OF ALL THINGS GLOWING, GRAND PUBA OF LIGHT BULBS, AND EXHALTED LORD OF SPACE. NOW WHERE IS HE HOW WOULD DARE CALL ME A LOSER UNABLE TO DO THE SIMPLEST OF ACTS!"

(I'll give him this he knows how to make an entrance.)

"Not the time for this bird," Danny shooting down out of the way and letting go of Tucker, "ok I don't care where you go just don't be here right now."

Looking from Danny to the assembled in the sky, "I don't think that's going to be a problem."

Ignoring his friend the halfa short back into the sky, "I'm over here Technus, now lets make this fair…"

(Yeah that's going to work.)

Ignoring the bird's comment "…get out of that thing and face me like a….," stopping as the guards began to open fire of the ship. Looking over at Tobias, "see they know how to help."

(Bite me,) watching the people in suits go after someone other than his feathered body.

The face on the ship started laughing while they struck, their blasts bouncing off, unable to penetrate the shield, "foolish humans, your inferior primitive battle suits can not harm me now, for I Technus, lord of sparking doodads and transistors, am above them now." If they heard him they didn't let it phase them and continued firing, "I SAID STOP IT!" yelling at them. After a moment the underside of the ship began glowing and twin black cables ending in large claws shot out and grabbed them and pulled them into the ship past the shield.

Tobias looked from Danny, meeting his gaze as the half ghost did the same, to the ship, (yeah they were a lot help, got anything else stored away?)

"Not the time bird," Danny beginning to float back only to stop as the same spot that had just absorbed the people into Technus opened up again and spit out the two pilots. "Of course, I couldn't just run," flying over to them and catching them both, "I'm really sorry about all this, really I am."

"My contract said I'd be protecting the premises from humans and ghosts, not animals and whatever that thing is," one sighed.

"Actually that's a ghost," looking up as the spears under the ship began to glow red, "and this is going to hurt.

(Back off chrome doom,) the bird flying at the ship and flapping in front of the face and clawing at it.

"ACK GET AWAY CREATURE OF FLESH AND NOT METAL, I CAN'T SEE!" As he said it the weapon moved forward and swatted him away.

(Kinda the point you over grown toaster.) regaining his balance and letting out a hawk's cry and flying back knowing he couldn't win the fight but he could buy Danny some time to get the pilots to safety.

Down on the ground Danny dropped them off, "my buddy can't do this for very long so start running your not a match for this guy not now."

"But why?" one of them looking at him.

"I'm the hero in these parts it comes with the job."

"But that thing," looking at Tobias the other one said.

Flying back towards the bird, "it's complicated but he was trying to help even if he didn't go about it the right way."

(What you knew how I'd handle it,) snapping solely in Danny's mind.

His hands igniting in swirling energy like early that day, "not the time or the place for this conversation," thrusting a hand out and firing off the entire blast, a swirling arcing wave colliding with the face on the ship, just under the attacking bird, the shield keeping it form doing any good. "Time to motor," turning tail and flying Tobias drafting in his wake.

(So any ideas how to stop this thing yet,) picking up the not so subtle sounds of Technus on their tail.

"Still working on it."

(Wonderful this is like old times, half backed plans, running for my life against a superior opponent, certain death on the horizon, we even have the right kinda ship chasing us.)

Glancing back at him, "not the time, not the place and it's not like you were coming up with any better plans Mr. Experience."

(And people yelling at me, this is like old times, you forget just how much fun this is when it's not around anymore!)

"FUN, THIS IS FUN FOR YOU, YOU REALLY ARE INSANE!"

(Your just now figuring that out,) looking ahead, (and looks like we have more company, and this time it's good.)

Danny looked ahead but could make anything out, "what?"

(Who do you think, claws and whip are on their ways, maybe half a minute we if stay like this.)

"Claw and whip?"

(Well would should I call them?)

"Good point," pouring on the speed finally seeing them off in the distance, "I really need to get your eyes."

(Trust me that's not all you need,) shifting his wings and breaking away from the ghost and jumping ahead of him. Focusing on the two coming towards him, (if you can't see him know we got problems, this guy can eats technology, Sam you might want to stay at a distance and watch out of the claws.)

"He thinks I'm an idiot doesn't he?" the masked goth looking at the bird on her left while trying to stay balanced on the hover board things still a little shaky for her.

(Doubt it,) moving closer, her eyes letting her see what Tobias had seen clearer than Sam, (I don't think we really went over him, lets face it I didn't really know about him. He's pretty much just trying to offer advice and at thins point anything is a good idea.)

"Maybe," pulling her gun and charging it for full power, a soft red glow coming off the black metal, and adjusting for a tighter beam in the hopes of penetrating the ship, "doesn't mean I have to like it."

(Birdie you seeing this?)

(You mean Sam pointing a gun at my head?)

(Exactly,) keeping her eyes on him but turning her thoughts to Sam, (shoot'um.)

Across from them Tobias heard as well and had already warned Danny what was coming and to follow him. The second he say the flash he dove, Danny with him, the shot just missing his ghost tail and nailing Technus square in the face (Tell me that did something,) looking back and watching as Technus shook off the blast without any kind of damage.

"Well look at it this way," Danny's voice weary, "if we ever get that back we won't have to worry about anyone hurting us."

(Assuming that thing doesn't kill us first,) heading towards a small grove of trees and landing, (don't follow me see if you can get him away from here, I got an idea, I don't think it'll work but at the moment I'm useless in the fight.)

"Right I'll…"

(DANNY,) cutting him off, (me hiding does work if you stare at me.)

Floating back, "right sorry," and heading back at the ship, he wasn't sure what the bird had in mind but he was up for anything at that point, his hands lighting up again, Sam and his sister meeting him as he rose up. "Don't care what you do just hit him," aiming an arm and firing off the wave of energy that had grown around on.

"It's plans like this that make me wonder why your still a C student," Sam altering the setting on her weapon and firing again.

"I know I should be getting higher grades."

(I think she meant the fact your not bringing F's home,) the falcon flying up over them and away from the fight to get a better view.

"Well maybe if people would help me instead of telling me what I keep doing wrong," he hissed firing off another blast of energy.

"Sorry not an option," Sam zooming up and firing off a salvo, her blast firing off in all directions along Technus shield and making it glow from the various contact points. "Lets try something else," adjusting the beam till it was more of a fine laser and pointing it at the ghost, the red beam having no real effect again, "this is not working well."

"You just have to be a little more creative," Danny shooting forward and waving his hand in front of him creating a ghost shield in front of himself. He forced as much energy into the construct as he could Technus cannons glowing brightly and firing, the shield taking a glancing blow from the hit but not collapsing. Hitting the front of the ship head on he skimmed along the shield, rather than breaking it or bouncing off. Stabilizing his flight he managed to stop midway along the top of the vessel his eyes glowing and punching down, his hand igniting in swirling energy only to once more have his strike bounce off. "What does it take to get through this thing?"

"More than you can generate child," a tendril forming and firing out of the back of the ship and whipping around Danny and holding him in place.

"You really think this is go…," screaming out as an ecto charge shot through his body.

Above her Jazz was seeing everything and guiding Sam as best she could, (take the shot I'm not sure Danny can take many more of those.)

"Give me a second," taking aim, the tendril continuously moving around and keeping her from finding an angle that wouldn't result in Danny being hit as well. "Forget it, sorry about this," squeezing the trigger a red beam leaping from the weapon and slicing right though the black metal tentacle and freeing Danny. "Ok what happened to this not working?" As she said it Danny slid off the ship and managed to regain his control and float to the ground for a moment, his ability top maintain his ghost form fluctuating.

(I don't know maybe the shield doesn't extend to those things?)

"Lets go with that," firing off a few more shots on the tendril and where it attached to the ship the blasts piercing the hull for the first few shots but ceased when the tendril was finally reabsorbed back into the ship. "Well at least we know we can hit him now."

(Question is how do we keep getting him to open those holes up, he can't be stupid enough to not figure out that's a weak point.)

"You really don't know Technus do you," looking over at him, "HEY WHO ARE YOU?"

Without missing a beat he roared out "I AM TECHNUS MASTER OF MULTITASKING, WIZARD OF WIRES, PRINCE OF POWER OURPUT!"

"See," Sam grinning from the inside of her mask.

(Good point,) flapping up, trying to figure out how to deal with the machine ghost and get him to send out more wires.

On the ground Danny was staring up at the ghost, his powers finally stabilizing enough to be useful again, "we really need a better plan here."

(Danny,) Tobias' thoughts hitting his mind, (your going to want to move about forty feet in any direction, and I mean now.)

"Why," looking around growing nervous at the unsaid plan.

(You'll know when you see it, so will every body else from that matter,) flapping a few hundred feet above them all, navigating the violent winds of that height, and trying to figure out the angle to strike and where Technus might try and move to, assuming his confidence even let him move. That was the key here if he missed he was going to miss big and recovery time was not a possibility, but it would be a great show even for Amity Park. (Aw well lets do it.)

Diving down, wings folded against his body to build speed, tail flared to control the tiny adjustments of the fall, the ship growing larger by the second while he time out the strike. From where he was he could see Sam still firing away , but thankfully she'd also heard him and had moved away from the ship along with Jazz, the last thing he wanted was to bring them into this. When he was what he thought was the right point the flared his wings, the winds and velocity of the fall fighting him and ripping off feathers and breaking a few bones in his wings not that it mattered his position where he hoped it would be and morphed, calling on an older form, one he rarely had use for, and was totally useless in the air. His body grew, gaining weight and length by the second, his body speeding up as he did so and at the same time losing control of the fall. Feathers sucked into his body, legs melted into his body, eyes lost their focus, and the weight just continued to increase at a frightening degree.

(Twelve Mississippi, thirteen Mississippi, fourteen Mississippi,) counting off the seconds trying to figure out just how far along he was at what he hoped was the half way point of the morph.

From below Danny just stood there in shock, an idea of what was happening but it didn't change what he was seeing, a bulging mass of gray falling from the sky a giant shadow forming and indicating where he would land, and at the moment that was dead on top of Technus. "I really hope Tuck's somewhere and recording this."

"This going to hurt," Sam having a better few than Danny and knowing how just how bad this really would be if it worked, and how bad if it didn't. Adjusting her gun she fired off a wide swath of flares in his direction determined to blind the ghost ship as long as she could. On the ground Danny saw what she was doing and came out of his daze and followed her lead, forming a ball of ectoplasm in his hand and lifting it into the air. Controlling it mentally it slowly started to glow and pulsate, the light growing brighter and dimmer in succession quickly, after a second hitting a light range that made everything seem like they'd hooked strobe up to a light house.

"AAHH STOP THAT," the ship rearing up, blinded by the light, relying more on his eyes than his instruments and seeing metal stars and robotic birds, and a sperm whale, a non metal one with a few tuffs of feathers. "That's different," his lat words as a nearly sixty foot, fifty ton sky whale came down on him with a belly flop.

(For any who still care you need to run,) Tobias mental thoughts still surprisingly calm despite hitting the ship and bring it down under his bulk. A combination of surprise, blindness, time, and still not having total control over the ship prevented Technus from putting up much of a fight as he has crushed into the ground under one of the largest creatures on Earth, one that was totally out of place on land.

"Oh yeah, we really needed to record this," Danny zipping out of the way as the ship and whale hit the ground, slightly amazed he'd done that, and even more that is had worked and brought the ghost down. The amazement was later replaced but disgust as Tobias burst open, a combination of the ship and the fall, spraying blood, skin, and bits of internal organ all around the area, a large mass ending up covering Danny. "Well the next horror movie I see going to seem pretty tame now," going in tangible and letting the bodily mass fall off him, "and if this job didn't traumatize me before it has now."

(BIRDIE,) Jazz screamed from above and dove down next to him, the elder teen close to terrified that he'd done something he couldn't recover from, the sight from above more horrendous than the one from ground level, some of the organs coming close to hitting Axion.

(You know the scary part of this,) he groaned, the landing taking a lot out of him, not quite knocking him out but enough to keep him from moving or thinking about morphing. (Cassie was the first person to think of doing this trick, of course she landed IN WATER!)

"He's complaining he must be ok," Danny coughed trying not to loose his lunch as he flew up to meet Sam, who was in the same boat.

"If there was ever a doubt about me being a vegetarian before there isn't one now," pulling her hand away from her mouth, her mask up in case she hadn't held it in. "Well at least it worked, and my parents can afford therapy."

"That's kinda what I said," hovering next to her, more than a little glad it was over, "really a shame that I lost my ship, at least I got to go into space once in my life, I would've preferred more but that's more than most people normally get."

"Truer words," holstering her weapon, pulling her mask down not wanting to show her own disappointment as not being able to see the stars. That feeling didn't last long as the whale began to shake and jolt, a blast of red energy firing out of his head after a moment.

(AAAHHHGGGGGAAAAAAAA,) Tobias screaming into their minds while screaming an alien sound from his mouth, a whales call of pain that shouldn't have been heard anywhere near land or humans, the shot blasting through a good chunk of his nerve impulses.

(This can't be a good thing.)

"That's why your the smart on in the family sis," Danny hissed darkly, gearing back up for combat, "figures that was to good to be true." From where he was he could see Tobias shimmy and shake then finally lift into the air a sparking Technus under him, bits of metal and circuitry falling off him.

"Do you really think you can beat me creature of flesh, your pathetic organic tricks are no match for me and my metal might." Snarling a blast of white noise and what sounded like a dial up signal, tendrils shot back out of the bottom of the ship and absorbed the fallen bits back into the vessel. "BEHOLD THE TRUE MIGHT OF TECHNUS HIGH LORD OF THE GREATEST MACHINE ON EARTH OR THE GHOST ZONE!"

Sam's voice taking on a sing song quality, "I'm not liking the look of this."

Answering her back in a similar, but mocking, tone, (no kidding.)

From where he was under the remains of the whale Tobias had become multiple tendrils shot out and began wrapping around his bulk, one wave after another. After a moment they began to glow and melt into each other, dozens of smaller coils becoming two large ones that quickly took on definition, two arms taking their place. The razor tipped fingers cut into the whales flesh and slowly lifting up his bulk and with a groan of more static hurled him off his chassis and onto the ground, the sea mammal making the ground shake and caused him to lose more blood and organs. The possessed bug fighter now had large arms falling from the side, each looking like it could tear a building apart with one swipe. The arms quickly took on a glow that spread to the rest of the ship, panels began shifting, cracks appearing the in formerly smooth hull and all the humans could do was watch in amazement and a tiny bit of fear.

"Well this day just gets weirder and weirder," Danny sighed, his hands lighting up and watching the hull of the bug fighter's cock pit fold down the ship now looking like a human torso. "And that just abut tops it off," shaking his head, "I swear I saw something like this before."

(Before your time,) Tobias told him beginning to demorph, his eyes the first to come back, (transforming robots aren't new, but he could do with a head.) As he said it a metal equivalent of Technus head complete with white metal hair shot up, (there it is, no legs though.) That was true, where his legs should've been was simply the thrusters of the ship, the section keeping him high in the sky, after a moment two metal tendrils shot out of his back, each ending with three claws.

"BEHOLD MY BRILLIANCE AND BOW BEFORE YOUR METAL LORD FOR I AM MECHA TECHMUS ROBOT LORD, VIZIER OF FLYING, AND HIGH KING OF….UM….SPARKY THINGS," aiming an arm, the tip of the dracon cannon appearing on each forearm and firing off the twin blasts one at Danny and the other at Sam, both moving out of the path at the last moment.

(I think we're in a whole new ballgame here folk,) Jazz snapped moving away from them the plan that was appearing in her mind still feasible just more complicated.

"Really whatever gave you that idea," her brother growled looking at the robotic representation of his enemy and hoping he wasn't going to get taken out by Technus of all ghosts and firing off a blast of ectoplasm at the ghost only to have it bounce off him.

"Foolish ghost child, I am now invincible nothing your feeble fleshy brain can now come close to stopping me." Using is jets he shot forwards and back handed Danny into a tree and laughed at his victory.

From above Sam fired off salvos from her gun blasting off one of the tendrils on his back, only to have it reform while the second shot after her, seemingly having a mind of it's own as it snapped and grabbed for her. "I really need more practice with this thing," Sam dodging and weaving on the hover board, grinding it along the metal coil and trying to keep from getting grabbed by it, firing blasts from the board and trying to cut the twin demons away from her only to have them regrow or mend as soon as she did. "Now I know how Hercules felt when he fought the hydra," she hissed to herself, thinking back to the old tail, the parallels frightening, glad the coils didn't share the mythological beasts ability to double from a wound.

"Hold still human female," moving his arm and firing off a dracon blast that just missed her shoulder as she pulled the tip of board up with her hand, however it did cut through the front of the board and killed it's ability to control it's flight. Laughing Technus shot out his tendrils, one grabbing the board while the other held Sam and tore her off it and flung her back. "Interesting," bring the board closer, his eyes lighting up with lines of orange code as he scanned the vehicle, "human in design, but with ghost technology traits, not as advanced as I am but worth examining," sucking the board into his body.

Sam mean while continued to fall without her board and pulled out her whip the black metal lighting up blue as she lashed it out and snagged a tree branch and pulled herself close and controlling the fall. After a moment she arced around the tree and landed on the ground with a small thud, not slowing down as much as she wished. "Anything you can walk away from," flicking the whip, the metal coming free and falling down as it was sucked back into the grip.

(Have your guts ripped out then tell me that,) Tobias sighed flapping over to the girl and landing the tree that had saved her life.

"I don't think so," looking up at Danny as he went after Technus, but still speaking to the bird, "you ok after all that?"

(I heal quick, how about you?)

"Just my pride nothing major," glaring up at the metal ghost, he'd taken her board and she had every intention of getting him back, "I was just starting to get good at using that thing to."

(We are so getting out tails handed to us right now aren't we?)

"Oh yeah, this is way beyond normal for us," taking aim with her weapon and firing it off again, the blast still not doing anything to the main body.

Danny mean while was having his own problems as he fired off a another back at Technus, he knew his shots weren't doing much, but at the time it was the only thing he could think of. "Come on man think outside the box," dodging a blast from the ghost but keeping his eyes trained on him, beginning to read the monster, he was slow, his moves slightly labored, as if he wasn't really use to the new form with the sole exception of the tendrils that moved without hesitation or difficulty. "Ok use it, think, what can you pull on this guy to get him off you back?"

"Do whatever you wish ghost child," having heard everything he'd said, "I know everything your capable of there's nothing you can do to stop me, NOTHING, I know I'll your tricks, you will finally be beat be me TECHNUS YOUR GREATEST NEMESIS!"

"You don't even rate a three on the villain scale," shooting forward, Technus hand trying again to swat him away only to miss as Danny shot down out of the way, "and with moves like that your not in going up the chart any time soon."

"Why you," firing off a dracon blast with his other hand, the blast again missing Danny but managing to hit his other arm, the shield still holding off the hit but sent off warning lighting in his head as his power dropped considerably forcing a screaming of rage from the metal incased ghost.

Danny smiled to himself while listening to him yell that strange machine scream knowing he'd hurt him. "What's wrong not so invincible are we?" diving down and hovering around Technus jets.

"I'll show you who's invincible," moving both hands and firing again, once more Danny managed to move past the red energy and fire up, the beams bouncing off the thrusters but again sapping some of his strength and weakening his power reserves. He managed to do that a few more times, getting Technus to fire at him only to shy away at the last moment and letting him hit himself, the ships power slowly but surely weakening with each blast and giving him a better chance of fighting the ghost on equal footing.

"You may be master of technology but you really suck at tag," dropping down as the ghost tried to crush him between his hands and missed again, Danny flying up between his arms to the metal face. Energy flowed into his hand as he looked at the ghost, "let me guess all that software and you have no targeting system," pointing a finger in the ghost's face.

"STOP MOCKING ME!" firing off his more nimble tendrils to grab him and again missed as Danny shot out of the way only this time leaving a surprise for him as he formed a shield around part of his body. When the claws shot through it the shield erupted in a blast of slime that shot into the metal face and blinded him. "GET IT OFF," clawing at the ecto ooze to no avail his sharp claws cutting into his face plate rather than getting it off, his energy dropping further as he attacked his own energy shield. The tendrils flowing around him lost their interest in Danny and trying to pull the blinding mask off as well and doing a better job than the larger hands.

Sighing quietly, but angrily, Danny shot forward reaching for something he wasn't sure he could do but having few others options. Summoning a ball of ectoplasm to his palm he shut his hand trying to fold and manipulate the energy with minor success, the energy simply growing a little longer and harder but Danny hoped it was enough. Moving past the hand and the tentacles to Technus' neck he stabbed the small ecto rod into the shield, at first nothing happened, it didn't bounce off but nor did it penetrate. "Come on," focusing more on controlling the small weapon, the object growing thinner and taking on a slight edge while trying to pump a little more energy into it. Finally after a moment it cut through the shield and stabbed into metal sending sparks shooting out of the circuitry.

"AAARRGGG," swatting the ghost away, the rod still in place, but the strike enough, by sheer luck hitting a relay that connected Technus to his jets. Danny didn't drop far as he regained his balance in the sky and got a good view of machine hitting the ground, sending up a cloud of dust, one of the arms breaking off, his glow growing softer.

"Now that's the Danny I know," Sam pumping a hand into the air and giving a little whistle before regains her composure when she realized Tobias was watching her.

(Don't worry, I didn't see anything oh goth one,) doing a little bow on the tree branch, (and I gotta admit the guy had style.)

"That he does, shame it cost me my board."

(Don't worry, I'll borrow you a new one from Val if you say the word.)

"THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING I'M TECHNUS MASTER OF TECHNOLOGY YOU CANNOT BEAT ME, YOU CAN'T," the ghost screamed from the ground.

"Just shut up," Danny growled floating to the ground and falling to his knees, twin rings forming around him and returning him to his human form, "and with that I'm done let someone else deal with him."

(Your parents.)

"I mean other than them," not looking towards the bird, "they'll make things worse."

(No I mean they're coming, I can hear them from here.)

"Ah crap," getting up and staggering away from Technus and heading towards the trees to at least try and hide till his energy came back out. "Ok he's down, he's out, my parents….well my dad can't possibly ruin this, there is no way to screw it up."

"Thanks giving last year," Sam slipping up beside him and helping the tired boy away, "remember the Fenton Carver? I'm pretty sure turkeys aren't suppose to explode when a knife touches them."

"That wasn't the carvers fault, that was the Fenton Ovens fault, if you can completely cook a frozen turkey for thirteen minutes there are going to be side effects."

"Either way he made it happen," Sam growled setting him down on the grass, "where are they bird….never mind," hearing the rumble of the Fenton RV and the whirr of the Specter Speeder. "If this was for anything other than a giant ghost robot I'd say it was over kill."

(Great more machines just what we needed.)

"Leave it be bird they can handle it," Sam sighed.

He did a double take on her when she said it, (that things eats technology what do you mean they're going to be ok?)

"He's hurt," Danny growled, "he's not going to be able to do anything so just relax." On his perch Tobias growled but watched as the two elder Fenton passed them in their vehicles, each coming to a halt in front of the mutant bug fighter. The RV sat on the ground, weapons pooping out of it while the Speeder hovered in the sky, more weapons popping out.

After a moment Jacks voice came out of the RV, "DON'T MOVE GHOST PUNK GET OUT OF THE HARDWARE KEEP YOUR HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!"

(Subtle as a heart attack.)

"Shut up bird," Sam and Danny speaking as one.

For a moment Technus didn't move his glow growing softer till it was nearly gone, the black color beginning to fade away. Then one of the tendrils began to grow brighter and shot out and grabbed one of the weapons arrays and tearing it off and absorbing it, the glow growing brighter all over the ship.

"NO YOU DON'T," Maddie barked opening fire from the sky but by then it was already to late more of Technus' tentacles firing out and tearing off the equipment from the RV even as it to opened fire on the ghost. After a few seconds more coils fired out and grabbed onto the Speeder and started tearing chunks off of it and integrating them into it's body

(So is now a bad time to say I told you so?)

The pair ignored him as Sam pulled her gun and squeezed off a few shots cutting the tendrils down, albeit to late as the robot lifted back into the air, it's glow coming back as it tore the Fenton RV in half and absorbed the rear section of the vehicle. After a moment a large cannon appeared on Technus shoulder and he fired of a blast that brought the Speeder down as it cut through the back of the ship. With more clawed coils lashing forwards it stripped every weapon off the front of the ship, each system becoming integrated with the ghost.

"YES! THIS POWER IS INCREDIBLE," his metal eyes glowing and sparking, "THIS IS THE ENERGY BOOST I NEEDED AND THE TECHNOLOGY, IT'S PERFECT FOR DEALING WITH ANNOYING LITTLE GHOSTS!" Turning a new cannon growing on the other shoulder and firing off twin blasts of energy at the groove and burning it to the ground with in moment of the blast. "NOW ON TO THE MAIN COURSE," turning and flying in the direction of town, "THE REST OF THIS WONDERFUL GHOST HUNTING TECHNOLOGY!"

"Huh," Jack scratching his head and watching the ghost leave, "I wonder what he's talking about there aren't any other ghost hunts in Amity Park, at least not any other good ones."

"Oh no," Maddie running up next to him, "that thing is going after the Fenton Works," grabbing the man by the shoulders and shaking him, "Jack what if the kids are there they could be killed!"

Those words penetrating the larger orange clad mans head, "no one hurts Jack Fenton's family, especially no ghost punk," charging after Technus.

Still standing there Maddie watch him run off for a few moments, "all those hours on the treadmill have defiantly paid off for him." Finally shaking off her desire to ogle her husband she tore after him determined to save her children.

After she left a head slightly pecked up through the ground, "I thought they'd never leave," Danny, Sam and Tobias slowly rising out of the ground.

(Ok this is going to be a stupid question what happens if he gets to your home and absorbs it?) The pair glaring at him as he said it.

"Can you give us a few minutes to rest here, getting you down and up took almost everything I had left," the half ghost laying down on the ground, a sheen of sweat running down his face.

The hawk didn't bother looking back, (there's a giant robotic monster on the loose because of us and you want to rest, that's not in the cards.)

"Well what else do you expect us to do," Sam hissed leaning on her arms, "we could barley hold off against that thing before, what exactly do you expect us to do now?"

(Same thing we've been doing,) Jazz's thought stopping the argument as she and Tucker came up to them.

"I thought I told you to run," Danny groaned.

"Tried," shrugging and sitting next to his friend, "your sister stopped me she needed to know a few things."

"And I might have a way to beat this thing," demorphing and sitting next to the others.

"How we've been throwing everything we have at it, it doesn't matter what we do her just keeps repairing himself and getting tougher in the process," Danny sighed. "We've blasted it, stabbed it, even crushed the guy but we can't put any kind of dent in him."

"Exactly," pulling him up, "we've been fighting the outside we have to hit the inside."

"And to do that we have to get Technus out and I don't know how to do that, him I can beat no problem, but that ship is to much."

"Your not listening little brother, we literally have to hit the inside," looking back where the ghost had gone, "we have to get inside it and take out the power supply we do that it becomes useless as a host body."

"I'll bite," Sam leaning over, "we're going to do that how, Danny can't phase through that shield and we can't get it down."

"I wasn't talking abut Danny," looking at the bird, "we know the shield doesn't extend to the tentacles he shoots out, or didn't anyway who knows what it does now, if we can break one of those Tobias and I can get in if we go small enough, provided we move fast enough."

(Two problems with that plan…)

Danny cutting him off, "ONLY TWO?"

Ignoring the half ghost, (one you don't have anything that small and two how are we going to find anything in that body when we're that small?)

"Well I already have the blue prints," Tucker lifting his hand and waving the manual Nikki had provided on his PDA. "Turns out if you read this thing there are a lot of options here, I never terminated my access to the ship through it, I could've logged into it at any time, it's not enough to do anything with Technus in it but I can still access the internal memory and that includes the current schematics for the ship."

"Your kidding," Danny looking at him.

"Nope, it's all in here and it's undated every few seconds, so I know what that thing looks like right now."

"And you know how to stop it, preferably without making it explode?"

"Yep," tapping the screen and bringing it up, "at the moment all the power is coming from here, I'm not sure what it is but it think it use to be the generator with the ship, that is till your parents stuff was absorbed into it. Now right here," a section of the schematic jumping up, "now this seems to be the main feed to the master processor, we drop that and the ship stops working, everything will still have power but it won't be able to use it."

"You sure about this?"

"Danny I give you my word this will work."

(Assuming you can give me one reason to go in there.)

"What this might be our only chance and this will work," Tucker defended.

(And I've seen enough movies and TV shows where people go inside other creatures and end up getting attacked by antibodies, organic body, mechanical body, there's always a security system in there that tries to kill the invader, and by that I mean me.)

"Us," Jazz corrected.

(Your in no position to come with me,) looking at her, (you don't have the right bodies, you don't have the time to learn and bottom line…)

"Bottom line is your right this is going to be dangerous and your going to need help, and unless someone else can shrink down that's me."

He growled as best a hawk could but in the end relented, (fine, but if you lose it in there I'm not going to have time to stop you.)

"You won't have to," looking around and getting up heading over to an ant hill.

(What do you think your doing?) watching her flying over getting between her and the mound.

"Getting something small."

(No ants, you do remember what I said about them right? Ants are off limits.)

"Then what do you suggest?"

Flapping up and looking around, looking at every insect he could find before finally spotting something worth wild and diving down and snagging something with his talons and beginning to acquire the DNA to knock it out before flying back to Jazz. (Try this, they're supposedly semi clam and you know how to fight predator instincts.)

Catching the small creature in her hands and looking at it, "what is this?"

(A spider, what does it look like.)

"You sure it's safe, I'm it's not poisoness?"

(Don't know I have no idea what the species is, I just know it's small and that all I care about and if you don't do something with it soon it's going to wake up an run.)

"Fine," acquiring the DNA of the arachnid.

"So that's it," Danny questioned, "Sam's going to blow a hole in that thing, your going to get in and pull the plug?"

"Actually Sam's going to blow a hole in him and your going to drop us in there."

"This plan just gets better and better, I can barely move let alone fly."

(Well last I checked you're the only one that could, I mean if I do it that means she has to go in alone because if I morph in front of him he'll know we're trying something and then the plan goes out the window real quick.)

"Tucker," the half ghost looking over at his friend, "be straight with me, will this work?"

"It'll work I know it, everything's set we just have to get them in and keep Technus distracted."

"And there it is," Sam sighed, "how are we going to do that we barely have anything left to fight with."

"Here," Jazz almost sounding far away then growing more excited, "we have an entire room back home full of weapons, we can keep him distracted for days if we need to."

"Good it may take this long," Tucker tapping his PDA, "this place is practically a maze, I'm trying to plot a fast route but I'm not sure I can."

(Let me look,) Tobias flapping over to him and looking at the image, (ok this is where?)

"Here," the image pulling back to showing where the point was from the outside of the body, in the middle of the back almost two feet in.

(Ok,) closing his eyes, (I think I know a sort cut but it's dangerous.)

"At this point anything works," Jazz sighed looking over Tuckers shoulder, looking at the others, "So we're going to do this?"

"Why not we've come this far," her brother sighed straining to get up.

* * *

**Jazz POV**

We were lucky Technus was taking his time moving through the city, that or he just didn't know where were lived compared to where we'd been. How long we had we weren't sure but it was obvious we were running out of time and so was the city.

(Anymore updates,) I asked still standing on the command center already in spider mode, I had to admit Tobias had been right the body was easier to control than I thought it'd be. The eyes were, insane to put it mildly, two were more or less clear, but the others were weird some saw upside down, others in bizarre colors, some were out of focus, it didn't really make sense. It was also hungry, all the time, it wanted to hunt, and it wanted to do it now, in a lot of ways it was like Sally, a single desire, a desire that could be controlled and directed if you knew how.

"A few but nothing useful," Tucker sighed sitting next to me, his legs hanging off the side. Well I wasn't so much hearing what he was saying as feeling it, it was strange but with birdies help I'd figured out how to translate the vibrations into human speech but I was still a little green.

(I guess that's good,) trying to stay calm, the spider just wanting to run, the eight legs were still a little weird but I was getting use to them and had more or less gotten the balance down with the mind in order to coordinate them even if I still wasn't comfortable using my webbing yet.

I felt the others coming before they spoke, their footsteps making the arachnid a little crazy but nothing I couldn't handle. "Ok," my brothers voice hitting me, "we have his location pinned down thanks to the warning system."

"As apposed to the giant pillar of smoke running through town," Tucker sighed looking out into the city. In that regard he was right, before morphing I'd been able to see it to, a long trail of smoke that was either Technus or an out of control burning car the like of which this city has never seen before.

"Shut up Tuck," even with not really being able to hear I could sense the weariness in his voice, he was close to dropping not that I blamed him, I'd barley done anything and I felt like I was about to drop. The others not in much better condition, even Tucker was mentally drained to the point of not where he could barely keep his eyes open. "So we ready?"

(Ready is a state of mind….and I have no idea where I'm going with this.)

"My sister has nothing to say, ladies and gentlemen it's a sign of the apocalypse."

(Save it for later,) Tobias hissing at him and walking over to me, sending the instincts into a tailspin, on the one hand they were screaming I had a challenger, on the other hand everything coming off it said it was me which was making it nuts. (Right now we have to do something really stupid in a short amount of time and I really don't like the idea of being inside this guy when I'm less than two inches long.) I could sense Tucker wanting o say something but was cut off by birdie, (and if anyone makes the obvious jokes I swear I will poison them and not tell them with what.)

"Threatening someone a few thousand times bigger than you, yeah your really a smart one," a shadow forming over us, even without seeing I knew it was a foot.

"Knock it off Tucker," given the sound I guessed Sam hit him but I had no idea where and the shadow disappearing only to be replaced by another one.

"Can we deal with this later," my brother putting his hand down next to us and letting us climb on, even with my screwed up vision I could recognize the Ghost Gloves.

(Remember not to crush us ok,) I growled up at him when he lifted his hand.

"I make no promise, now….and hopefully for the last time today….I'm going ghost," the metal growing cooler for a moment while lines ran over my field of vision. I knew they were normal, having seen them before, but with my new eyes they were beyond description.

(This is why I hate having more than two eyes, half the time stuff no longer makes sense,) creeping over to me.

(It was beautiful though wasn't it?)

(If by beautiful you mean scaring the webbing out of me, yeah it's very beautiful,) his body bobbing up and down slightly.

(Relax birdie,) part of me wanted to move over and try to comfort him, the others side wanted to kill him and I was worried his other side wanted to do the same thing. (Things will work out one way or another.)

(Yeah it's the another, that bothers me.)

All of a sudden our worlds started to tremble and I wasn't sure what was going on, "guys I'm not sure how far I can fly at the moment." That explained a few things, apparently spiders couldn't recognize what flying was, not that they really had a reason to. Out of instinct I fired up my spinneret before I knew what I was doing and secured a line of silk to my brothers metal palm to get a better grip. The sensation was strange, this thing just started shooting out of me and my back legs just started grabbing it like they had a mind of their own and used it.

(Weird sensation isn't it,) Tobias having done the same thing, (this is why I generally stick to mammals, birds and reptiles, they generally don't do things like this.)

(Well it could've been worse,) I really hoped I didn't sound as freaked out as I felt. That sensation didn't last long as the wind started whipping past me, Danny flying towards Technus, the spider starting to scream for me to run away as fast as I could, to bad that wasn't an option. After a few seconds I picked up a mix of vibrations, more than likely people below us panicking, that or Technus was a lot close than I thought, then again it might've been a side effect of my brothers flying, it was hard to tell.

"So how bad….think this……to be?" the wind taking part of Sam's vibrations with them and leaving me guessing slightly as to what she said. Given I couldn't see her, but from my place in my brothers closed fist that was a big thing, I was guessing Danny was carrying her.

He yelled back a bit louder so I could make things out, "I'm almost out of power, you have one of my mom's modified Fenton Bazooka's, we're relying on Tuckers say so and a pair of spiders. I'd say we rate about a five right now."

"That's not to bad."

"That's out of a million."

(Your not helping little brother,) I hissed into his mind. If he said anything to me I couldn't hear him as he picked up his speed, (so,) keeping my thought's private, (you think this is a bad idea to?)

(Not sure,) staring at me with his own sets of to many eyes, (by all rights this should work but I can't shake the idea I'm about to be assaulted by a few thousand micro chainsaws.)

(Great one more fear to add to the list,) a few of the hairs on my body shifting in what I assumed was the spiders equivalent of fear.

(You don't have to come, you know that,) the thoughts carrying a bit of reassuming behind them and calming me. (I can do this myself, I do have more experience, and my life….)

(….is important to me if nothing else,) not liking where this was going.

(That's not where I was going.)

(I don't care, I'm going with you,) putting every once of confidence I had into the thoughts, (even if you weren't going I'd still have to, no one else can do this. Besides if your right about the danger you might need someone else to save your butt.)

(Ok something I have to ask, are all girls completely insane or just the ones I know?)

I laughed a little at that, or tried to, I wasn't really built for it, (you have good taste is…..,) my thoughts stopping as the winds around us calmed down then whipped up real fast as the world got brighter and hotter.

"We're being shot at, hold on," Danny hissed quietly to me and the wind whipping up a again, letting the spider take more control I sunk into his glove and locked into it with the tiny hairs on my legs. I wasn't sure what was going on around us but I was determined not to let go or be thrown off no matter how much the world wanted me to.

(If I wanted to be in a rodeo I would've been a cowboy,) Tobias snapped into my mind, not having any more fun than I was apparently. That grew even worse when Danny started closing his hand in voluntarily starting to crush us.

(DANNY STOP,) the thoughts going everywhere and making us stop suddenly, (I mean stop crushing us not moving.)

"Oh," my head bumping into the top of his hand as he dove down quickly, "sorry I…..much going…here," his thoughts again lost in the movements.

(JUST WATCH THE HANDS,) Birdie barking at him, (I DON'T LIKE REGROWING LIMBS!)

After a few moments of weaving and jumping and trying to keep the spider's instincts from going crazy as it pounded in my mind wanting nothing more than to leave and escape we finally stopped, but I really doubted it was a good thing. "HA HA, TRY AND DO THE FANCY WEAVING NOW CHILD! NO ONE OUT WITS MECHA TECHNUS!"

"Where's the off switch on this guy," my brothers hand moving around and slamming onto more metal, and even if it looked pink I had a feeling it was black. I didn't have to be told to figure out my brothers plan, that or it was a coincidence and cut my line on his palm and jumped, little hairs hooking into the tiny fractures in the metal and keeping me on Tobias beside me.

"I GOT IT HERE," as load as the words were it was easy to know it was Sam as things grew brighter again, more than likely from her bazooka. At first nothing happened and I thought she might've missed then the tendril started whipping around and it became a whole new game, everything I'd experienced in this body up to that point not preparing me for this in the slightest. It whipped and shook, arcing in every direction uncontrollably and I was stuck trying to hang on with my little legs. The hairs and hook locked in while I spun silk to hold myself in place but I wasn't sure is was going to work as the world just didn't stop.

(Come on Jazz,) a pressure suddenly at my butt, out of instinct I kicked it with three of the legs, the second I did it I figured out it was Tobias, the spider more in control than I realized. (Well there goes one eye,) he groaned, (move girl we need to get out of here now.)

(Move I can barely hold on,) I snapped not sure where I was and just focusing on the metal in front of me. He made some noise behind me I'd never heard before and jumped on my back and tore me off the tendril and into the sky….for all of six seconds as I bounced onto more pink metal. (Where am I,) I groaned keeping my thoughts to myself on my back not sure where I was, other than somewhere on what I hoped was Technus.)

"YOUR GLOVES OF MACHINERY CANNOT HURT ME, NOR CAN YOUR LITTLE GIRLFRIEND!" Yep I was defiantly on Technus.

"I'm not his girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend."

(Smooth guys no one will possibly know who you are now,) Tobias walking over to me and putting a few of his legs under me, (now lets get you right side up.

(Thanks,) arcing my back and kicking my legs out trying to grab the meal while he pushed and flipped me, (this isn't going well is it?)

(Actually we're right on schedule,) walking along the body, or more specifically the shoulder as I looked at Technus' giant head.

Following him as he started walking down the body, I was a little shocked just how easy is was, it was as if gravity didn't exist for us. (Sorry about losing it back there,) trying to keep up with him.

(Not a problem I wasn't really in control either.)

(But you knew to get off?)

(Dumb look and a quick look, nothing more, now stay with me things are about to get harder,) heading towards the middle back.

I wasn't really thrilled with what was going on, all I really knew was that Tobias and Tucker had come up with a quicker way in than through the tendril. It wasn't hard to guess why he hadn't told me more thought, why any of them hadn't said more, what he was planning had to be insanely dangerous, (at some point you are going to tell me what the plan is here right?)

(You really don't want to know,) not looking back, not making me feel any better.

(At some point you will have to tell me,) running closer to him so he couldn't ignore me as easily.

(No I don't actually you'll find out when we do it.)

(But…)

(TRUST ME,) cutting me off, (you really don't want to know, if you do you'll think about it and if you do that you'll realize doing this is a huge mistake, and you'll try and stop me, and then things will get worse.) When he said it I stopped, my body frozen as what he said filtered in and made my anxiety level go up past anything I've known before.

(When you say things like that you make me want to know,) running up next to him again.

(Don't think about it, you'll know very shortly, and I mean really shortly,) stopping next to a small protrusion coming from the ship, his tone not making me feel any better.

(This is it?)

(Bingo.)

(This the scary thing you were talking about?)

(Technically it's what's inside.)

(Which is?)

(You'll see,) standing there tapping two of his legs. We stayed like that for a few seconds, I could tell by the way he was moving he was nervous so I let him think, at this point I wasn't about to make him distract him. Then I felt it, the floor under me shook and heated up violently almost to the point where I thought my legs were going to melt into the metal or vise versa. Then in front of my eyes something shot out of the lip of the metal, it was vaguely gray the floating out like smoke but shimmering like gold or silver, whatever it was is was hot and I didn't want to go near them.

(What's going on,) trying to keep the spider calm.

(You really don't want to know, now when I run follow me and don't stop no matter what you see, hear, or feel just keep moving.)

(This is not sounding like a good thing,) taking a step back.

(It aint,) running forward as soon as the thing coming out of Technus died down, with me on his butt. Following him in made me wish to be back outside, the metal was hotter than anything I've ever felt before, I could literally feel my legs sinking into the near liquid metal, it was a little like mud only making me wish I was dead a thousand times over with every step.

(What is this place,) trying to keep up with him, which was hard given I had a layer of molten metal on the tip of each leg that grew with every step.

(Exhaust system and this aint the bad part,) suddenly disappearing. When I got up to him I found out why as I slipped through the thin metal and into a shaft and slid along for a few seconds, hoping to find where Tobias was. The shaft gave way after a second into nothingness, or so it looked till the light erupted and nearly blinded me. (Don't go down there,) suddenly stopping as I was grabbed by to many legs.

(Now where are we birdie?) looking up at him seeing the web line behind him holding us to the lip of the shaft.

(Not sure really, Ax called it a purification system, I call it the pit of tazars, each one capable of stunning an elephant.)

(Why do they have that here?)

(Something about refining the fuel, burning off a toxin, I don't know I'm not smart enough to figure it out.)

(So what are we suppose to do?)

(This,) letting go of me and watching me fall for half a second before cutting his web and dropping after me, not that I could see him. The lights flashed, the air cracked and popped and my life flashed before my eyes about ten times in the space of half a minute till I finally hit more metal Tobias landing next to me a second later.

(WHAT WAS THAT,) running over to him and pushing him against a wall, (YOU COULDA KILLED ME!)

(NO really, at our size it would hurt but not kill us….I think,) and walking past me.

I just stared at him, occasionally looking up at the arcs of lighting jumping throughout the shaft, the light so bright it was like looking into the sun itself. (I am so not getting pain enough for this.)

(Your not getting paid at all,) walking into a shaft in front of us, (now come on we got one thing left and we should be there.)

(Fire, lighting, what's next ice, rain, big rocks falling on us.)

(That,) stopping in front of a normal corridor.

(That's not bad.)

(Wait,) suddenly what appeared to be buzz saw blades started appearing from the ceiling, floor and walls while pistons started slamming together.

If I could widen my eyes I would as I watched them shred and slam for several seconds before retracting back into the wall, (WHY ON EARTH DOES ANYONE NEED THIS TO FLY?)

(I don't know, I think Technus added it.)

(This is one sick freak.)

* * *

**DP Style**

"I'm tapped," Danny collapsing on a roof returning to his normal human form, "if I have any power left I can't find it."

Sam was a few feet away and aiming her bazooka and firing off another blast from the cannon, the energy bouncing off the shield. "I'm amazed you lasted as long as you did, we've been at this for ten minutes and those two still haven't managed to stop that guy."

"What do you expect they're tiny and probably lost," pulling her pistol out from behind her back and firing at Technus, like Sam the blast just ricocheted off. "Right now all we can do is buy them some time, and hope there's some city left by they time they get finished."

"A sane person would be running right now," ducking down and putting the heavy weapon down and rubbing her shoulder.

Firing off a few most blasts of the red and black weapon, "since when have we been accused of being sane."

"Good point," picking the weapon up and popping back up and firing off another blast for the large weapon.

"GIVE IT UP PUNY HUMAN CHILDER I TECHNUS CANNOT BE BEATEN BY THE LIKES OF YOU, NOT EVEN THE GHOST KING COULD CHALLENGE ME NOW! I AM TECHNUS MASTER OF GIZMOS, PRINCE OF THE COSMOS, KING OF CONTRAPTIONS!"

"Does he have to yell everything?"

"I think his volume switch is broken Sam."

"EAT FENTON GHOST PEELER PUNK," Jack screaming from below while firing the small cannon unfolding from the arm.

"Speaking of people with out a volume control," his son sighed ducking back down.

"Well at least that's someone else to take the heat," Sam ducking back with him while Jack continued to fire at the larger ghost.

"YOU THINK THAT WILL HARM ME HUMAN!"

"How about this," Maddie barked sprinting behind her husband and jumping on his shoulder and leaping higher into the air hitting just above the thrusters of the robot then spring boarding up to his arm. Catching the metal limb from the bottom she spun on it till she was on top and sprung forward pulling her saber and striking down on his head, the impact throwing sparks into the air but not penetrating his shield. After a moment she shot back bringing her free hand to her mask, her lenses contracting as relays activated, beams of energy firing out of the built in blasters. Landing on the ground with barley a sound she shot back a few feet next to her husband who was still blasting the metal incased ghost with little effect.

"Your mom is amazing," Sam having caught all of the fight.

"I know," not bothering to look already knowing just what his mom could do when she got going.

As a pair Jack and Maddie dodged back as Technus punched the ground with his hand, just missing them, without pulling it back compartments popped open revealing weapons of varying styles and opening fire. Jack dove away from one blast from a dracon beam but the second caught him square in the chest knocking him back, thankfully it was from a Fenton Foamer and he brushed it off despite the speed at which it hit. Maddie meanwhile was ducking and weaving past attacks, one from a Jack-A-Nine-Tails shot just past her head while she leapt over a Fenton Fisher cord. A shot from a dracon beam only thanks to a quick shift in her position went right past her left armpit.

"Come on dazzle me," the blue clad woman barked still moving forward, never pausing despite the attacks, a pair of tendrils firing off from his back at her. Moving like demonic snakes they lashed forward only to miss their target as she jumped and landed on the first and spring boarded off as it bucked trying to knock her off. She met the second in the air and cut into it with her staff and arced up, spinning in the air, doing a full turn approaching his metal head and issuing a snap kick under his chin before arcing back and landing on the ground in a crouch.

"AND PEOPLE WONDERED WHY I MARRIED THAT WOMAN!" Jack barked firing a cannon from his arm again and hitting Technus in the face.

"Actually they wonder why mom married you," Danny commented from his spot on the roof and looking over the side and watching the blast bounce off the shield. The ricochet only lasted a few seconds as it suddenly hit it's mark and connecting with his metal head.

"Does that mean what I think it means?" Sam asked next to him.

"Maybe, ay this point the could just be messing with us," watching with interest.

On the ground Maddie saw the shift as well and her time to strike darting forward as fast as she could. Moving past Jack she jumped again once more bouncing from body part to body part till she was next to his head and struck, swiping her staff across his neck the energy weapon slicing nearly straight through the machinery.

As Maddie fell back to the ground the effect on Technus was unmistakable, sparks shooting out of the wound and his flight becoming unstable and nearly crashing into the ground as the green glow of power began to flicker and grow dim. The effect was heightened as Jack and Maddie continued to fire on the ship the ghost weapons having a greater effect on him now without the shield, the ghost screaming in pain, a mix of a normal scream and static. Before the ship could hit the ground Technus, as little more than a green mist, jumped out of it, the vessel glowing and shifting in the process.

The vehicle shifted and mutated quickly as it fell, the arms and head sucking back into the ship, the cockpit folding back up. By the time it hit the ground it was both similar and different from the bug fighter it had been to start with. The cockroach-like form now looking more like the Specter Speeder, but with harder lines. The back was still rounded at the top with the engines visible from the back, nearly identical to the Speeder but the front however was closer to a slightly rounder triangular shape, a large clear surface at the front revealing the inside of the ship to those that wished to see. On the sides now were small wings, little triangles coming from the bottom, and while looking ordinary they seemed to radiate power. After a moment the black color started to drain away and go to white.

Those people were few and far between as Technus took shape from the green smoke that had left the ship. "PUNY HUMANS DO YOU THINK THAT SHELL MATTERS TO ME, I HAVE ALL IT'S SECRETS INSIDE ME NOW, AND I HAVE BEEN MADE STRONGER, SMARTER, I AM NO LONGER HAVE NEED OF IT!" The mist reforming into a human form, similar but different from the form that had entered. At a glace he was still a mad scientist, but one that now had used himself as a subject, his right arm was now mechanical, identical in shape to his other arm but now in black with black-green pods of glowing energy. His left meanwhile had circuitry running through it that could be clearly seen when the light hit it at the right angle, but other wise the arm was still normal. His ghostly tail was now a series of jets that spit out black-green flames. His face for the most part was still his own, save the circuitry that ran over it as well, the glasses that sat cross his face now clearly mechanical and glowing with the same energy as the rest of his body. His clothing was still the same but his coat, shirt and tie, now tattered and torn, with the sleeves torn away giving a good view of the ghosts arms new arm.

"Do your worst humans nothing you do can harm me, for Technus is now as far beyond you as you are above ants." From his right arm bits of metal jumped out and began spinning around his arm then started firing or a blast of energy the size of a telephone pole. Only the quick thinking of Jack and Maddie kept them from being caught in the middle of the blast each diving to the other side. "Weak stupid flesh creatures, you are no longer worth my time," the pods slowing down and sucking back into his arm.

"Who you calling weak and stupid," Sam barked jumping up and aiming the Fenton Bazooka at the ghost, already changing the setting and firing it, the shot missing him by a foot.

"You should upgrade your targeting software," raising his right arm at her the pods jumping out again.

"I don't know I think it'll still work," pushing the weapon up as a green vortex of energy grew behind him and started sucking him back.

"WHAT…NO…YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME I'M TECHNUS," despite the power of his thrusters still being pulled back into the vortex that lead back to the Ghost Zone. "A WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY IS NOW OPEN TO ME I MUST EXPLORE IT….I CAN'T GO BACK NOT Y….," his words cutting off as he was sucked back into the portal.

"Big talk, same old problems," Sam's arms finally giving out from holding the large heavy cannon as long as she did and dropped it.

"YOU," Jack barked recognizing the girl in black and purple.

"Uh oh," Sam ducking back down onto the roof, "I think we might have bigger problems now, don't suppose you can fly us out of here?"

"Not unless I grow wings in the next few minutes," leaning back and closing his eyes and letting the energy drain out of him. "You think sending Technus back to the Ghost Zone was a good idea?"

"Not sure, but I'd rather him in there than out here."

"Good point, let Walker and Rachel deal with him, we have enough problems as it is."

Below them Maddie was trying to restrain her husband who was on the war path, "I'll teach that punk that no one gets in the way of Jack Fenton's capture."

"Dear you have to calm down," Maddie in front of him, glad he'd at least pulled his armor back in, "she's only a child and just trying to help."

"But she took that ghost from us Maddie," he whines slowing as she stroked his cheek and smiled up at him melting his heart.

"I know," keeping her words soft and low, "and I'll talk to help, help her understand that ghost hunting is dangerous."

"So your going to lie to her?"

"Of course," looking him in the eye and working her magic on him, "now why don't you stay here and guard the ship while I talk to her and figure out what she thinks she's doing." For a moment he wanted to fight her on it but looked back at the ship, "it's full of ghost technology, you know that, who knows what's in there, what we can use."

"RIGHT YOU GOT IT BABY," giving her a little salute and running over to it like a kid in candy store.

Maddie smiled and sighed as he ran, "it takes so little with him," turning and running into the building where Danny and Sam were.

Jake mean while was stroking the ship and imagining everything thing he could learn from it, "who knows what secrets are in here, we might even find better ways of hunting ghost. No forget that, if we can get this thing flying we can take the fight to them, we'll really show those ghost punks what happens when you mess with the Fenton's. I can't wait to pull out my power tools and get cracking at this thing," when he said it the ship shook and started to lift into the air. ""WHAT….NO….your not going anywhere," jumping on the side of the ship and struggling to hold on, "I didn't mean it I'm not going to cut you open I swear." Despite his attempts he wasn't able to hold on long as the vehicle shook him off and continued to rise and turn till it faced the building the others ghost hunters were in.

"This cannot be a good thing," Sam sighed looking over the side and seeing the ship rising up to meet her, "let me guess he's still in there isn't he?"

(Not quite,) Jazz's thoughts hitting her as a door opened on the side of the ship, the door folding down providing a ramp for the others to walk on, a purpleback gorilla standing there and reaching an arm out, (if anyone wants to leave now is the time.)

"Have I ever told you that I love you," Danny standing up and looking at her.

(Not the time for that little brother now come on,) grabbing his hand and pulling him inside.

Whistling slightly, "nice place," looking around the large interior compartment, like the outside it was primarily white with green lights but now much roomier than when he'd first been in it and not just because and not just because most of the spare parts were gone. Along the right wall was what looked like a computer, a few controls near the back, and a few pieces of equipment that didn't seem to be attacked along the left wall.

(I know it's a definite improvement over the model we came up in,) Tobias sitting in the drives seat, which was now a seat instead of an empty section it had previously been, (almost make me forget everything this scrape heap did.)

(Come on Sam we need to put some distance between us and everyone else,) reaching her light brown hand out, the girl in black accepting it.

"I don't know who you are," Maddie starting to talk and opening the door seeing the sight in front of her and pulling her weapons, "FREEZE GHOST COLLABORATOR."

"Hey I'm a hunter same as you," Sam snapped looking at her midway on the ship, "I just have different kind of team, and this," patting the ship, "is working with us again," Looking over at Tobias, "hit it raptor."

(We gone,) flapping up and hitting a button in front of him, the door shutting the and ship continued to rise again and shoot forward away from the city, disappearing as the cloak activated.

"Ladies and gentlemen this is your pilot speaking," Tuckers voice ringing out from unseen speakers, "please keep you hands inside the ship at all times and don't touch anything I'm not sure what things do yet."

"Tuck," Danny looking around a little nervous, "where are you?"

"In your room, you're in the biggest remote control plane in history, now please stay calm and enjoy the ride."

"This is nuts," Sam looking around.

(Your should be use to that by now,) Tobias looking back and flapping onto the seat.

"So how'd you work this," Danny walking over to him and sitting in the weapons compartment, "I thought you were pulling the power?"

"We did," Jazz now human again, "then when Technus left we hooked it back up."

And with the ghost gone I regains control of everything, again the things I can do with this PDA are frightening, I have scary amount of control over the ship."

"How much," Sam growing nervous.

"At the moment I can just fly from here, but I think I can activate the weapons if I work at it."

"Well don't do us any favors, right now we just need this thing landed, after that all the others questions can be answered later."

Those answers wouldn't come for two day and a lot of screaming by Tucker, Jazz and Tobias as they tried to understand what Technus had done to the ship and everything he'd absorbed and integrated. The three had had a rough few days Tucker inside the ship while Tobias and at times Jazz as well scrambling through the tiny passage ways to help him get a better idea of what he couldn't make out on the screen. In that time they'd kept information at a minimum to the others not wanting to get their hopes up in case they were wrong about something. In that time they'd all dealt with rapid fire questions and accusations about what was going on but finally Tucker felt confident enough to talk to them.

"Ok you happy," Tucker tapping on his PDA and activating the ships systems, the ship rising from the water a moment later, the small wings folded up against the side of the ship. Thanks to a little exploring they'd found a small cave under the coast they were able to hide it in that kept people from detecting it, "here's our baby."

"So everything ok in it?" Danny asked flying up to it, "considering all the bad press we got getting this thing back, tell me everything still works on it."

"What it's only a little bad press and most of that's mostly coming out of Axion, and as it is they think that was Tobias not you."

(So instead of your brother getting shot at I am,) Tobias squawked on her shoulder and puffing up slightly.

Pushing his head away from her, "and most of that's being attributed to Technus so for the most part we're ok."

"And the scary part is their parents are being called the ones that really saved the city," a slight smirk on the goth's lips.

"At least some Fenton's are getting the credit," Jazz sighed, "and it's not like anyone else was going out there."

"It's weird being jealous of our parents isn't it?" Danny elbowing her lightly.

"Beyond words," looking at the ship, "can we take this somewhere people can't see the giant ship?"

Tapping his PDA Tucker the same door on the side they'd used a few days before, "she's ready when you are, plenty of room," waving the others inside.

(Oh boy,) sarcasm dripping in the birds thoughts, (tight confining spaces everyone knows how much I love that,) as Jazz walked on while flicking him on the beak.

"After a while the complaining gets old."

"It's kinda like watching a married couple," watching them walk in.

"Don't even joke Sam," the trio walking in after them the door shutting a moment later.

(And now join us,) Tobias doing a bad French accent, (as we explore the magnificent underwater world, and see it's many secrets.)

"Keep the narration to yourself Jacques Cou-chicken," the redhead glaring at him as he flew over to one of the chairs and perched there.

"Who," Danny scratching his head.

(Jacques Cousteau,) Tobias clarified for him still getting a blank look from the others, (well I feel old now,) not believing they didn't know who he was.

"You get use to it," Jazz leaning on the chair next to him and patting him on the head as the ship snake back beneath the waves.

"Ok ignoring them start talking Tuck what are we dealing with here, aside from being water tight what can we expect here?"

Grabbing the pilots chair and spinning it around, "just to get this out of the way yes we can still get into space but someone would let me do it," glaring at the bird.

(Move on you'll go there eventually.)

At the same moment Danny dropped to his knee's "YES!"

Sam grabbed him by the back of the shirt and pulled him back up, "what am I doing to do to you?"

"Anyway," Tucker tapping his PDA some more, "what you brought with you is not what we have here, this thing still has alien elements but I'm not sure how much anymore, I could study this thing for the rest of my life and I'd never actually know." Pointing up, "a lot of this tech definitely has roots in your parents designs but I recognize some of the technical elements from the stuff Technus used as host the last times we fought him. To make matters worse at least fifty percent of the ship has some degree of modification and I'm still working on just how integrated these parts have become, if it's to bad one good hit in the right place could take this entire beast out of commission."

"Well it's nice to know this ship is totally defenseless."

"It's not defenseless Sam if anything it's more protected than it was before, not only does it have it's original shield it has a low level one similar to what's in Fenton RV and Specter Speeder."

"Because they're from the RV and Speeder Tuck, trust me my dad's been yelling about it for several hours over the last few days."

"Bad new though, I don't think they're anywhere near as strong as when Technus was in this thing, I think he was arterially boosting them something."

"Great, but they're still good right?" Danny asked.

"Oh yeah this thing can pretty much take anything we throw at it, human, ghost, beast, this thing will take it and keep going. Then there's the fire power it's packing, aside from the alien weapons already installed it cannibalized nearly a dozen Fenton weapons, and two or three that probably came from Technus."

"Like the claws and arms?" Danny asked hopefully.

"Umm…..no," shaking his head slightly, "if those are still in here I can't find them. More like some kind of electrically charged ecto-beam, honestly I don't know what it is I just know it's some kind of weapon."

"Well at least it can fight in case we need it."

"That's relative," looking at the controls, "I'm still trying to figure out what kind of power this thing can generate."

(Still don't understand it huh?)

"Not even close, part of it is definitely original but the rest I can't even figure out, but I'm pretty sure it's from you folks stuff."

"I think it might be the Ecto-Converter dads been yelling about but I can't find the schematics at home so it's hard to be sure," Jazz peaking over Tucker's shoulder to look at the image.

"The thing our parents keep yelling about? The one that is powered by ghosts?"

"I think so but again I've never seen it so I don't know."

"That sorta sounds like this thing except he seems to suck energy from something twenty-four-seven, but given the description it sounds like it might be taking the natural ghost energy of the city and running on it."

(Natural ghost energy of the city, when was I going to hear about this?)

Jazz put a hand around him, "relax he just means there's been so many ghost attacks in the city a little bit of their residue is now part of the landscape. Think of it like their scent, they pass, they leave it, doesn't really hurt anything but it doesn't help either."

(That I understood.)

"And if that is the case," Tucker continuing, "in the city this thing might be invincible anywhere else I can't be sure it depends on the actual power source this thing is running on," looking at the bird.

(I keep telling you I have no idea what this thing runs on, Ax tried to explain it to me once, and I felt like my head was going to explode after thirty seconds.)

"Either way it has power, I won't know how much for a while but it has it. As you can tell the cloak still works so that's not a problem and it doesn't seem to have been changed that much so it should still work just fine. Then again," looking back at the controls again, "I'm not to sure about them, according to the bird these things use to be partially mentally controlled, but if that's still the case I can't figure out how that effects it because I can fly it by remote or by hand without any kind of trouble."

"So you lied to me," Danny looking at the bird.

(No, your best idea,) looking over at Tucker, (is that Technus couldn't figure out how to work it either so he found a way of by passing it like Nikki and just never turned it back on.)

"Exactly, we don't know how a ghost's brain works so it might not've been compatible that or he just got impatience and just bypassed it to save time, maybe he planned on going back later I don't know."

"Speaking of him do you know how much he took from the system, technical stuff, locations things like that?"

"Sorta Danny, despite what you said he said I don't think he really got that much, at least comparatively. The weapons and shield systems were touched on along with part of the operating system but a good chunk seems to have been left alone. There are fire walls, viruses, and things I've never seen before protecting files and from what Tobias and I have figured out these are probably the navigational systems, the Z-space drive, anything the previous owners might not've wanted anyone to get if the ship was captured."

(Yeerks aren't trusting by nature it makes sense they'd do everything they could to keep people out of their bases, locations, and other sensitive places.)

"I'm not even sure about some of these things but I do know a system killing virus when I see it so I had to avoid it so what's back there is a bit of a mystery but given those are the only things we can't find it's a good guess."

"So he doesn't have that much?"

(If he gets out he can probably get into space, but he won't know where to go so the rest of the universe isn't in that much trouble.)

"And I'm already looking into a way to modify the viruses to go specifically after Technus if he ever gets back in the system, if I can actually do this is another matter though."

(We thought about calling Nikki, but we're holding off for a little while, considering everything we said when we took it we don't need to give her any reason to doubt yet.)

"Because she has no reason to doubt us now."

"Sam," Danny sighed, "not the time."

(No she's right but also wrong, Nikki already heard about this, she had to the fact that she isn't here yet is a testament to her trust in us to keep this safe. At some point we may need to call her but right now isn't that time.)

"So grand total," Danny resting his hand on the ship, "how much of this thing do you understand, and I mean even just a little?"

"Enough to fly, enough to get into space, enough to fight, enough to run if we have to right now. In a few months who knows, I really want to crack the Z-Space security system, see if we might be able to get out of the solar system."

(Then there's the communication array, there's a chance if we figure out how to work it we can contact the Andalite home world, get in contact with Ax.)

"You can contact them from here?" Sam a little shocked by that.

"Here," Tucker laughed, and pointed his thumb at the bird, "if this guys serious there's a radio telescope that already did it, what I wouldn't give to have five minutes with that thing."

When Tucker said it the other two looked at Tobias, (what can I say my brothers incredibly smart and no it doesn't work anymore he disassembled the modifications that that let him do it.)

"There are a few other systems I really want to work on, but at the moment this is all we got, of course that's more than any other teenager and a bird have ever had before."

"Very true," Jazz smiling softly, "I'd say we're just about ready for a test flight."

"You serious," Danny's eyes lighting up jumping forward.

"Yeah lets fly when we have no idea how the engines work," Sam hissed.

(You stole my line,) the redtail keeping his thoughts private to her.

"Thank you," not knowing that getting wired looked from the others, "no one else heard him did they?"

(Nope.)

"Over grown feather duster."

(Yes I am,) turning his thought private, (you want to fly you do it without me, till Tucker swears the engines aren't going to quit while we're in orbit I am not leaving this rock.)

"I'm with him on this on," Tucker said to the surprise of the others.

Danny grabbing him, "come on Tuck lets fire it up hit the sky, light the tires kick the fires, space beckons."

Pushing him away and folding his arms, "NO," putting everything he had behind it, "anything else I'm all for it, but if this thing fails we are dead, I'm not ready to take that step yet, maybe in a week at the earliest, but no sooner, not till I understand this thing more."

"And that would be three to two, ship stays in the water and I stay on the ground," the goth putting her hands behind her head, "and not a moment to soon, I gotta get back soon or my parents will send the dogs out looking for me."

"So they're still freaked?" Tucker leaning back a little more.

"They were bad before but a giant robot pretty much put them over the edge," seeing the concern in the others eyes, "guys relax it's no worse than when Pariah Dark hit us. They'll be freaked out for a while then something else will come up and they'll forget about me till the next time they have a parental control fit. So," looking around, "who's going to get me home?"

"Why not take yourself?" the tech experts voice unreadable to her.

"Because that's a really long way to walk?"

Walking past her and grabbing a small strip of black metal about the size of a large text book off the wall, "who said anything about walking." Tossing the metal out like a Frisbee, "code three unlock," the metal spinning then expanding growing longer and slightly wider and hovered just off the ground.

"What is that," the dark haired girl stepping away from it.

"That would be Technus answer to your hover board," Jazz moving over and putting a hand on the girls shoulder.

Looking over to her, "what? You can't be serious."

"I am," the boy in glasses stepping on to it, "everything he absorbed he examined, tore apart, rebuilt, disassembled and rebuilt all over again to find every fault and make it better. Why I don't know maybe he just wanted to know how everything worked in case he could use it later."

"So why is it still here," approaching it, "shouldn't he have just kept it inside him?"

(We think it might be a survival method, you know in case one body died download himself into another for a quick escape.)

"So why'd he come out if he had this ready?"

"Again this is only a theory," stepping off the board, "but it's possible he didn't need to and just abandoned the idea, or it might've been for his own reasons we haven't figured out yet. We found more than a few pieces like this, equipment not part of the ship but highly upgraded, a mix of technologies inside them, some are more complicated than the ship itself."

"And this thing is safe, there aren't going to be any surprises are there?"

"None at all, when I found it listed I went over everything in it, there is not a trace or anything in here that could hurt you or us," rolling his hand around, "I mean other than the obvious things, like falling off and hitting a building."

"Ok I'm listening," kneeling down and running her hands along it, "what's it do?"

"Almost everything Val's did but better, except for fire power, this thing doesn't have any."

"That's not really a problem I wasn't using it much anyway."

"Lets see, it's light weight in both forms, small compact size when converted, this is the full size when expanded. Only the corners are actually there," waving his hand along the middle, "this is actually I modified shield based on what's protecting the ship, this thing could take a direct hit from anything in the Fenton home and be fine. The corners them selves are another matter, they are tough don't doubt that, I'm not even sure what the metal they're made of is, but they can take a beating." Flipping the board over, and pointing as small vents on the corners, "these are what keeps you flying, Tobias and I actually tested these, we didn't even find a max height on it. We manage to clock this thing at traveling at over a hundred miles an hour, again just how fast this thing will go we aren't sure." Flipping it back over, "the system itself is voice activated, I can adjust the trigger if you want, to pretty much whatever you want, I can even code it to only work for your voice."

"And how do I stay on?"

(That's easy, this thing is exerting some kind of pull, so unless you know how to get off you can't.)

"And that is?"

"It's complicated," Tucker taking back over, "it works on a system…"

(We think he took the mental components from the ship and put it in the board,) Tobias cutting him off. (Basically you think let go and it lets you go, you think hold it holds, the flight controls are still foot derived but that's not much of a problem it seems to be based on the same ones Val used so adapting for you shouldn't be hard.)

"I thought this was my presentation," glaring at the bird.

(It was but you took to long, people don't care about the details they just want to know if it works, it does she can go, lets hit the sky.)

"Bird freak."

(Techno geek.)

Jazz grabbed the bridge of her nose and sighed, "here they go again, they work together they laugh then someone says something and we're back where we started."

"Guys I want to test this can we go back up?" Sam already starting to take off her clothes and stuff the outer layer in her backpack.

"Fine, no one ever listen to ma anyway," walking past Sam and tapping on his PDA the ship rising back up.

"It's not that we don't listen to you Tuck, it's that you don't tell us what we want to hear," getting a nasty look from his friend, "I'm kidding. Look around this is all you, we couldn't do this, we could never figure this out, we'd be lost with out you….of course we you get us into space I'll need you a whole lot more."

Tucker opened his mouth to say something but closed it as he tried to figure out if Danny had complemented him or insulted him. "You know what I don't care, I just dug through the most breathtaking computer on Earth I don't care what you say to me as long as I get back into this thing again I'm fine."

(You're a very strange little man.)

"This from a guy who eats live rats," the ship breaching and the door folding down, "we're here everybody out, don't care where you go but you can't stay here."

(Well I don't have a problem with that,) flying out the door and landing on the ground, (I don't like be in enclosed spaces anyway,) the others following him a moment later. (The sky, the wind, give me that any day over that giant tin can.)

"Well I'd love to continue this conversation but I do have to get going," Sam taking her board out from under her arm and tossing it to the ground watching it hover a few inches off the ground. "You two are sure this will work right?"

(Ninety percent, I mean Tucker did it and he doesn't know what he's doing.)

"HEY," turning around and guiding the ship back into it's cavern. "I don't have to put up with this my plan stopped Technus, me…"

"We," Jazz interjected.

"….we stopped him, not you guys us, I deserve some respect."

(I do respect you, I just don't respect technology or anything that makes me crawl around inside things as a arachnid for several days. We still on for dinner right?)

Shaking his head and really wanting to yell at the bird, "yes," holding his head down, "and we have to find a place to do this soon I can't keep hiding the meat."

"What are they talking about," Sam growing pale.

Jazz shook her head, and took her aside, "those two made some kinda bet, Tobias has been killing things and brining them to Tucker, supposedly they're going to turn them into sausage or jerky or something like that to eat. I don't know, I really don't care I just know a lot things are dieing so they can eat."

Sam looked back like she was going to kill them but was stopped as Tobias started talking, having heard the conversation, and reassured her. (Just listen, we're not taking anything valuable or endangered I'm basically feeding him rodents and a few annoying birds that have to many members in the city. I know meat is meat, but still if we can wean him on to this at least it frees up a lot of other animals that aren't complete wastes of space.)

Mouthing the words, "what are you feeding him?"

(Rats, shrews, pigeons, seagulls.)

"Your kidding, he knows about this right?"

(He knows, he's seen the food, don't worry as far he's concerned meat is meat and it doesn't matter where it comes from, besides I told him it tastes better than a T-bone steak covered in caviar.)

The girls just looked at east other and suppressed a laugh, "your very good," she mouthed to him.

(I'm a hawk to me it does taste that good, I don't know what it'll taste like to a human.)

"And on that note I'm leaving," stepping to her board, "if this kills me I will come back and haunt you all." For a moment nothing happened then abruptly she shot up somewhat shakily and blasted forward, "CRAP," shooting up and over the trees.

Twin rings appeared around Danny as he bolted after here, "hang on I'm coming!"

"I guess we should've warned her about the kick when it started," Tucker looking over at Tobias, "think she'll be ok?"

(I've seen her fly she'll get it after a second, and if she doesn't Danny will be there to keep her from hurting herself.)

"Come on Tucker I'll give you a lift home," Jazz nodding to her car, "I'll see you tonight birdie?"

(I think so, but give me a few hours I need to enjoy being out in the open for a while,) flapping up and disappearing from there sight a few moment later.

"Weird guy."

"Yes he is," Jazz shutting her door and looking over at her passenger.

"I kinda like him, in a pain in the butt kinda way."

"I know what you mean," starting the car up and pulling onto the road, "he does have a way getting under your skin."

"So you read to go back to school?" not looking at the girl.

"After being locked in that ship with the two of you, yes, I can't believe they canceled it because they were afraid Technus was going to come back."

"What do you expect Sam's folk's aren't the only one that get freaked out when things like this happen."

"They act like the city has never been attacked by ghosts before."

* * *

**DP Style**

"Very interesting ," Vlad walking through the wreckage, "and your sure this is all you could find?"

"We went through everything thing there boss, this is it," the vulture in dark glasses flying in the last piece of equipment. "We could keep going but I don't think it would do any good, there's just not anything left, those two picked everything clean."

"Well Daniel it seems your finally one step ahead of me," looking over the various components of Yeerk tech the vultures had brought him.

"I told you not to underestimate them," the Fright Knight leaning against the door way having supervised the recovery of the equipment and it's transport back to Vlad. The halfa had been more than a little surprised when the spirit of Halloween had presented him with the footage of the fight of Danny and David, and even more so with the after math and the discovery of the caves. But perhaps the most intriguing moment was when he had volunteered to go with his long time minions to help in the recovery efforts of his latest acquisitions. Unknown to the halfa however the black clad warrior had used the time to do a bit of recon on David's intended victims to help gain a better idea of the forces that had shaped those that had emerged from the town.

"So you did," picking a piece up and looking it over, "how long till we know what this does?"

The bushy eyebrowed bird shrugged his wings, "hard to say till we take it apart, could be a few days could be a few months."

"I'll need it before then depending on the secrets this could help put my plans back on track."

Not liking where this was going the Knight walked over to him, "are these the same plans that involve David, you ones your making me prepare him for?"

"They are, is there a problem with that?"

The anger in suspicion in the half ghosts voice would've hade other ghosts wither but the ancient warrior stood firm. "There might be, despite my attempts I have yet to break the boy, I'm beginning question if he's even capable of understand his own limitations."

"So your saying it can't be done?" his voice staying cool and calm, but an undertone of menace.

"No, in time I can break him but the how is starting to elude me, the boy has systematically built up this false world around himself, in it he is in control and everyone else is simply a play thing. It was bad enough, even curable when he was still alive and normal but I fear with each ability he gained, first morphing and now extraordinary ghost powers, that delusion has simply grown stronger. Each moment reinforcing it, making him believe that he's better than everyone else, that he is in control, to break such a fantasy will take time, it can be done but not on any specific time table."

The halfa eyes grew red with energy and slammed his into a wall shattering it, pulling it away he grew calmer him momentary lapse in control fixing itself as he smoothed out his clothing. "Very well a good chess player knows how to anticipate the unexpected, it's simply a matter of knowing how the pieces will move," bringing his hand to his chin and stroking his beard. "Time is slipping away so I'll have to move faster than anticipated, it's time to give Daniel some things to think about."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"You will, in time, this is something I already planned for it's simply a matter of getting all the pieces back on the right side of the board."

"If you say so, will there be anything else?"

"Unless you can now work this equipment then no, see to whatever it is you see to I need to begin work on this equipment immediately and if it can be used to my favor. And should this fail me I may just have to borrow Daniels new toy for a time, after all a boy can't be trusted with something like that when he doesn't even have a drivers license…."

Whatever else the halfa said the Fright Knight didn't hear it as he walked through the halls, his own mind running as he tried to unravel the half ghosts plans and how they might interfere with his own. That however was not the only thing he was concerning himself with, he still had a matter closer at hand to deal with. Navigating the identical halls had become a simple matter for him quickly finding the door he was looking for and opening it being assaulted by what the occupant called music. David was reclining on his bed the large stereo he'd stolen, the latest in a long line that he kept garbing regardless of what Vlad did to get rid of them. Sounds that t the Knight sounded like cats being beaten with hammers blasted out of the speaker making everything in the room shake.

"GET UP CHILD," despite his roar his voice little more than a whisper against the sound. When it became clear David either didn't hear him or was simply ignoring him the armored warrior pulled the Soul Shredder out and threw it forward slicing through the machine and silencing it.

"What was that for," David snarled bolting up and shifting into his lion form.

"Think, it should become obvious or is your mind so feeble you cannot even figure that out."

"Keep pushing you over grown night light you'll see where it gets you," his body flaring slightly but not making a move against him. David had learned a few things in his time training with the Knight mostly that fighting him head on was a mistake, the only way to beat him was to strike when his back was turned and his guard dropped. "So you want something specific or just here to make my life more miserable?"

"We have training to do child," walking over and pulling his weapon free, aware that David might be foolish enough to attack him.

"Bite me, I've had enough training, I can take out anyone."

"Yes you proved that a few days ago when you ran from the fight," swinging his sword back and biting into David's arm as stuck out of anger, the blade slicing through his hand up to the wrist. With a scream of pain his fire went out and dropped to his knees holding the split appendage and his arm. "It will heal," grabbing David by the hair and pulling him from his room, "as I have told you pick your time, do not fight unless you know you can win, and never underestimate your opponent. One day child you will get in a fight you can't run from and on that day I hope to be there to watch it."

"My hand," whimpering and watching the ectoplasm ooze out of it, "what did you do to it."

"My sword has more abilities than you know, as I said never underestimate those you fight, and do not presume you to be my equal." The Knight wasn't sure if this new way of dealing with David was the right but he had to do something and if making the boy hate him even more pulled some promise from him so be it, another enemy meant nothing to him.

* * *

**DP Style**

"Mountains of homework."

"Teachers screaming at us."

"Dash on a rampage," Danny sighed pocking at his cafeteria food and occasionally looking at Sam and Tucker.

"Oh yeah," Tucker putting down his hamburger, "bird did a number on him, I haven't seen him this mad….ever. He's shoved three guys in a locker today alone."

"That's not so bad," Sam shrugging, "he does that all the time."

"Three in ONE locker," pointing a French fry at her, "the guy is nuts right now, he's doing everything to get his spot back as king of the school."

"You don't get it Sam," Danny cutting in, "he only hits on girls, he hits us."

"Yes but I had to kiss him once so…"

"No no no no," the half ghost holding his ears, "not hearing this, we agreed never to talk about that…EVER!"

Stabbing her salad, "then you don't get to say what I do and don't know about."

"Never seen anyone be this violent with a plant before," the new voice making the others turn as a human Tobias sat down next to them.

Danny looked around, "why are you here?"

"I thought this was better than you talking to thin air."

"And if someone recognizes your not going to school here?" Tucker hissed, darting his eyes and back and forth as well.

"There are how many people in this school? I really doubt they'll notice one extra during lunch walking around."

"He has a point," biting off a piece of carrot, "I don't know half the people in this school by sight let alone name, they'll probably just write off some blond kid. Of course sitting with us might draw a little attention to yourself."

"Let it, it's not like people haven't seen us together for a while now."

"I guess you have a point, so why are you here, and by that I mean not with my sister?"

"Actually I'm trying to find her and I figured I've been everything else in the school why not try being human for once."

"Because being a rat is easier," Danny shrugging and biting into his sandwich, "and no I'm not going to make the obvious joke," spitting a little food at him.

"Thank you," nodding his head, a bit of hair falling into his face, "so where is the workaholic redhead anyway?"

"I think," Sam pointing back, "she eats…."

"YOU," Dash screaming from across the yard spotting Tobias and murder coming to mind.

At the sound the bird went ridged, flash backs from his own time in school hitting him in the face, "oh crap I know where this is going to go."

"You, me, right now," Dash bolting over and pulling Tobias to his feet, "no one makes a fool of Dash Baxter, no one."

"I don't suppose we can talk about this, I mean your hand seems to be fine," both the jocks hands looking normal, "so why don't we just call it a learning experience, no harm no foul right?"

"Not going to happen," Putting his fists up, "you made a fool of me once, it's time you paid for it you lucky little freak."

"Don't" Danny standing up and moving beside Tobias, "just don't Dash."

At the sight of his long time victim standing up to him he moved back half a step, his confidence dropping slightly. Mustering his bravado, "what do you think your doing Fentrip, this is between me and the this guy."

"Well now it's between the three of us," Danny trying to sound more confidant than he felt he'd gone toe to toe with things bigger and meaner but this guy still made him scared.

"Danny this is not the time for pointless heroics."

"Yeah well, Jazz would beat the crap out of me if she I knew I didn't do something."

Laughing, "great another one of you crazy sisters little pets," cracking his knuckles.

It was only through dumb luck that his eyes didn't light up when he heard it, "ok now I do have a reason to get into this. You have a problem with me fine, but leave my sister out of it."

"Or what, you going to make me Fentoad," poking him in the chest and knocking him back half a step.

"Ok this is getting out of hand," Tobias moving between them, "Danny sit down, this is between me and him."

Looking from him to Dash, "no it's not."

"Yes it is, sit down," grabbing him by the shoulder and putting him down, "stay there." Looking back to Dash, "whatever you want to do lets just get this over with you want to beat me fine, shove me in a locker cool, drowned me in a toilet whatever. Better men than you have made my life miserable, if this makes you feel important then fine go ahead and do it, I'll survive I always do." By now a crowd had gathered around and heard every word, most had no idea who he was and the few that claimed they did only knew him thanks to the previous altercation between the pair, but all were oooing and awing, the story out what had happened to Dash spreading. A few were cheering Dash on, a few pulled for Tobias and Danny, a small handful tried to talk them both out of it.

"If that's the way you want it," Dash not intimidated by the crowd, only hearing the approval of the masses, rearing back and punching Tobias in the face. That was fallowed by a shot to the gut and a kick to the leg dropping him to the ground and stomped in the face. "YEAH," pumping his arms in the air, "WHO'S THE MAN THAT RIGHT!" More than a few cheered him on, but many of those that had been in the beginning were no longer doing so, the fight seeming horribly unfair as Tobias didn't bother fighting back and just let it happen. After a few minutes the larger blond grew tired stomping and kick the boy on the ground and spit on him and walked away a small crowd following him and still cheering him on.

"This is from several years on being on the look out for him," Tucker helping him up along with Danny, "I've never seen him beat someone like that before."

"If your trying to make me feel better, stop," running his hand over his face and getting a look at the blood

running down it. "Wow it's been awhile since I've seen this, you never quite get use to it."

"Here," a girl walking over to him and handing him some napkins.

"Thanks," putting them on what he hoped was the right spot.

"I can't believe Dash," a guy said, the jacket identifying him as a member of the swim team, "I knew the guy had problems I didn't know he was that bad. You want me to talk to him?"

"As I said had worse beatings by better," closing his nose off to stop the bleeding a little shocked he was offering to help. "Far as I'm concerned it's over so I'm letting it go, if he wants to keep it up fine, I'll live."

"Your a hardcore little dude, nuts, but hardcore, you to Fenton," walking away form them.

Danny watched him leave, his eyes growing wide, "I'm hardcore, that is awesome."

"I'm glad your reputation is growing," Tobias growled between clenched teeth, "now try not to be so chipper around me ok."

"Well if you'd let him help you idiot," Sam hitting him between the shoulder blades.

Whipping his head around, a trail of blood spraying everywhere, "gee thanks, lets hit the guy who just had his tail beaten."

"And who's fault is that you testosterone driven turkey?" Jazz storming up to him, looking like she might do more to him than Dash and Technus combined.

"Well this is going to be ugly," Tucker whipping out his PDA, "I better make a record of it for future blackmailing purposes."

Sam sighed and looked at him and not seeing Danny make a move towards him, "ok I'll do it," slapping him up side the head, "we are not blackmailing him."

"Fine," putting it away, "you know how to suck all the fun out of life."

"Ok," Jazz starting sitting down next to Tobias and taking the napkins and placing them a little better over the wounds, "so I'm doing a little homework in the hall and I hear there's a fight. Being me I just forget about it, at a certain point you just have to let things happen, then I hear it's the guy that dropped Dash a few days ago. Then," glaring at her brother, "I hear my little brother is involved, so I start coming, and now I find you like this, there better be a really good reason for this. And don't you dare tell me this was some male ego driven BS, I know you better than that your not that stupid."

"I got nothing," shrugging his shoulders, and wincing s a jolt of pain shot through him.

"Let me," Sam doing a quick recap of what had happened, "and now we're here," pointing down.

Jazz looked from one to the other, "you two are idiots."

"Your just now figuring that out," a slight laugh in her brothers voice.

Tobias glared at him, "your not helping."

"Yet it's true," leaning back, "we are idiots, we're a special breed of idiots, we're males and we're teenagers, and despite what you may think you are still a teenager."

"Again not helping."

"No but he is right," moving the bloody paper, "and I guess this is to be expected at some point, and at least you had enough sense not to fight back even if it did result in this."

"Like I'm going to fight that idiot, I could take him apart in a few seconds if I wanted to, if this makes him feel better then so be it."

"Of course," Sam leaning over, a mischievous smile on her face, "considering the reaction he got at the end I'm not sure people will be looking at him the same way anymore."

Danny started count off on his fingers, "people might see me as cooler, Dash might've been taken down a few pegs, and the guy dating my sister got beaten, I see nothing wrong with this day."

"We're not dating," the bleeding teen and redhead speaking as one and looking at each other and blushing.

"I never get tired of that," Tucker holding his PDA back up, "and this time I have it recorded, I might use it as my ring tone."

"And I'll give you twenty bucks to send it to me," Danny putting his arm around his friend.

Jazz shook her head and rolled her eyes, "I'm going to ignore that," looking over at Tobias, "I'm guessing your like this for a reason so what is it?"

"This is going to sound kinda funny considering what just happened and actually it's kind of ironic in the grand scheme of things, and really nothing that can't wait…."

"Birdie you rambling, and lunch is going to be done soon get to the point."

"I want you to teach me to fight," coming out and saying it.

Jazz just looked at him for a second before looking to Sam, the goth shrugging as well, "ok what have you been doing?"

"Not that kind of fighting," knowing they meant in his beast forms, "things happened when I went home, and even after this last fight and lets just say I realized I wasn't living up to everything I could be. I stopped learning, I thought I could take on anything that came along, and now I realize I can't. I know I can fight but there's a lot out there I don't know, most of it having to do with my own people, I can bite and claw but I can't really punch or kick, and I need to know that if I'm going to keep going in this fight. At the moment I can't really fight ghosts, I thought I could but I can't, I can stall them or annoy them but I can't really hurt them."

"And you think we can teach you how," Sam moving over, not sure where he was going.

"You have knowledge, experience, these are your fields of expertise, not mine, and it's time I stopped being a teacher and started being a student again. Let's face it I do better when other people call the shots and I do the berserker work."

"Your serious," the redhead sitting next to him.

"Yep, I know I get my tail kicked and now I'm asking you to teach me to fight, but I'm serious, you know things I don't, not just about ghosts but the art of fighting, both of you," looking at Sam, "have things I can learn from. I know you have no reason to help me but…."

Moving the bloody paper to look him the eyes, "you really want me to teach you things?

"Considering your already teaching me academically, yeah. I'm not proud, I'll ask for help, and after what happened with David, I want to learn everything I can for the next time we come face to face. I need to come up with some new tricks, and that means looking in new places and thinking new things, and I can't think of better teachers."

"And your looking to us," Sam still not completely believing it.

"Hey I'm not a chauvinist I got no problem asking you for help and getting beaten by you round the clock, and don't you say it Tucker," pointing at the boy.

"How did you know I was going to say something?"

"You have the same mind as Marco and I knew when he was going to make one of those remarks." Looking back to the two teens, "if you want payment just ask I'll do it, I'll pay it, I don't care how far I have to go, but I need your help."

The two looked at each other for a moment, but both girl knew what the other was thinking, "alright," Sam speaking first, "we'll do what we can, and keep your money I don't need it."

"And I'm still considering this an even trade," for what your dealing with on my end.

"She might," the Goth's tone making them all nervous, "I don't, I don't want your money but you do have unique talents I can use."

"This is going to involve cars isn't it?"

"It might," the smile on her lips making Danny and Tucker want to run, "but I'm sure I can think of other things you can help me with."

"And on that note I think I'm in trouble," the bell going off as he said it signaling he end of lunch, "and I'd say your wanted inside, which means I can go back up stairs and stop bleeding."

Jazz leaned over and gave him small hug, "then we'll see you in a few Birdie, take care of yourself till then."

"I always do," groaning and stand up, only to be met by Danny as he slipped a arm around him and helped him move over to a the side of the building, most of the students now inside. "Thanks," feathers starting to sprout from his body.

Shrugging him off, "not a problem, it's nice being on this side for once." A moment later the bird was back to normal and flying up into a tree while the four below reluctantly headed back inside to finish out the day, none really sure what had brought on the request, though the half ghost had more than a few ideas.

* * *

**Authors notes**

Was a bit longer than planned but I think it still works. I've actually had this idea for a while I just had to wait for this moment to crack it out. Given some of the changes I made to the story as it grew another tail going to be pushed back as I work a few things out but I do have another chapter already being typed.

And not sure what else to say, but as it says at the top this was meant to be one story, but considering people have asked me to cut them down a little I cut in more or less in half.

Please R&R


	16. The Dragons Voice 1

another tw parter because I was asked to make the chapters smaller

* * *

**DP Style**

Tobias moved back as the punch came at him, staying one move ahead, but just barely, the sweat running down his face clear indication he wouldn't last much longer. The strike however was enough, the opening becoming clear as he threw a round kick, the leg being caught by his opponent and held in it's arm, pinned down against the attacked side. He knew he was in trouble at that point, his balance lost and his control gone, not that he had time to consider it as the attacker shot forward, letting go of the leg and struck him in the throat with three fingers cutting off his air and dropping him to his knees.

"To little to late," moving back slightly, reposting for the right angle and leveling a knee into his face, or trying to as he caught it with his forearm and gave her a quick uppercut into her stomach with his other hand. Looking up his eyes flashed gold then back to blue while his attacker dropped to one knee as he pushed himself back. Standing up he delivered a quick elbow strike to his opponents back bring them down to the mat with a light thud. Before the impact even came he'd darted back retook a fighting stance ready in case what he did wasn't enough, not willing to be close in case it could be used against him, his opponents skills far superior to his own.

After a moment he started to get worried as nothing happened, "you are ok right?" not ready to lower his guard in case it was a trap.

"Actually I think you killed my pride," Sam groaned still laying on her stomach, not ready to move just yet and trying to catch her breath.

"Sorry," walking over to her and offering her a hand, the goth accepting a few moments later. Sitting up she wiped the sweat off her own face and moved a few stay hairs back onto her head. She messed with them for a moment before just giving up and just let all her hair down, the dark locks obscuring her face.

Looking up at him, her purple eyes barely visible, "don't be, but I have to say for two weeks you're a lot further along than I was. I gotta say I'm jealous, you sure you've never taken fighting classes before, you move way to well for this to all be new to you."

Dropping down next to her, "do watching movies and TV shows featuring martial artists count?"

"No," leaning back on her arms and pulling her purple tank top up slightly to get some more air flow, "so how is it you got this good? It's taken me years to get where I am and I lot of teachers, for you to take me on like this is a little embarrassing."

Laughing lightly, flapping his own sweaty red tank top, "what can I say I have two edges you didn't."

"Let me guess experience and dumb luck?"

Still laughing, "ok four edges, I'm full of dumb luck…."

"Among other things," standing up and grabbing a towel and wiping off her face.

"Ignoring that," laying down, "features aside the hawk is still in here," tapping his forehead, "it still wants to fight and knows how to read the situation, it comes from years of hunting and more than a few life threatening situations."

"And the other one," bending down and picking up two water bottles, keeping on herself and tossing the other onto the boy.

Grunting as it hit him in surprise, "thanks a lot Sam," not mustering the energy to do more. "I also have a really good pair of teachers," the compliment making Sam blush slightly.

Pulling her hair down slightly to hide the red in her face, "empty flattery won't get you anywhere with me."

"It's not flattery and it's not empty, you are really good at this, the instincts take me part of the way, you and Jazz are giving me everything else though. On my own I wouldn't be anywhere near this level, and lets face it, I'm still pretty far below the two of you."

Taking a sip of water, "you won't be for long at your rate, you got most of the basics down, even the finer points of sparring, at least when it comes to hand to hand. It's just the finesse and polish that your really struggling with, but a few more months, maybe a little more, you'll be a real danger when the time comes."

"You say that like I'm not now," pushing himself up and looking over at her.

Running her fingers through the strands till they hung behind her, "you do have a point, but you know what I meant."

"True," sucking a little water himself and standing up, "so another round?"

"You're a glutton for punishment aren't you," tossing her water and towel to the side and taking a fighting stance.

Taking a stance himself, "I catch my own food, I'm constantly in fights I can't win, and I'm asking people I like to torture me, your just now figuring this out about me."

"So I'm not quick on the up take so sue me," darting in and turning into a jump kick.

* * *

**DP Style**

"What you want I cannot give," the words less an opinion than a statement of fact.

"But you are the master of time are you not, it must be in your power to do as I order!"

At the words Clockwork turned from his screens to face the ghost, shifting into his adult form, "no one orders time," his voice calm but with an unmistakable threat attached to it. "In your kingdom they may bow to you, but you are nothing more than a single ghost asking a boon I cannot grant, do not think yourself anymore than that."

"You will not speak to me like that, do you know who I am, the power I hold!"

Clockwork simply looked at him as he raged but had little concern for him, "I know your past, your present and all the roads of your future Prince Aragon. I speak to you as I would speak to any that would raise their voice to me, to any who doesn't understand their place in time and would use to me undermine it."

When he heard it the Prince lost his temper, his eyes shifting red, fangs growing in his mouth as the power of the Amulet of Aragon ran through him. By the second his body grew, his tail ripping out of him, claws growing from finger tips. With a sigh Clockwork, now a small child, brought his hand to his staff and clicking the small clock, "rewind," the scene shifting into reverse and the ghost returning to his human form. "Time out," clicking it again freezing the ghost, all that it save his head, "do you understand now," floating up to him, "to me you have no power, you are nothing more or less than anything else. Now if you wish to continue this audience you will show me the same respect you would wish yourself to be given, other wise you can leave now without further conversation."

Prince Aragon looked at the time lord, he had heard rumors of his power but never imagined it was so great. Finally bowing his head and swallowing his pride, "I apologize for my actions, but my need…"

"Is great in your mind, I know, time in," hitting the clock again, "but it does not change that what you ask cannot be done, at least not by me."

"But why," flexing his arms and moving closer to the time ghost, "you control all time, surely you can fix this, possibly even reverse it, if you do not…."

"I already know," turning from the ghost prince and waving his staff over a portal causing many possibly images to flash by. "Your kingdom could collapse from either internal or external threats, a myriad of possible options, but just as likely your world you continue to prosper and little will change."

"But it is that possibility I fear," watching the images,

"You fear your sister finally gaining her freedom," not looking at the ghost but knowing he was going to say, "and do not bother denying it, I've already seen your fears."

"My sister…my family is my own concern, and I do….enjoy her where she is. But this had nothing to do with her, and everything to do with my kingdom."

"Do tell," again he already knew the possibilities of what he would say but choose to let him anyway just to see what he would pick and how he would go about it in the present.

"Without the time distortion, the barrier that keep time from moving, my kingdom is powerless, the enemies of my family will strike and we won't survive." Though Clockwork's face was still he wasn't impressed with the opening salvo, having hoped for something more. "The prevention of technology in my realm is our greatest advantage since magic is a dieing from in the rest of the Ghost Zone, it is that even battle ground that allows my people the peace they've had for years. Every year the barrier grows smaller, contracting bit by bit, limiting the size of my realm, but soon, a few years, maybe less it will be gone and all those that live in my realm will be attacked, enslaved. I'm not asking for much, I just want the barrier renewed, made stronger to keep my people safe."

Clockwork sighed and shifted into an old man, "I'd hoped you wouldn't go that route, that you'd have more dignity, that you'd respect me more."

"What," trying to keep his appearance calm, but realizing no matter what he did the appearance shifting ghost was several steps ahead of him.

"It's true, you do have some concern for those that live in your realm, but only in the capacity that it effects your way of life. If they become upset they may stop working and then you will have to deal with them, so long as their status quo stays the same they're content but without it you lose much of your power over them, your strength only so much good. But it is more than that, you like having them at your feet, the men as well as the women, and as long as time stands still they can't conceive of anything but one of royal birth ruling them. However part of what you said is true, you want to keep the others out, to keep your reign over your home unchallenged and that can only happen so long as no one else has the power to fight on your level."

Prince Aragon growled for a moment, not liking having the truth spit back in his face, but knowing he couldn't do much about it. "Fine then, what will it take to get you to do this, money, power, women, name your price nothing it to high."

"You have nothing I want ghost prince, and to think that you do is laughable. Even if you did it wouldn't change my mind, your problem is mystical, it has nothing to do with my power."

"But it is a matter of time."

"No it is a matter of time manipulation, and while I can do that, so long as your shields in place, the effects of my power would be….unpredictable to say the least. However that doesn't matter, what you ask is a gross misuse of my power, of anyone's power, and I will not be a party to that."

"But I'm offering you…"

Pointing his staff at the ghost, "your offering me nothing, and I grow tired of this."

The prince's eyes glowed red and with a snarl, "in the name of my father Gadron, the true king, and greatest of all ghosts I DEMAND YOU OBEY ME!"

Despite the princes show of bravado Clockwork didn't move, "your fathers name has no sway over me, nor do you, now leave," pointing his staff at the door. When Prince Aragon made no move to leave Clockwork sighed, his mind moving to the web of possibility, the endless choices of life and smiled, finding a use for the ghost. "I cannot help you, but you can help yourself, do not seek help from the future but look to the past, there you may find what you desire."

"THAT'S IT!" starting to once more shift to his ghost form not caring about the power of the time lord.

"Your time is up," waving his staff, "rewind," the ghost prince stopping in his place for a moment then starting to move in reverse, everything he had done since arriving being replayed, albeit backwards from the time spirit view, not ending till Prince Aragon was well away from Clockwork's home, in truth nearly back to his own home, his own realm.

Throwing his head back and releasing a roar of rage, his body shifting into his dragon form, jets of blue flame escaping his mouth, he crushed a rock that was floating by with his large fist. Continuing the snarl his tail lashed out sending another rock sailing through the sky while digging his claws into the ruble of the first and tearing it apart even more. More flames soon followed as he ignited everything around him in bluefire, as he vented his rage for several minutes before finally returning to his normal form, his anger still present but his control once more in place.

His display had not gone unnoticed, several ghost now looked at him from a safe distance away in fear of becoming a target for the wraiths wrath. The only who approached him without fear was his sister, the green spirit floating up, her own Amulet of Aragon hanging from her neck. "Things didn't go well did they," keeping her voice soft to keep from angering him any further.

"Whatever gave you that idea," a forked tongue slipping out of his mouth as he snapped at her and lifting his arm to back hand her, only to let it go as she withered under him, the fear alone enough to pacify him. "Go ahead tell the servants I don't wish to be disturbed, I'll be along shortly," folding his arms and flicking his charm, letting the anger slowly clear from his mind while floating back into his own realm and the safety of the time barrier.

By the time he moved through his kingdom everyone was hidden away, not a villager or servant to be seen the entire way to his throne room. Sitting down in the large chair his mind was finally calm enough to properly consider what Clockwork had said. He might've been angry but he wasn't stupid, any word by the time spirit was to be taken to heart and considered completely till it's hidden truth understood. "He's knows something, something I have to figure out, but what, I've exhausted every option already he was my last chance, the only way to keep the barrier in place."

"Look to the past," Clockworks advice to him still fresh in his mind as he tried to get comfortable on the throne. "I've already had my wizards go though every mystic book in the kingdom, if there's a way to renew the magic it isn't here. Seeking such knowledge in the rest of the Ghost Zone is pointless, even if it wasn't dieing, it's to large, and there are to few of us that can pass the border unharmed." That was true, in his realm there were only five that could do so, the mystic wall keeping all others with in. The amulets allowed he and his sister to move freely in addition to it's transformative powers. The other three were his private guards, the Archer, the Executioner, and the Wizard, and they could only move thanks to magic passed down from Aragon's father.

After a few moments of struggling with the thoughts that had no answer he floated away from the room and into the main hall, something he'd done many times in moments of stress. Adorning the wall was an elaborate portrait of his father, the true king of the realm, of the Ghost Zone itself. Like his children he was green in appearance and slim with a gold medallion hanging from his neck, and looking more than a little like an older wiser version of his son, but with a white beard. Unlike them however he was dressed for battle, chain mail covering his body, armored gauntlets and boots on his hands and feet and a sword at held in front of him held like a cane. The image barely captured the true essence of the king, his wisdom, his strength, his presence, it showed what he looked like but not the king that he was.

"You would've already solved this wouldn't you," speaking to the painting as he generally did when faced with a challenge he couldn't see through. "You were always ready for whatever came your way, you made the barrier to keep us safe, knew when a fight was coming long before your opponent pulled his blade, anticipated everything asked of you before those that asked knew it themselves. So why aren't you here now," staring up at the picture, asking it that question not for the first time. "You knew everything, so how is it you let him beat you, let him get so far along, why did you not destroy Pariah Dark before he got to you?"

The name of the now former ghost king caused the power of his amulet to flare for a moment, but not enough to transform him. He'd been a young child in those days but he still remember the man all to well, the memories flooding back into his mind as they generally did during such times of introspection. Pariah Dark had been his fathers chief military advisor in those days as well as his most trusted friend and confidant. The larger ghost knew everything about the then king, his every strength and weakness, how his mind worked, and what his heart would demand he do. Why Dark turned against his family the Prince never knew, for that matter what had happened to his father was still a mystery but what the traitor had done to gain his power was not.

"My fathers weapons," the Prince growled looking at the image, seeing them on his father even if they weren't in the painting. Even though he had only worn them a few times in his life Aragon always pictured his father wearing the Crown of Fire and the Ring of Rage, the ultimate weapons of the king, what had kept him in power for so long and let Dark gain his advantage. They been forged long ago, before the prince even existed, and their origins lost to him, but he knew their power none the less. They were weapons of last resort, final tools to be used in times of great need when all hope seemed lost, and it truth little more than a rumor to most of those in the Ghost Zone. "Which explains why so many think they are, and always were his alone," Aragon's teeth growing sharp as he thought of the heinous lie perpetrated by the traitor.

How he did not know, but the larger ghost had obtained the weapons through trickery and deceit and used them to gain power. In truth it did bother him that Pariah Dark had obtained them, both pieces never kept together for fear of such an action, and both protected, hidden deep in secret layers protected by magic to insure none but the king could obtain them. Never the less he'd gotten them and used them to raise his own army and attack his former lord. At the time even with the artifacts Prince Aragon didn't fear the outcome, they were after all only tools, crudely used by a fool. They were nothing next to his fathers true strength, power of his family, the practiced grace and skill that came with using a Amulet of Aragon so regularly.

"No," the Prince corrected himself lost in the memories, "not the Amulets of Aragon, the eyes of Dracus," remembering their true name, the new names springing up over time from his subjects as the memory of his father faded, and over time his ego demanding he himself start using it. The eyes granted the great power of their family, the power to become dragons, the power to destroy anything that dared to stand against them. Where he and his sister held the same amount of power in that form, though he'd never admit it to her, their father was far stronger, the fury of the gold dragon for many years creating fear in the heart of all at his very mention. Where they were dangerous he was as a god, a creature that could not be stood against, power personified.

It was that power that stood against Pariah Dark and the crown and ring, power enough to level the Ghost Zone meeting power incarnate. What had happened he did not know but he father was never seen again, and Dark became the scourge of the Ghost Zone for years till he was finally imprisoned by the greatest sorcerers that could be found.

Over time he'd tried to reclaim what was rightfully his, the crown always just out of reach, and the ring locked away, the key just beyond his grasp, the beast that guarded it as strong as he was. But even if he could somehow get it he knew the greater threat was the crown. He knew where it was but dared not attempt to obtain it for fear of releasing the monster again. It wasn't that he didn't dream of making the upstart pay for what he'd done, he just knew alone he couldn't win, with the ring and crown perhaps but he wasn't sure he could get it before the giant awoke. He thus chose to be safe rather than sorry, something that had worked for him for many years, that is up till now, and he knew very soon he'd have to start making risky decisions if he was going to keep the status quo unchanged.

"I could fight, I could send everyone here to fight, and we could win for a time but in the end we'll fall father, not even the power of Dracus could….stop….," when he said it his mind started going off, an idea arising, it was crazy, but he had nothing to lose by asking. "SERVANTS," his voice mixed with the dragons, "BRING ME THE CHRONICLER, NOW!"

Looking at his father's image again a smile forming on his lips, the fangs still showing, "be with me now father, help me see what I do now know, help me make the right moves to keep what is left of your legacy whole." Turning he flew down the hall back to his throne, the courts historian already waiting for him, he was a spindly old ghost with a small bookcase for a chest.

"You summoned me," bowing low, the books and various odds and ends falling onto the floor, fear evident in his voice, as he tried to pick them up quickly.

"I did," ignoring the mess, half due to the knowledge that it would happen, it always when he called him, and half that his mind was already far ahead to other deeds. "Tell me," leaning back into his throne, "why exactly are they called the EYES," emphasizing the word, "of Dracus?"

* * *

**DP Style**

"I'm never going to get tired of this," Danny looking out of the window, to the inky blackness in front of him.

"I do understand why you wanted to be an astronaut now little brother," the redhead leaning over his chair and staring out at the stars, dressed in modified version of her tight morphing outfit, the suit now having long sleeves and legs, "this is incredible."

Looking up at her, "told you it was worth it, how you doing Tuck."

"As well as can be expected," the other boy sitting in the pilots chair, his eyes shifting from the controls, to the system readouts, to space. "Everything seems to be checking out on this end, but I'm still not sure we're at a hundred percent yet."

"A hundred or ten this is still worth it," Jazz smiling and soaking in the fact that she really was orbiting the planet of her birth, no longer concerned with potential photos from Tucker considering how much he'd seen her dress like that while she and Tobias had crawled through the ship.

Snorting lightly, "and if the shields fail the last thing you'll do is blame me, there's a reason things like this are gone over with a fine tooth comb before they happen….."

"Blah blah blah death blah blah pain blah blah system failure, Tuck-man," his friend resting a hand on his shoulder, "lighten up, we're here, we're safe, and you have got this thing nailed down. For crying out loud you fly better than the bird in this thing, nothings going to go wrong."

"And if it does there are worse ways to go," Jazz getting a freaked look from Tucker.

Turning his attention fully to the controls, "and on that note I'm turning this marvel of technology around and heading back home before someone says something that'll curse this girl."

"Tuck," the half ghost grabbing his hand, "relax, just enjoy this."

"I am, I did, doesn't change anything, you wanted to go up, I finally agreed because I thought we were ready, you've seen it and I now have a lot of data to go through before I'm convinced we can do this again anytime soon."

"Tuck look at that," Danny flying out of his chair and pointing his friends face out to the empty landscape, "you can't tell me this isn't the greatest thing you've ever seen."

"No that would be this," tapping the controls of the ship, "and in case you haven't noticed there are about three lights going off right now, and I don't know what they mean. Now unless you can and tell me in the next fifteen seconds what those things are indicating we're going back to Earth."

"Fasten seatbelt," Jazz shrugged.

"The lights are on?"

Glaring at the pair, "and now we're heading back, grab a seat, next stop Amity Park, and I don't care if you think I'm being a wuss, at least I'm a live wuss."

"You grab his hands, I'll garb his feet and we'll toss him out the airlock," Danny mock growled looking at his sister.

"But the airlock takes to long," his sister playing along, "can't you just phase him out the wall?"

"Make you jokes, I'm not stopping," turning the ship back to Earth and heading back down, the navigation system telling him how to get back to Amity Park in the shortest amount of time. It took him a little longer to get there than it took Danny when Tobias had flown but they still managed to get down without trouble and store the ship in the little cave on the coast. A few moments later the trio popped out of the ground thanks to Danny's intangibility.

"Ok everything aside, how's it doing?"

Tapping in his PDA, "all things considered Danny she'd doing better than I thought, whatever the problems are it doesn't interfere with landings and I don't think it's linked to the shields or cloak. Those problems aside she's running like a dream, the only real questions are the weapons, and till I have something to shoot at I can't really test how effective they are."

"For once you actually want to go ghost hunting, this ship is getting better and better."

"Yeah you two can do whatever you want, I'm going to hit the sky," feathers sprouting over her body and shirking. (I'll see you in the sky guys, and if I don't try and stay out of trouble,) spreading her wings and flapping back into the sky, catching a head wind she disappeared from view after a few moments.

"The scary part is that doesn't even bother me when she turns into animals anymore," very brother watching her.

"I now I feel the same way about you went you go ghost."

"Well here's a conversation I never thought I'd have," sighing and shaking his head, "so anything else we need to do or can we get going, I unfortunately have some home work I have to get done."

"What we didn't get that much today."

Scratching the back of his head, shifting some of his black hair, "yeah you remember that project Mr. Lancer gave us two weeks ago?"

"The eight page book analysis one, the one due tomorrow?"

"Bingo."

"You haven't finished writing it."

"Haven't even started reading the book."

"And your family wonders why you're a C student."

Lifting into the air and looking down on him, "you can walk home or you can help me, those are your choices."

"Well since you put it that way," raising his hand, the pair heading back towards town. After a few minute and a couple of miles Tucker decided to break the silence between them, "so….you ok with all the time Tobias is spending with Sam?"

"Why wouldn't I be, I mean she's teaching him to fight, it's not that different from him helping me with my powers or Jazz with hers."

"Yeah, but Sam's in tight….whatever that suit is made of, all the time, most guys would be nervous about their….friends in that kind of situation."

Danny squeezed his friend hand in warning, "unless you learned to fly over the last few minutes I wouldn't start."

"Come on, Sam and Tobias, all hot and sweaty, pealing their cloths off, we've both seen movies like this. First there just friends, then they learn they have so much in common, then one day they punch, they get in close, lips meet by accident, the awkward silence then they go in for another to prove it meant nothing, and the next thing you now their dating. If I was you I wouldn't stand for it, I'd kick the door in right now and…"

"I thought this thing with you and Tobias was over," ignoring his friend.

"It was till he feed me rat, that he said was good and turned out to taste like road kill. It took three days to get that taste out of my mouth and I can still almost taste it when I eat anything meat. Do you have any idea how many salads I've had to eat over the last few days? And if you mention I said that to Sam people in school will know about secret life."

"But I've seen you eating burgers at school, when were you eating salads?"

"At home, I have to keep up appearances, can't let the other carnivores at school know I've gone soft, that I've lost my way."

"Revenge aside I'm not worried about Sam and Tobias, he's not her type and I don't think he's really interested in her like that."

Seeing his opening he pressed the topic, his PDA recording in his pants to get the words on record, "and why's that?"

"I'll say it if you turning it off," letting go of one of his friends hands.

Looking up at him with equal parts shook and fear, "I don't know what your talking about."

"Tuck I've known you for years, turn of the PDA or whatever you have recording me."

"Fine," slipping his hand into his pocket and turning it off, "so why won't he hit on Sam?"

"Because he's into my sister, why else."

"And your really ok with this?"

"Given every other guy she's ever been interested in has been either completely nuts, a jerk, or a ghost, and he's just a little crazy and a bird, yeah I'm ok with it, or as ok as any brother can be with his sister sorta dating someone."

"So they are dating?"

"They won't say it but I know it's only a matter of time before one of them breaks down and they start."

"Like you and Sam?"

"WHAT," nearly flying into a tree, "Sam and I are totally different, we're nothing like them."

"Sure your not."

"Again do you know how to fly?"

"Fine I'll shut up, but just how sorta dating are they?"

Sighing and rolling his eyes at his friends question, "Tuck I'm going to be straight with ya, this fantasy you've been harboring for years about you and my sister, the one I generally ignore in the interest of our friendship, it's not going to happen. She doesn't like you that way, she never will, get over it, it's not Tobias' fault or your fault, it's just the way it is, so give it up."

"Absolutely no chance?"

"You two could be the last people or ghosts on earth and it still wouldn't happen."

"Great, well there go all my prospects."

From the sound of his voice Danny knew where this was going, "TUCKER," he barked jolting his friends eyes up, "we're not having this conversation, your relationship are just that, yours, any other time I might help, but not here and not now."

"Oh come on, everybody else has someone, what do I have."

"TUCK AGAIN NOT HERE NOT NOW!"

* * *

**DP Style**

"Your telling me they're actually eyes?" holding his amulet up to his face.

Looking at the scroll in his hands, "according to this yes, the eyes of Dracus are actually eyes, or were in case, belonging to Dracus himself, the Tyrant King of Dragons."

"He existed," dropping his amulet and flying down to historian, he didn't have choice but to fly, the floor covered in books, scrolls, artifacts and other and ends, all pulled from his chest cavity. The Voltex's sole supernatural gift was his storage space, combined with his retentive mind he made a great chronicler, his organization skills on the other hand were somewhat limited. "I always through he was a legend, a monster created to scare small children into obeying their parents."

"That is how he's now seen, but that is not his true nature," looking back in the scroll, "back before he became legend he was widely known as a beast of unrivaled power, a virtual god to all ghosts who was never to be challenged. He was also a creature of peace, something given to him by that power, no ghost would dare cross him for fear of facing the fury. For many years he, with a council of other such beasts, ruled over the Ghost Zone, and while it was not always at peace it was much better than it is now."

"And how does that tie into my father having his eyes?"

"I'm getting to that," seeing the anger in the eyes of the others man, "Prince," quickly correcting himself. "In time these ancient beasts choose to give up their hold on this section of the Ghost Zone, many simply fading away, others moving on, but Dracus choose to stay, his presence known for many years, that alone keeping the other ghosts in check. In that time he dedicated himself to study, to understanding the many secrets of this section of the Ghost Zone. But as time passed, more people began to question him, tried to move against his power, believing that he had become weak, or that he never had such power to begin with. Your father was the first to challenge him…"

"He wouldn't do that, my father…," the prince protested, his eyes glowing red, flames leaping from his mouth.

"I merely repeat what is written Prince, do not blame me for the actions of those that wrote this,"

"Very well," his eyes returning to normal, "but get to the point."

"I'm close to that now my liege," returning to the scroll, "your father challenged him, and was quickly defeated by the great dragon, but rather than making an example of him he took him under his wing and promised to spare him if he would take his place as the guardian and protector of ghosts in his stead. Your father, being no fool, agreed to the terms knowing that if he didn't he would never return, his after life forfeit to the great beast. When he didn't return for many days the other rebelling ghosts grew fearful, their plans put off for several months till their power was easily tripled and attacked again in force. This time however instead of facing Dracus they faced your father, transformed by the training and wisdom bestowed upon him by the dragon, and perhaps of secondary importance the Eye of Dracus."

"The fight was quick and elegant, lasting mere hours where by all rights in should've raged for months, with your father rising as the victor. From that day on he was known as the heir to Dracus and haled as the new kings, all others ghost bowing before him. For a time there was peace in the realm, and your father ruled with wisdom and compassion, in the true image of the dragon that had taught him. However in time, as things tend to do, there were problems, uprisings, assaults, abuses of power, disasters that were beyond even his grasp and he would once more have to seek out Dracus for advice in dealing with them."

"Many of you fathers greatest accomplishments were due to his guidance, even the creation of his weapons was due to the sage council of the former ruler of the realm. Your amulets are perhaps the greatest product of his power, they like the original coming from his eyes, yet not as powerful."

"What do you mean not as powerful?"

"The one your father wore was forged specifically for him, to be used to maintain order of the Ghost Zone, the ones you and your sister wear are for training, the first steps till the next leader was chosen, then they would gain the full power of the dragon."

"Then it is mine?"

"It was meant for the one your father chose, to my knowledge your father never chose and heir to the title of protector."

"But it was me, I'm his son, it can only be me."

"The amulets were given to you both that can only mean he saw something in each on you that was worthy of carrying on the legacy," seeing the anger in his eyes he quickly added, "and while I'm sure he would've chosen you it is a mute point since the eye has not been seen since your fathers battle with Pariah Dark."

This new knowledge was something to think about but not the real reason he needed him but it did offer him something to consider. "Just how wise is this dragon, how much does he know?"

"When this was written it said he knew practically everything there was to know, of course that may be over stating somewhat. I do believe however, he knew far more than any ghost at the time, if he has continued his studies his knowledge must have surely grown."

"So he's still here," a plan forming in his mind.

Putting the scroll on the ground and reaching into his chest and quickly pulled out many pieces of text, discarding them almost as soon as he pulled them before settling on book. Flipping through the pages, "nothing contradicts that, but the last person to actually lay eyes on him was your father and that was some time ago I cannot say with any certainty what his current condition is."

"Of my fathers accomplishments was the shield also one of his," looking up through the window to the dark clouds in the sky.

Dropping the book and moving back to the scroll, "Yes Prince, it was, your father implemented it but the knowledge of how to make it came from Dracus."

"Then he would know how to repair it wouldn't he," speaking freely, the ghost having helped him monitor the decay of the shield for years.

"By all rights he should, if he does is another matter."

"Then I'll just have to speak with him won't I," turning his back on the ghost and heading back to his throne.

Beginning to put away his literature Voltex sighed, "it may not be that simple."

"Why, I am….."

"I don't believe he cares," cutting him off, not caring to hear the Prince Aragon's speech. "Your father was a great man true, and earned the right to speak with the great beast, I don't believe it will simply be given to you because of him, it is more likely you will have to earn that same right."

Looking at his amulet, "I can arrange that."

"From what I have read, including excerpts from your fathers own journals, it must be an unarmed battle, at least as far as magic is concerned. You cannot use your amulet not can you send those of your service to fight first, you and you alone, must fight him and earn that right. To speak bluntly my lord, as formidable as you are, you are not your father, I do not believe he will freely help you."

"YOURS SAYING HE WON'T HELP ME," shifting into his dragon form and lifting his up by his throat, the chroniclers face inches from the dragons teeth.

"No your majesty," thinking fast, "I'm simply saying you and he are very different mentally and physically, Dracus may recognize that, and deny you help if you cannot offer him whatever it is he looks for in a an emissary."

Breathing his hot breath into the other ghosts face, the Prince considered his words but was interrupted, "maybe….," the word making him snap around to the source, his sister standing in the door way just barely in sight.

"BE SILENT," blasting a ball of fire at her making her jump down the hall.

"Maybe we should let her speak," the historian thinking quickly, unlike her brother he knew she had a sharper mind and her idea might be superior to anything her brother might come up with. In truth he respected her far more than her brother even if he would never say the words to anyone. "It might be gibberish," the dragon looking at him, his expression one of contempt, "but at the moment what harm could it be to here her out."

Growling and lowering the ghost with the bookcase chest, "fine, retrieve her, I could use a laugh at the moment."

"Of course," floating off and bringing the princess back after a few moments, the prince now on the throne. "Tell him what you told me," pushing the woman forward, trying to boost her confidence.

Not looking her brother in the eyes Dorathea began, "Voltex said father tried to beat Dracus and failed, it's reasonable to think you'd have to do the same.

"Thank you for stating the obvious sister," waving her off.

"Actually," taking a step back, "I was thinking why not send another to deal with him, to prove his worth to the creature."

"Had you been listening you'd know I can't send my servants to prove my worth," a serpent's tongue flashing as he spoke.

"I didn't mean one of your servants I meant someone else, one that might be able to weaken him enough for you to challenge him directly after words, you would more than likely win then."

Her brother looked at her in shock and given the ridged way he sat both could tell he was going to snap at any moment. Knowing what was to come the chronicler stepped in, "it's a good plan given what we know, it could be enough to put you on the dragons good side, but if I may make one alteration if you arrived to help him instead of challenging him, that might be enough to prove your worth to him."

Looking from his sister to the historian, and laughing a deep bitter chuckle, "I'll play along, and where would we find someone stupid enough to challenge him, ever one knows the legends of Dracus, even those beyond this land, none of them are stupid enough to challenge him. Even if we did find one, finding one strong enough would nearly be impossible, especially given the time we have to work with."

"I might know one," his sister staying calm, and looking away, "I met in my travels, he had great power when I met him, and the stories say it has only grown."

"And who would that be," leaning back into the chair.

"The halfa," knowing what her brother was about to say and corrected herself, "the second halfa. He's young but skilled, he managed to beat me in my dragon form, and even resealed Pariah Dark's prison. He is also perhaps the only ghost to not know the tales of Dracus, he would not know the potential danger he's walking into. I know convincing him to go would be hard but he might be the only chance we have to find a way to renew the shield."

"It is a good plan my lord, a bit rough yes, but with much potential, if we could do it we could kill many problems in one move. Dracus would be in your debt, the halfa would no longer be a threat, and if you emerged with him you'd be known as the ghost to defeat he that beat Pariah Dark, you'd be known as the true heir to the Ghost King, it might elevate you to your fathers status."

"And then I could bring his legacy back to the people, let them know of him, and finally take my rightful place as the King of the Ghost Zone, yes a plan, I'm glad I thought of it," smiling to himself. "I need to speak with my advisors," looking back at them as he floated through the room, "well what are you waiting for clean up this mess."

Bowing low, a few more books falling out of his chest, "of course, at once my liege," and beginning to clean with the help of the princess. When Aragon was out of the way he looked at her and smiled, "it is an excellent plan you know, and your idea of having me correct you was a stoke of genius."

Accepting the compliment with a slight blush, "I know my brother, he'd never listen to me or my ideas, but a small correction by you makes them suddenly reach his ears."

"He's a fool but it has a very good chance of working, if he doesn't screw it up."

"I almost hope he does," handing him a book.

"I know but we do need the barrier, it's the only thing that keeps the outside at bay."

"And keeps us locked in this time and place," she sighed bitterly.

Putting a few more books in his cavity, "you deserve more than this Prin…Dorathea," remembering that she asked him long ago to use her name rather than her title. "If your father was still here I do not doubt they would have chosen you to he his heir and successor, you are so much like him, the same wisdom and insights, the same heart, it's a pity we have to follow him."

"He is my brother, saying such things could get you in trouble," a coy smile on her lips.

Chuckling lightly, "if you didn't tell him about me saying these things for all these years why would I believe you'd suddenly start now?"

"True," forcing a few artifacts into his body.

* * *

**DP Style**

Danny yawned and leaned against the locker, stretching slightly and still trying to shake off the tiredness that ran through his body. "Why do classes have to be so early in the morning, it feels like it was yesterday only a few minutes ago."

"Time fly's when you have to stay up all night writing a report huh?" Tucker next to him, but unlike his friend he was relatively awake.

Stretching a little more and issuing a small moan, "I had a little luck with sister and Tobias, apparently they'd both gone over the story at some point and were willing to help me on a few points, probably saved me about two pages of actual thinking on the writing side."

"How exactly did he read a book?"

"He does other things besides sitting in a tree all day, apparently he does enjoy reading, when people go outside to read he occasionally reads over their shoulder so to speak. I was just lucky enough that he picked up more than a few chapters of the book I was reading."

"It'll be interesting to see what you get."

"On what," Sam plopping onto a locker next to them, moving with a slight limp.

Looking her over, Danny a little worried about her but not seeing anything else wrong other than looking tired herself. "The book analysis Mr. Lancer wants done today, I had to get help from my sister and the rat eater last night to finish it."

An amused smile crossed the goth lips when he said it, "one of these days your going to learnt to actually do this stuff before it's due."

"It's Danny, that's not gunna happen," Tucker leaning his back against the lockers as well.

"Lay off, it's done that's all that counts right? So," waving up and down Sam, "what happened to you?"

"Long day," rolling her shoulder, "I'm surprised the bird didn't tell you, he and I were training for a few hours while you three were joy riding. For a guy that claims to have just started he is picking things up way to fast. Add that in to how fast he heals and I feel like I've been put through the ringer….twice."

"It really that bad?"

"Try that good," beginning to massage her own shoulders, "it's been a long time since I've been able to open up on someone and know I can't hurt them. I know I'm suppose to be helping him, but he's let me perfect a few things I couldn't do other wise. To be honest, pain aside, I feel great, better than I have in months, maybe even years."

Watching her try and work out some kinks it became clear to Danny is wasn't working. "Stop," he finally sighed not liking to see her hurt like that, "turn around and take off the back pack." She looked at him, trying to read him, she knew what he was planning but wasn't sure she wanted to let him, but finally the promise was to good to let slip away and let the purple bag fall away and slipping down the jacket a little. Moving his hands over her shoulders he started working into the muscle through the tank top and the fight material underneath, slowly rolling his hands till he found the right spot and worked into it.

After a few minutes of this she sighed contentedly, few people really taking notice till then, the time still before most people bothered to show up. His fingers slowly worked into the sore muscles and freed them up giving her a much needed energy boost and feeling of contentment. "Oh that is so good," she almost purred and moved into his hands letting him work a little more.

"Um Danny," Tucker not really wanting to break the two up but seeing the growing number of people, "unless you want more people to think the two of you are dating, I'd stop very soon."

"Not dating," Sam actually purred this time, her voice far away as the half ghost worked into her for a few more seconds before regretfully pulling back having heard his friend.

When he did Sam growled slightly, "ok you've been hanging out with him a little to long, your starting to sound like an animal," Danny backing half a step up, a few of the sounds coming off her making him nervous.

Rolling her arms a little most of the soreness gone for the moment, she moved over to Tucker and grabbed him by the shirt collar, "the next time you have something to say keep your mouth shut." Looking over to Danny and pulling her Jacket back up, "where did you learn to do that?"

"You'd be amazed the things that I learn from my family."

"And on that note, I'm going to go to class before I become sick," Tucker walking off.

"What's up with him?" Sam watching him go.

"He's gone to obsessing about not having a girlfriend."

"Two weeks?" knowing where he was going with this.

"I'm going with ten days."

"Ten bucks says your wrong, that look, that tone of voice, he's defiantly going to be hitting on every girl in the area for at least two weeks." Picking her backpack up, "let me guess this is all because of Jazz and Tobias?"

"And the sorta relationship they're in," heading down the hall, "he just can't let it go."

"When could he ever let something go," walking next to him, there conversation slowly shifting away from Tucker to other matters. "So any idea on what's going on with Axion?"

"Nothing," Danny shaking his head, "we know Vlad now owns the company, and he's appointed Mr. Gray as director of special projects, aka ghosts weapons, but that's about it. Well that and my parents didn't given him any plans for the Ecto-Skeleton, but that doesn't tell us much."

"Thought about going through it?"

"Won't do any good at the moment, it's still being rebuilt, and the ghost shield is already up, and according to Tobias they're taking serious measures to keep animals out. I don't know what that means but if it keeps him out it has to be bad."

"Given what I've seen I can believe that," cracking her neck.

"So he's really that tough?" knowing where the crick had to have come from.

"I don't know if I'd call it tough, but the guy picks things up fast and he plays to win, good thing he also has a lot of control. It's really scary actually he's put things together in a few weeks that took me a few months to get down. Add that to whatever's going on in his head and we're talking a contender in the making. I'm thinking in a few years he could really give me a challenge, right now though I'm playing to his level but that's still more than I thought I'd have to."

"You figured out why he wanted this, if he told Jazz I haven't gotten it out of her."

"Bits and pieces, apparently he wants to know everything he can the next time he comes up against David, I don't know what happened down there, and I mean really happened, but it shook his confidence in himself in a big way. I'm not sure that souvenir you brought back didn't factor into that, it might not have been a conscious decision but I do think it had something to do with it."

"So my arguments to him about taking it…."

"I think he might've used it to justify it, but I think it was already on his mind."

Danny looked at her when he realized why he was having a sense déjà vu , "why do you suddenly sound like my sister?"

"Because she been psychoanalyzing him again and she wanted to know what he was saying and doing around me to do it, and she ended up feeding it all back to me."

"Great I thought she promised to stop doing that."

"Sorry I don't think the shrink in her will ever die."

"Maybe that's for the best, given what I've seen I might need a cheap therapist one day."

"Yeah that's not going to ethical areas."

"Yes but at least this way I won't have to lie to someone about what's going on in my life."

"True, but getting back to your sisters boy toy."

Snapping his hear around to look at her, "don't say that….ever, I'm only accepting to a point."

Laughing lightly, "his confidence is just rattled, maybe it's David, maybe it's Rachel saving him, maybe it's seeing the others again we don't know but it's something. In any case it's lit a fire under him, made him want to be more than he is, I don't know just how far it'll take him but I wouldn't underestimate him any time soon. If nothing else if Dash picks another fight with him, I wouldn't put money down on the football player to win."

"Cool I'll set up the meeting and sell tickets, you grab Tuck and get some recording equipment, I'm thinking we sell the DVD of ten bucks a pop."

"You make it sound like he would fight, he has nonviolent tendencies, which is weird given what I know about him, honestly the guys like a big kitte…er I meant bat, a little vampire bat," correcting herself when she realized she was heading into girly-girl territory. "When you get past all the craziness he's just a really gentle guy, kind of a shame about everything that happened to him."

"Sounds like you've gotten to like him," elbowing her.

"I don't think I ever didn't like him, that was you and Tuck."

"Same difference, you're my friend you have to agree with me."

Putting her hand out, "hi I'm Sam Manson have we've met, I don't agree with you two at least five times a day before nine AM."

"You know what I mean."

"So you two are getting along though?"

"We're ok," shifting the weight of his backpack, "we still have some problems, but over all we're better than we were when he first showed up. Like I said before, the trip put us on good ground, I got to know him, he got to understand me a little more, granted he's still after my sister but now I don't want to bury him in the backyard every time he looks at her."

"Like he couldn't dig himself out if you did," slipping around into their class.

Sitting down next to her, "truer words were never spoken." The three sat through a normal day over all, no ghosts and only one run in with Dash, there respective minds on other things. The only real exception occurring when Tucker was slapped by almost half the female populace of the school in a few short hours.

"Still think it'll take ten days?" Sam nodding over as Star slapped Tucker.

"At this point I'm thinking two day."

"That'd be my guess too," Sam watching him walk over to them while rubbing his sore cheek.

"You know what," the weariness in his voice evident to any who listened, "I'm going about this all wrong. I'm bouncing from girl to girl, trying my luck, when really I should take it out of chances hands, no more first impressions, no more them seeing Tucker the geek…."

"Your not going to change your look again are you," Sam dreading where this was going.

Pulling out his PDA, "nope," tapping on it, "I'm going virtual, online dating, pure controlled situations, I'm not leaving anything to chance anymore."

"Just what you needed another excuse to stare into that thing, I'm surprised you haven't had that thing surgically attacked to your hand."

Not missing a beat, " I thought about it but it cost to much and it ruins my ability to type."

Sam sighed and just started walking away from them, the boys catching up after a few minutes, "you get it all out of your systems?"

"No I'm going to be having fun with this for weeks," Danny rubbing his hands and looking over at his friend.

"Hey," Tucker defending, "this is perfectly normal, people do it all the time."

"GUYS," Sam cutting in, "I don't want to hear it ok, I don't, so lets just change the subject, I don't care to what just not this." With a bit of regret the pair moved on to normal things for them, video games, ghosts, and plans for there ride. That end of the conversation lead them to the Fenton Works to pick up a few pieces of equipment so they could celibate some of the sensors, the Fenton Finder integrated into the ship was a little iffy on some ghosts and they wanted to modify the system to track Jazz and Tobias in case a situation ever came up.

Walking in the door, Jack was the first person they heard, "DANNY," the large man bounding up to him, "LOOKAT THIS," throwing his arm around the boy and brining him towards the couch.

"Dad I'm right here," slipping out of his arm, always a nervous when he got like that, "you don't have to yell that loud."

"WHAT….sorry," his son's continued complaint sinking in again, "anyway look at this, I ordered a few months ago and it finally arrived, at least I think I ordered it, maybe Maddie did, I don't know, the order slip says your mother did but it could've been me. It's a book about ghosts, ancient ghosts, put together from manuscripts that are still on the waiting list to be carbon dated, stupid scientific community not believing in ghosts."

"So it's like half the other books in this house?"

"Well yes but older, and full of things I've never read before, did you know ghosts have the ability to see the future."

Thinking back to Clockwork, "I think I might've heard that at some point in time," wincing at his unintentional pun.

"Well what we have here might be the very origin of the Oracle of Delphi, a ghost that can and will tell the future to anyone willing to seek it, and every prediction is one hundred percent guaranteed to come true."

"That's great dad," Danny starting to slip away and move back towards his friends.

Slapping his hand down on the table, "that has to be how these ghost punks keep escaping me, they have this guy tell them everything I'm going to do before I do it. If I can take him out I can stop them all from escaping me, finally the human world will be safe, and ghosts will know there place in the universe!"

"I think we lost him again," Sam watching the elder Fenton go on a tirade about ghosts, it wasn't the first time she'd seen it, and anyone else might've been scared.

"Then we should get outta here before he remembers we're around," Danny leading them upstairs quickly and away from the man in orange. After a few minutes they found themselves in the command center rummaging around through odds ends looking for the right equipment.

"There is way to much stuff in here," Tucker sighed trying to figure out what he was holding looking midway between a gun and a blender.

Not bothering to look at his friend, "and most of it's not even finished."

"Really?" hissing sarcastically, "Danny this isn't our first trip up here," Sam looking at what she thought was a turbocharged can opener.

Putting the thing down, "doesn't make going though his parents stuff any easier, would it kill them to label this stuff at least."

"DAD I DON'T CARE," Jazz's voice echoing up at them along with the sound of footsteps.

The sound caused enough interest in Danny to float over to the door way and peak his head down, "let me guess," seeing her walking down the hall, "dad wanted to show you his new book?"

"Doesn't he always want to show us his new stuff," walking over to her brother and leaning on the stairs, "at least it didn't blow up in my face like most of the stuff he runs at me with."

"Give him time he'll find a way to make it do that," coming down a little and sitting on the steps. "So why are you here I thought you had a thing with Tobias?"

"We did, but he showed up at school during third period and cancelled on me, he said something about wanting to do something alone, he wasn't really making sense so I'm not sure."

"Not making sense for him or for us? I just want to know if he's in a funk or if something horrible is about to happen and we'll be in the middle of it by nightfall."

"I think the birds just running a little wild on him, I think everything he's been doing with Sam and I and maybe a little bit of misplaced guilt has thrown him a little off balance. Best guess the hawk just wants a little attention…"

"That," Sam dropping her head down, "or he's leading a secret double life full of mystery, danger and intrigue, no wait that's this life, I meant a normal life without any kind of weirdness."

"I don't think Birdie's ever going to have that kind of life."

"So you think our punching bags going to be ok?"

She ran her fingers through her hair and shrugged, "I think so Sam, with him it's hard to know, but I think he'll get it together, I think he just needs a day away from everyone to work out some primal things."

"Ah," nodding her head, "bite, scratch, howl at the moon."

"Spoken like a true goth, he's not a werewolf Sam."

"But wouldn't it be cool if he was," Danny breaking in.

"Yes but we don't live in a fantasy world little brother, so it's kind of a mute point."

Pointing to himself, "ghost," pointing to Sam, "hunter," over to his sister, "animal. Sis we've been living in the realm of fantasy for a while now."

"Ok you two can finish this, I'm going back up with Tucker and trying to find the right stuff."

The redhead watching her disappear, "something up?"

"Just working on a few systems for later, you know just in case."

"Then I'll let you get back to it," heading to her room and away from her brother. Plopping down on her bed she fired up her laptop, having actually gotten the right files in it after a second trip and glad to know it was now ghost free. She scanned through her files, adding bits to her homework, a few odds and ends to the psych profiles, little comments by her brothers and Sam's, but for the most part nothing much before switching on the wireless and surfing the net for a few moments, making what was now a daily pilgrimage to the Zoo's homepage to see what was there and if any of the creatures might be useful or interesting for later. Over the last few weeks she'd made some head way on morphing clothing, she couldn't do it yet but he clothing was staying more and more intact with each try.

After about half an hour of searching her brother tapped on the door frame, "got a second?"

Closing the page was she on, "sure, problems?" looking up at him.

"No, but I think you should look at this," walking over to her, carrying their fathers large book in his hands and a small folder.

Pushing the computer aside as he sat the book down, "do I want to know what this is about, I thought we had an unspoken agreement not to encourage our parents."

"Yeah well I made the mistake of going downstairs to grab a few drinks for the others and he got me for a few minutes."

"And I'm caring about this why?"

Putting the folder down, and pulling out a paper, an image on it of several floating sections of land on it, and opening the book with a picture on it. "So is it just me," tapping the two images, "or do these two look the same?"

"Two similar pictures," looking at them, "and this one," tapping the photocopied page, "looks like it's from a different book. So is this going somewhere little brother?"

"They're not just similar, a few things aside these could be of the same place."

"So two different books have nearly the same image, it could be coincidence, someone got the wrong page on the wrong book."

"Or they're the same place," opening up the folder and taking out a picture of Pariah Dark's castle, "this came from the same book I got this from and I know this place is real because I've been inside it twice now, technically three times but, one was because of time travel."

"What do you mean same….your telling me this place is real? How do you know that?"

Tapping the page, "might be real, I'm not sure, as for how I know, well that's because we've been mapping the Ghost Zone for a while now, ever since dad left the Specter Speeder alone. The book this came from has been right a lot about what's in there and what they hold, not always but generally it's been a pretty good guide."

"Ok I'm going to ignore the utter insanity of this and the fact that I'm just now hearing about this little brother, and we will be talking about this later. How exactly did a book get anywhere close to what the Ghost Zone actually looks like?"

Shrugging, "I have no idea, I really don't, luck, coincidence, for all I know a ghost got loose and wrote this, or helped the writer do it. It could be any of a thousand reasons but it did happen and it has helped us, but up till now I didn't know this section was really anything, I thought it was just a normal section of the Ghost Zone."

"And now you don't?"

"I'm not sure, it links up as a possible real place, according to this book, it's where the oracle is."

"So you believe it?"

"I don't know what I believe, but it's worth looking at. There's a lot about the Ghost Zone we don't know, if this things can give us answers I say it's worth a shot, and if it can't well, no harm no foul."

"And just how potentially dangerous is it," leaning back against her head board.

Flipping back to a few other pages in the folder, "bad but not horrible, it's no where near Walker of Skulker, but we still have to travel through some pretty tough territory."

"And knowing that you're still thinking about it," not believing her brother was that crazy.

"Going into the Ghost Zone is always dangerous, and yeah I'm thinking about it, but I'm not saying I'm going, at least not yet. For the most part I just want your opinion on this, lets face it I don't always think these things through and I just want to see if I'm missing something big here."

"You mean other than walking into a potentially life threatening situation?"

"Other than that yeah."

"Most legends are based on some element of truth, and I'm assuming you know that, and even if this other book it right," tapping the folding then moving on to the new book, "nothing says the same is true for this book. For all we know everything in this text is just make believe with a picture that just happens to correspond to the one in the other book."

"I know that, but the possibilities are worth it, I mean we can find out about the future, what we're going to be, how to stop Vlad, David, Spectra or anyone else for good."

"And I don't think it works that way Danny, I've talking to Tobias, so have you, the future is fluid, it changes, no one can know it beyond a shadow of a doubt."

Looking at the book, "I know, but it still wouldn't hurt to give it a look, see what's there, if it can help us, if nothing else," his voice taking on an eager tone, "we can give the ship a test drive through the Ghost Zone and really see what it can do."

"And the truth comes out," folding her arms over her chest, "this is all just an excuse to take another joy ride in your new toy."

"Just a little one, but I really do want to find out what this thing is and if we have another book that I can use as map or if nothing else a guide."

Jazz laid back as he said it, slowly rolling everything over in her mind, and considered just how much experience her little brother was speaking with. The idea of her brother, her younger brother, knowing so much more than she did still didn't really sit well with her, as much as she was loath to admit it she felt a little inadequate next to him when she found out just how much about his life she still didn't know and how much he'd done without her help. All that played together as she watched his face, his expression shifting from hopeful to worried, to just shy of fear. "If you do this," she started slow, the tone of her voice letting him know she was deadly serious, "you have to promise me your not doing just to look for a fight."

"I'm not looking for one, I get enough when I'm not looking for them."

"And, regardless of what happens you come back out, and even if you do hear the future you take it with a grain of salt."

"That's assuming this is even right."

"Not done yet, you have to promise me you won't ask about my future and the words Sam or Paulina Fenton won't enter into the conversation."

"I don' think of Sam like that."

Rolling her eyes, "and I'm really a blond. One more thing you don't go in alone, I know you can take care of yourself but I'd rather you have someone else there just in case."

"I was already planning on that, Sam and Tuck usually come with me on these things, but there is more room now, if your so worried about me you could come to."

"Time with your friends in a tight confining space, not to mention the last time I went in there I nearly ended up getting you and Tobias killed."

"You didn't nearly get us killed, and if you want to be more involved in my life you can't pick and choose what you get involved in."

Leaning forward, "since when? Mom and dad do that all the time with us."

"Your not mom or dad, well you sort of are, so am I for that matter, but the point is you don't go into something half way, if it's bad your all the way in or your not there at all." For a moment he considered leaving at that, but with the look in her eye he decided to go in for the kill, "it's one of the things that'll make you a great therapist one day, total dedication to your charges, the ability to go that extra mile without being afraid of where it'll lead."

Seeing right through him, and sighing, "don't try to butter me up little brother."

"I don't know what you mean," feigning innocence.

"Danny I can see right through you, it's one of the advantages of being your sister.

Cocking his head to the side, "that's not exactly a big trick Jazz," turning invisible.

Grabbing her pillow she hit him over the head, "very funny, I may die laughing."

"My powers have to have some use other than fighting ghosts."

"Let me think this over for a while ok."

"Not a problem I haven't even talking to the others yet so who knows if they'll even want to do this."

"With any luck they'll have to common sense to stay home and this can just die."

"Please I'm giving Tuck a chance to shoot things with the most advanced piece of technology on Earth, he'll say yes, Sam is another matter, but I do think she's been looking forward to a opportunity to pull her new board out and see what it can do."

"You really think they'll say yes?"

Laying down on the bed, "if it were about something stupid they probably wouldn't, they have in the past, but this isn't. This is looking for something that might save our lives later if we play it right, I think they'll go for it, or if nothing else go to back me up."

"In other words I can stay here and know you three are going in, or go with you and put my neck on the line."

"Bingo."

Hugging the pillow, "wonderful."

"Just think about it, I'm not even sure how'd I get the ship to the portal anyway other than phasing it in here and I don't really want to do that again, that takes a lot out of me.

"Well there is that escape passage way our parents put in the basement."

"Thought about that already, I'm not sure it'll fit, you know me, I'm not that good at math and Tucker's had other things on his mind and just hasn't gotten around to it."

Shrugging her shoulders, "then I got nothing."

"We'll figure something out, just think about it ok, I wouldn't mind having someone with me who has a slightly more sane approach to what I'm doing."

"Wow, someone's referring to a Fenton as sane, I don't think that's happened in years."

"Yeah well I need someone who's better than Sam and Tuck, hey they're my best friends, but they're getting way to into this stuff and I could use someone that still thinks what we're doing is nuts."

"Then you came to the right person, because you are nuts as far as I'm concerned, then again my best friends a half alien bird so I'm not really one to talk."

"Yeah but he's a cool half alien bird."

"I'll tell him you said it and with luck it won't bite you in the butt later."

Sliding off her bed and picking his stuff up, "with everything he told me about him, I have enough stuff to hang over his head to keep him in line forever."

"Danny," leaning forward and resting on her elbows, "he already told me most of those stories, everything thing with a girls locker room, every stolen car, every horrible prank, I know about them. Yes most of it's hideous, but I don't think your going to be able to blackmail him with it if we know about it and I don't think you can threaten to tell our parents because that opens up a whole new can of problems."

"Blast you and your logic ape-girl," raising his hand in threatening mock super-villain fashion.

Laughing lightly, a slightly giddy feeling washing over her and yelling back, "you haven't seen the last of me invis-o-bill!"

"INVIS-O-BILL WHERE," their fathers voice ringing up the stairs as he charged up, a gun popping out of his sleeve and waving it around, "NO ONE MESSES WITH JAKE FENTONS FAMILY!"

"DAD!" the pair speaking in unison.

"It was a joke," Danny sighing an heading back to Tucker and Sam.

Pulling her computer over to her, "and do you have to spy on us, there's such a thing as privacy, even in this place."

Hanging his head, "but you said there was a ghost," whimpering and walking back down stairs.

When she was sure he was out of ear shot she muttered, "it's times like this I'm afraid he has our rooms wired for sound."

Up stairs it only took Danny a few minutes to talk the others into it, as he thought both wanting to try out their new toys and make sure they'd work for them in the field. Tucker looked like his face was going to break his grin was so large, while Sam was her more composed self, but excitement could still be seen radiating off the goth, having grown fond of the hover boards and wanting to let her new one fly without concern for people spotting her.

"So you really think something's there," Sam asked trying to mask her anticipation.

"Like I told Jazz I'm not sure, I just know the place exists in the other book and if nothing else it's worth a look just to verify just how accurate this thing is," tapping the new book.

"So it's just the four of us," Tucker openly wanting to go now.

Danny leaned back in the chair, like the others he was eager, but after his sister talked to him he was a little calmer. "For now it's just us, Jazz is thinking it over so she could go either way, and I haven't really considered talking to the bird. I mean if he's really as bad Jazz made him out, maybe we should lay off right now, see where things go, I mean if he's all feral I don't think we want him in the ship with us."

"Your assuming he's that bad though," Sam cutting him off, "I've seen him be a little primal when we spar, but just a little, I don't think at his worse he'd be that bad."

"I hope that's the case, I've hear his stories, I trust the guy, but he could take us all apart if he wanted to."

That got Tuckers attention, "you really think that?"

Closing his eyes, "when he's all there I'd trust him with my life, I'd trust him with your lives and my sister and parents. But if he was against us, I'm not sure we could stop him no matter how hard we tried. Remember I fought him once already, yeah he wasn't in his right mind which kinda tells you just how bad he's be if he was. Push comes to shove I'm not sure there's anybody out there right now I'd like to fight less, I'm not sure I wouldn't take Vlad over him."

"You can't be serious, Vlad?"

"It's true Sam, like I said I trust the guy, but if he lost it, stopping him wouldn't be easy if possible at all, his powers and experience, add to that he knows our weak points, that's not a good combination."

The goth sighed and nodded, "hard to think of him as dangerous but you do have something there, but with everything he's been through I doubt a little training with us would put him over the edge."

"It's not like the guy has both wings in the air to begin with Sam, him going crazy isn't that far off."

"I think you mean both oars in the water Tuck, and I think we should drop this, I don't want my sister catching wind of this."

"I stand by what I said and since when have you been afraid of your sister?"

Glaring at his friend, "since she gained the ability to crush my skull with her toes."

"Well that's a nice mental image," Sam covering her eyes with her hands and trying to rub the idea out of her mind.

"Yet it is true," putting his hands behind his back, "so anyway, you want to do this after school tomorrow?"

Sam closed her eyes and thought back, "I think I'm free I can get caught up on everything I need to tonight, and it'll give me time to do a little maintenance on my gear."

"I think I can swing that," Tucker tapping on his PDA bringing up his calendar.

"Good, that'll give the other two time to figure things out, but we do have to figure out how we're going to get it down here, not to mention if we can even get it through the ghost portal."

"Well I know where this is going," the tech expert standing up, "fine I'll go figure the equations out, it's not like anyone else can possibly do this themselves."

"That's because your so much better at this than I am, your just so much smarter than me," barking at his friend as he disappeared.

"Carefully Danny that could bite you in the butt later."

"No worries Sam, he'd never do anything to us."

"YOUR JUST SO MUCH SMARTER THAN ME," Tucker lifting his hand up and showing his PDA through the doorway, the speakers blasting Danny's voice. "And going to be my new ring tone," Tucker yelling up to them.

"One of these days I'm going to learn, I swear I will," Danny leaning back and covering his face with his hands.

Standing up and patting him on the face, "I've seen your grades, we both know that's never going to happen…ever."

"Thanks a lot Sam," watching her disappear down the stairs.

* * *

**Authors notes**

not much to say here, most of this will be resolved in part 2

Voltex, I know a stupid name I mixed Volume and Text, it seemed like a good description for a historian.

The second half will be up tomarrow

PLease R&R


	17. The Dragons Voice 2

**DP Style**

"Things are in place," Prince Aragon asked stilling on his thrown.

His sister bowed low, not meting his gaze, "the message has been sent, it is now only a matter of time to see if he takes the bait."

"He had better," her brother leaning back into his throne, "if he doesn't it will be on your head sister."

"I know," use to hearing such threats yet knowing he would most likely forget he had even said it after a few days. "As you've asked I've assembled your guard," moving away from her brother as the trio moved in, forming a line. The Executioner and Archer were a common sight to the Prince, the two often accompanying him, the Wizard was another matter entirely, he was rarely sent away from the castle on the chance his skills were needed. The mage was dressed in a long flowing purple robe with red skull and bats adoring it, he's sleeves down past his hands, his pointy cliché hat coming down past his neck, his head completely obscured yet some how he saw. Finally there was his staff, a long gnarled piece of dark brown-black wood, topped with a green crystal skull, that caught the light and made it dance.

Moving from his throne he floated over to them, "you know what I need done," moving from one to the other. In unison the trio bowed before him, none speaking, the ability long since removed from them all, a precaution taken by his father before him to keep them from revealing his most vital secrets should they choose to betray him. "Good," watching them closely, "very soon the ghost boy will come to our realm and we must be ready to move in when he arrives. If he comes with others I can't be sure, but assuming the worst he may have two others with him, but their skills are weak in comparisons, from what I've been told nearly nonexistent. Now go, have the falcons released, and prepare yourselves for battle it will come sooner than you can expect."

As he said it the trio left, through the main doors of the castle, leaving only Prince Aragon and his sister in the large room. "don't concern yourself brother," watching them leave, "it will work, they are skilled warriors, and your plan is without flaw, you will be victorious."

"I had better be, if this fails our home will fall to the barbarians at the gate."

"It will work brother of that I have little doubt, the plan after all come from your genius, and you are without equal in this matters." It sickened Princess Dorathea to play to her brothers ego in such a way, but it was also second nature, and she needed him happy.

"Yes, I am brilliant aren't I," standing a little straighter, "and this will work, I am after all my fathers son, and this will prove it once and for all."

"We are the children of our father, and this plan will indeed prove that," floating away from him, the Prince missing the selection of her words. In the hall, out of earshot of anyone, "some of us more his children than others," smiling to herself as she moved down the corridor, intend on filling the gaps her brother had left in her scheme. She might not have liked the way the kingdom operated, but she did agree with him that the barrier was essential to her peoples continued survival, even if it was a substandard way of life compared to the rest of the Ghost Zone.

* * *

**DP Style**

"Tight fit that aside it worked really well," Danny running his hands over the side of the ship at it floated in his basement.

"Told you so," Tucker sticking his head out the side, "it was just a matter of coming in at the right angle and keeping it level. We had a good inch on all sides in the tunnel.

"And everyone knows that's way to much leeway," Sam filling the room with a stomp as she jumped down the final fur steps to the floor. "So I take it she's ready to go, that or your giving your parents a present."

Ducking back in the ship, "everything ready on this end we're just waiting to hear from Danny's sister ."

"I do have a name you know," Jazz walking down the stairs in her long sleeve morphing outfit and a beat up brown jacket they recognized as belonging to Tobias.

Danny covered his eyes when he saw her, "aw man, your wearing his cloths, this is never a good sign, what have you doing with him?"

She giggled lightly, the sound making him grow pale as he read into it, Sam just staring at her with wide eyes. After a moment she broke into a laugh and leant against a wall, "you are so easy, remember I'm keeping some of his cloths here, and I figured if I'm going to keep destroying things I might as well move onto his clothing instead."

"You swear that's it," his face slowly going back to normal.

"Danny what kind of girl do you think I am?" growing defensive and folding her arms, the look in her eyes telling him his next words might be the last things he ever said to her, or anyone else for that matter.

"I….um….well…the kind…..I've seen to much TV, it's Trucker fault he tells me these things, I…" stopping as Sam covered his mouth with her hand to keep him from getting himself in trouble, or at least more trouble.

The redhead walked over and patter him on the face, "your taking this my brother-my protector thing a little to far. I've taken care of myself before you were around and I can do it now, so back off."

"Speaking of being over protective where's your shadow," Sam keeping Danny out of the conversation and trying to steer it away from the two.

"Still flying and doing the hawk thing, he saws he's ok he just wants to not be a person for another day or so, I think he's just over loaded on everything. Going home, dealing with David and Rachel, getting ready for whatever he thinks he needs to be prepared for. I'm beginning to think something just might've set him off, if he keeps this up for a few more days I might get worried, but right now I think he just needs to be left alone till he works his own problems out. Mostly I think he just wants to be a hawk and just not think about all the human problems he has for a while."

"Oh yes because him working things out always works so well," Danny slipping away from Sam.

"Leave it by Danny, he'll get it together, but till then, lets see where this nightmare leads us," walking over to the ship and hopping in.

The weapon totting goth looked from the other girl to Danny, "this is shaping up to be a fun trip already."

"Hey it's this or we keep sneaking around her back, I'm not saying that not a bad idea, but…"

"Keep talking Danny," his sister sticking her head out, "I can make your life very uncomfortable."

Shaking his head he walked into the ship, Sam on his heels, "now I understand why they always say never work with family." Tapping a button on the wall, the door closed behind them and tapped on Tucker's head then walked over and dropped into the weapon position, "this is your show, hit it Tuck."

Looking out the screen, "one problem," drumming his fingers on a control panel, "the door is still shut, and I can't open the Ghost Portal doors."

"Oh right," looking away from his friend and placing his thumb on the genetic lock they'd installed on the ship for just such an event, the blast doors sliding open a second later. "Ok now can we go," leaning back into the seat, one arm hanging over the back of the chair.

Tucker leaned back to look at the others, "you might want to grab one of the chairs, I'm not sure how this thing with handle in there." When he said it the pair was already moving back to a seat of chairs they'd installed a early on after Technus had gotten to it.

"I'm trusting a guy that doesn't even have a drivers license with my life, there's something horribly wrong here."

"Don't worry Jazz, he drives about as well as your Dad, or you on bad days, and it's not that different from you first trip in."

She snapped her head around when she heard that, "your not encouraging me here, I know how we drive, this thing doesn't even have seatbelts, beside the first trip was in something my parents built, I'm still not sure every trip won't be the last one with this thing."

"Guys I can hear you, and I know this girl can handle it so don't worry."

"Ignore them Tuck, we know what this thing can do so lets hit it."

"And away we go," pushing the ship forward, jetting forward smoothly and slipping through the portal and into the swirling green waste land of the Ghost Zone. Chunks of rock hovered all around them, the odd ghost would float by, occasional purple doors hovered here and there, off in the distance you could see building hanging in the sky. "I'm telling you, one of these days we need to bring some high end recording equipment and just record all this than sell it to some movie studio and just make a fortune."

"Ignore the get rich quick schemes here Tuck," Danny pulling out the folding full of maps, flipping to one page. "We are here," tapping a place, "and we need to be here," tapping another spot, "think you can get us there?"

"With the navigation system on this thing?" lifting an eyebrow, "we could be in the middle of a blizzard, with a swarm of locus on us, and a fog bank, blindfolded and I could still get us there."

Sam walked over and leant on the chair, "except for the blind fold they have those places here, don't chance fate by bringing them to us."

"I'm a man of science I don't believe in superstition."

"I'm a girl with a gun, don't tempt me either."

Giving her a little salute, "yes ma'am, on word ho."

Sam looked over to Jazz both thinking the same thing before the goth just walked back, "I could say it but it's too easy," flopping down in the chair. After a few minutes of traveling Sam started to grow bored, traveling through the Ghost Zone as often as she did added a degree of routine to the trip and almost made her wish something would happen to liven up the trip. "So," just wanting to take her mind off the endless landscape, "anyone have any idea what to call this thing? I don't think Bug Fighter works anymore, and I don't want to call it the Specter Speeder Two, and I'm getting tired of girl."

"I'll have you know calling anything by a female name is a term of endearment, it has been for years from everything to cars and planes to tools and guns."

"So your saying you just want to call this thing girl," Sam staring at the back of Tucker's head.

"Works for me," shrugging his shoulders, "but I guess we need an actual name, how about Tuckerette?"

Sam rolled her eyes at the suggestion, Jazz meanwhile more fascinated by the world they found themselves in. "Better idea, how about I shoot you in the foot."

"Tuckerella?"

"Try again."

"Tucki?"

"Ducky," not understanding what he said.

"Tucki, like Nikki or Bambi."

"Amazing that you go for Nikki first," finding it weird despite the way he talked about her but didn't read much further into it, "and Bambi is not a not, it's a cliché that should be abolished."

"What just because you don't have blond…," Tucker stopping as he saw Sam pointing her gun at him, "I'm just going to shut up now."

"Good idea, Danny, you got anything, and don't say Paulina, please."

"I hadn't really thought about it, I mean I'm fine with just calling it ship for the rest of my life, it's short, sweet, to the point."

"Boring," the hunter leaning back, "how about goth angle, or endless abyss, or eclipse, oh I got it," snapping her fingers, "black death,."

"You want to name it after a plague," the name sparking Jazz into the conversation, "that nearly wiped out all of Europe?"

Looking over at the girl, "I'm just throwing names out, if you think you can do better just try."

"Redemption possibly Psychosis."

Tucker looked over as she said it, "I understand the first one, isn't the second a bad thing?"

"Like she said I'm just throwing out names."

"So anyone want to compromise," Danny not really caring, his mind on what he might learn, on the threats that could await him."

"I'm not naming it after a female Tucker."

"Then I'm not going after Sam's," sticking his tongue out, the goth seeing the reflection.

Pointing her gun at him again, "real mature and real smart."

"I can crash us, I don't care."

"Endless Redemption of Tuckerella."

All three looking at Jazz as she offhandedly spoke the words and replied, "NOT A CHANCE!"

"Not like I care anyway," keeping her eyes on the swirling void of green, wondering where the rocks had come from, and about the culture this place had created. Her mind just wasn't on their conversation as they continued to discuss names, bouncing ideas off each other for the rest of the trip.

"So we're agreed," Sam hissed, now striped down to her ghost hunting outfit, "we get out and we force Tobias to pick one of our names."

"I'd still like somebody else," Tuck hissed.

Readjusting her weapons if she needed them later, "well if you can think of someone else that knows we have this and doesn't have a stake in this go ahead, till then I think he's the only choice."

"You two aren't going to give up on this are you," Danny leaning back, not really in the conversation either and acting as a referee in case one went to far.

Sam didn't bother looking at him, "again I'm not naming it after Tucker, or after a girl."

"And I'm not going to let you name my ship after some goth idea."

"Since when is this your ship."

"I fly it, I checked all the systems, I keep it running, I'd say that makes it mine."

Danny didn't like where his friend was going with the little ego blast, "Tuck remember, upside down, naked, park? This is not your ship, it's ours, if anything it's more Tobias' than anyone else's. Really it's only fair he gets to give it a name, so both of you dry up. And Tuck, whatever is going on in your head, get it out."

"Fine."

"Ditto," Sam sheathing her staff and standing up and starting to stretch, throwing Danny a little off his game as he watched her in the tight material. He knew his friend was in great shape, better than his by a long shot, but actually seeing her move like that definitely made him forget about girls like Paulina, it almost made him forget there were other girls period.

Jazz pulled her eyes away from the sky long enough to watch her brother nearly drool over his friend and shook her head. Lean over to him she whispered, "just tell her little brother, just say the words to her."

"What," jerking his head around coming nose to nose with her, "I don't know what your talking about."

"You are so clueless," turning back to the sky and watching the bits fly by, not really surprised he wasn't ready to admit his feelings for the girl, or at least not in these tight surroundings.

After an hour of so Tucker slowed the ship as they saw what was depicted in the books. It was largely nondescript, but then most things in this situation were, a simple cave carved into to what might've been a mountain at one point in time, much of the bulk torn away, it it's stead untold marks cut into the location as if a great battle had forever scared the rock. This left only a small opening and a rock face that promised more to those that dared enter. The entrance itself had a few scrawny trees around the outside that added to the ambiance of a once natural setting and made it seem all the more depressing in comparison.

"So this is it," Jazz looking out, a little shocked nothing had changed from the old image from the book, "shouldn't something new have been built?"

Looking at the image, for the first time realizing how strange the situation really was, "you would think they'd do some renovation after a while wouldn't you?"

"Maybe they just like old stuff," Sam leaning on Danny's chair, "I mean they are ghosts after all, maybe they just don't want things to be changed or it helps them get around if nothing ever gets upgraded."

"How can they live in a world without upgrades," Tucker sounding wistful.

"Considering they aren't alive does it really matter?"

Sighing, "of course it does little brother, if we understand their mentality we can understand them, everything no matter how small is a window into their psyche. This is an explored sub culture, well technically several unexamined cultures, at least from a living person perspective, and who knows…."

"JAZZ," Danny barking looking at her in frustration, "I know this is interesting to you, but we don't care and your rambling."

Rolling her eyes, "oh no I can't have any kind of scientific interest in what's going on in the world. It's not like this isn't what I want to do in the future, so it's not like I have any reason to be the least bit excited by the prospect of exploring something no one else has."

"The thing about that is you want to get into there heads, no one cares about that except for a handful of people, where are everyone on Earth cares about a world they've never been to. I'm glad your excited, I am, but I. Do. Not. Care."

Drumming her hands on the wall quickly, doing her best to keep her rage in check, "I'm going to ignore that, considering there are witnesses here, but do we really have to go through the talk of what psychologists, psychoanalysts, and sociologists add to the world, and why you need them?"

"NO," barking and phasing through her and forming a cross with her fingers in typical anti vampire fashion, "NOT THAT AGAIN, HAD ENOUGH OF THAT THE FIRST TIME!"

"Then don't belittle my sciences little brother," a streak of white forming in her hair.

"Koko, down girl, easy, I'm sorry, I'm just a little stressed right now, you know how I get." With a primal snort her hair returned to normal and returned to look out at the cave while Danny's friends chose to stay out of the family argument.

"Danny," Sam moving over to the half ghost, "what do you say we get going, before you say something that'll result in your sister killing you horribly."

"Yeah I can deal with that," shifting into his ghost form, grabbing her and the hover board and phasing through the hull of the ship.

"Little hard on him weren't you," Tucker looking over at her, a little wary.

Groaning and watching him go, "it's an old argument between me and my family, most of them just don't understand that this is important to me, that it's interesting. I knew my parents did care about anything other than ghosts, and I know Danny doesn't really mean it, but I just don't like it when he says things like that. He more than anyone else knows what it's like to want to break away from our parents insanity so it hurts when he just disregards what I want."

"I don't mean what I saw, they just kinda come out," Danny floating to the lip of the cave, Sam next to him, unmasked, on her board, a pair of Fenton Phones in their ears to keep in contact with the ship.

"Then maybe you should just apologize to her, like a normal person," riding up to him. Looking up at the cave she didn't want to mention to him that it gave her the creeps, not knowing Danny was feeling the same way seeing the same thing.

"Right first thing, when we get back," trying to put up a strong face for himself as much as her and slipping in a little shocked that despite how little there was on the outside the cave seemed to go on forever on the inside. "I really hate Ghost Zone physics, or whatever it is that lets this happen."

Stepping off her board and moving in on foot, "nitro burn, lock," hitting the end with her foot sending the other end flying at her while it compressed in size, having said the new command phrase. Grabbing it in her hand she kept moving, "if we could figure out how they do this we could revolutionize the building industry."

"Yeah I'll put that on my list of things to find out about Ghosts," moving next to her, his hand lighting up and casting a green glow over the walls, the cave growing darker the further in they went.

"I'm just saying," moving a little close to him, every horror movie she had ever seen running through her mind, expecting to see some kind of monster at any second.

Picking up on what she was feeling, the same thoughts in his mind as well, "vampire, mummy, or werewolf?"

Knowing what he meant, "I'm thinking Nightmarica from the third movie, where the couch exploded in blood and then tried to eat the guy."

"Right remember that scene, avoided our nonmetal furniture for a month, never really slept well."

"Maybe because you slept on a metal plate?"

"Why didn't I think of that," looking over at the walls and whistling.

Looking over where he was, "something good?"

Running his hands along the wall, "don't think so," his fingers tracing large grooves in the wall that he could now identify all to easily thanks to recent events. "Riddle me this Sam, what makes claw marks and has a hand abut the size of a person?"

"What," looking from him to the wall and back, like him recognition went off in her mind having seen plenty of marks since meeting Tobias. "That has got to be a really big whatever it is," suddenly feeling very small.

"So am I the only one that wants to turn around and come back later, preferably with a Sherman Tank?"

"I'm thinking we go back and get Tobias, maybe he can recognize what this thing is, all that time in the woods had to have given him some skills."

"That would be the smart thing to do."

"But then when have we ever done the smart things in life," looking at him and heading further down the path, "and who's to say that thing is even still in here, for all we know those marks are a few hundred years old and counting."

"Or they could've been made yesterday in which case were going to die."

"Then we'll end up back here so what does it really matter."

"You are a very strange lady," catching up to her, not letting her deal with whatever might be ahead alone.

Keeping her eyes on the walls, the claws giving way to carved images, "your just now figuring this out, you really are slow."

"Well for the most part you seem normal to me," looking over the new images as well, not sure he liked what he saw. What looked like a depiction of battle filling the walls and ceiling wrapping around them, people of all shapes and sizes in a massive war, the battle growing more violent as they moved along. Body parts were torn off, energy blasts flew across the fields, monsters appeared tearing into the creatures, finally ended as they came to a giant open mouth with rows of sharp teeth forming at the end of the passage way. Even the floor had shifted into a giant tongue, making them feel like they were in a giant stone mouth.

Sam looked it up and down, "I've had nightmares like this."

"For some reason I always thought your nightmare involved puppies, rainbows and looking like Paulina," not wanting to admit he was a little freaked out by everything as well.

"Well those are my nightmares, but these are the special ones, the ones that start out good then end badly."

"Another time and place I might want to know about those, but right now we have bigger things to worry about," hopping out of the stone mouth, down the throat, the darkness that lay beyond lighting up with his hand's ectoplasmic glow.

Sam came up next to him a few moments later, like the white haired half ghost looking around at what laid in the room. Whistling softly, "this place just keeps getting creepier and creepier," looking at the twin statues that lay on either side of her. Each was of a stone dragon twice her height, both looking more than a little like the one that that had manifested thanks to the cursed necklace that the Princess ghost had worn. However as similar as they were to that dragon they were also different in more subtle ways, each had four eyes, one set where they were on the other dragon and another set an inch or so in front of those. The stone monsters also looked far more vicious, but it ways neither could put their hands on, it was just the subtle look to the carvings.

"What this is no worse than your room."

"No the scariest things there are my parents, this place is just putting me a little on edge," taking a step towards the dragons, wanting to study them a little closer.

"Booby traps," Danny warned moving with her, "I've been enough placing in the Ghost Zone to know places like this have them."

"Ttsss," putting her hands on the statue, "what do you think will happen, flames will spit out of it, maybe poison darts?" As soon as she said it the eyes of the statues glowed and the stone began to rumble and shift as the beast shifted it's head to look at them, bits of rock failing off it as it cracked and broke to make the move. "Or it could come to life like in Revenge of the Hydra," starting to move back and collide with a frozen in awe Danny sending both to the ground in a heap. "Smooth," looking at his foot while the stone dragons rose up, more pebbles falling off it, and came down on them, crushing them under it's weight. When it pulled back to look at them with it's glowing eyes, it saw nothing, till Danny brought them back his intangibility ad invisibility wearing off, the two now untangled.

"Ok lets try this again," Danny's hands lighting up with twin spirals of ecto energy

"Works for me," tossing the board down, "nitro burn unlock," forming back to it's full size and jumping on it riding back slightly, the dragon on the other side beginning to shake as she approached it and stepped down from it's pedestal. Hearing the rocks hitting the ground she looked back, not liking where this was going, "from bad to worse in a heartbeat, well this day gets better and better."

Not sure what she was talking about Danny glanced back, "great, see if I ever take you on a job again."

"Like I knew this was going to happen," riding over to him as he rose in the air, the two going back to back.

"Spooky cave in the middle of the Ghost Zone with the promise of this kind of power, of course there's going to be something inside waiting to beat the tar out of us."

"Beat the tar out of us?" looking at him.

Shrugging, "I couldn't think of anything better so sue me."

"I would but you don't have enough money to make it interesting," pulling her saber, the black metal igniting in orange light, a single blade popping up.''

"A sword, a little cliché don't you think?"

"Don't mess with the classics," her voice growing softer, "you ready," her free hand meeting his upper arm, just past the flames.

"Not really," leaning back into her, "but I can't think of anyone I'd want more with me."

"Then lets take 'um out," jetting forwards, the dragon she was facing lashing out at her with a clawed hand. Shifting the board up slightly she shot over the claws, her board grinding over the hand and up the arm, "and the scary part is I use to hate skate and surf boarding." Shifting her saber she plunged it into the heart of the stone beast, the orange disappearing up to the hilt of the weapon, "and that is it," looking up at the beast only to have it grab her with it's other hand and tear her out and toss her to the side, recovering with her board after a few feet, the hole in it's chest not slowing it down, a few pebbles falling down into the hole as it moved. "Of course this couldn't be easy could it."

Danny mean while wasn't having much more luck hitting his beast with a right hook, the green energy bouncing off and filling the room with a brighter light. His blows like Sam's took chunks out of the beast but didn't seem to have any great effect on it, a large chunk of it's face already gone from one of his blows. Spreading it's stubby wings the dragon statue took flight and came after Danny, swiping it's claws through him as he went intangible and left claw marks in the ceiling.

Sam had her own problems to deal with, her stone attacker not letting up as it moved on her and snapped it's jaws at her, it's long neck giving it the reach of a snake as it snapped and bit at her trying to catch her, only a few quick darts with her board kept her out of it's teeth. It's head shot out, mouth open, Sam darting down, and hanging upside down as it went by her, the board sliding over the neck. Watching the head coming back, an idea struck Sam as she stabbed her staff into the stone, and shot towards the head of the beast, by the time she was free of it, half it's neck and it's lower jaw fell to the ground with a crash and shattered into piece. "Well your not going to be eating for a while, assuming you ever ate at all, I have got to work on my banter."

"I think I told you that already," Danny barked back at her diving out of the way as the dragon somehow got above him, "your like a ton of bricks how do you move this fast?"

"You better not be talking about me," Sam snapped jetting away from the right claws of her beast.

Not bothering to look at her, his hands extinguishing and focused his energy away from his hands, "Sam look at you, your like the opposite of fat, and not in an anorexic scary skinny kind of way." Collecting the ectoplasm in his feet he suddenly shot forward leaving a trail of green from his feet, moving so fast that he almost wasn't there and spinning around the beast. The blast only lasted a few seconds leaving him behind the creatures back, a sheen of sweat on his face, a ball of energy forming in his hand and blasting off the beasts wings sending it falling straight to the ground, it's legs and part of it's chest exploding is it hit the ground. "Now stay there," trying not to let on the trick had taken a bit out of him, and keeping balls of energy in his hands, albeit smaller ones. He knew he'd be out of it for a few minutes, already feeling his energy coming back, but those few might be the difference between his life and death if it got up. On the ground the stone monster looked at him, it's remaining eyes glowing, "figures this couldn't be easy."

"What's with these things, I know they're statues but you'd think would at least slow them down," darting back from her attacker and arcing left from the back of her board and shooting forward when she hit the right angle. Dropping down and laying on the board and slashed her sword forward cutting though the beasts right forearm the stone appendage hitting with a rumble. "Whoa I disarmed him."

"They imprison people in same states for using puns that bad," Danny flying back, now that his dragon was missing it's wings and legs it's ability to come over him limited.

"Well what would you have said," jumping back up and watching as the hands started moving on it's own, being supported by it's claw tips, "you've got to be kidding me. That's it no more mister nice girl," pulling out her weapon and blasting off the fingers of the hand and sending it crashing back down. "Now you," pointing the weapon at the dragon and putting two holes in it's head taking away it's four eyes quickly, unsure if it would blind it, but knowing it would slow the beast down. Rocketing forward on his hover board she slashed off the beasts head , the appendage hitting the ground, the back shattering but leaving the jaws snapping at her, or as best it could with no lower jaw.

Like the hand the body kept moving, seemingly able to see with out eyes or a head, extinguishing her saber and sliding it into her belt she adjusted the setting on her weapons and started punching holes in the statue the size of manhole covers. "Shame I can't do this back home to all my other problems with rocks for brains."

"As much as I'd like to see you do that to Dash I think his parents might mind, and it'd kinda bloody," Danny's power back to a reasonable area, "now lets get rid of you shall we," looking at the beast. Bringing his hands together a ball of ectoplasm grew, the was quickly released blasting right through the stone beast cutting in it half, each falling to a side, unable to stay up right. "Why didn't I think about doing that sooner," floating down as the half's struggled to get up, as soon as they got their respective arms fully extended the weight they were holding became to much and force them back to the ground each time more and more stone broke off and scattered across the floor.

"I could watch this all day," Sam flying over to Danny.

"Assuming the two parts down magically form together to make one big super dragon," folding his arms waiting to see if it happened.

"Your asking for trouble aren't you," Sam keeping her blaster trained on the pieces in case what he said came true.

"That's not how they work," a new voice ringing out from behind them, making them turn even in the green and red light all they could see was a glowing green orb hanging above them surrounded by utter darkness.

"This is bad isn't it."

"Have you seen anything good in here," lighting up one hand and flying at the thing, Sam right behind him aiming just below him.

"OHW TLOP DSON," both becoming surrounded in a dull blue gray light and freezing, both being flung back into a wall unable to move no matter how hard they tried.

"Well this in going well," Danny struggling against the bonds, not ready to give up.

Doing the same, "just like every other time you come here."

With a slight rumble the orb moved forward, the light soon giving way to a gold amulet strung around the face of a white dragon, nearly identical to the ones they had fight. The charm was strung around the back set of eyes, it's neighbor the only one still it it's place, the other from the front set missing, leaving nothing but gapping holes where they should've been. In addition to the missing eyes and large teeth of the beast it sprouted a pair of gold horns rising from the back of the skull. From the face came a neck, the white head giving way to gold scales running down the beasts underside, and a ridge of gold scales running down it's back from his head to his tail, the soft glow of a ghost surrounding it, but unlike the others they'd seen the glow seemed to radiate peace. Despite that he didn't look like it, the neck giving way to a large body being supported by four legs, each ending in gold claws, tuffs of gold fur running off around it's wrists/ankles. From the back sported huge sweeping wings, the inner webbing gold while the otter was the same white as the rest of his body. From the body came a long serpentine tail, that thrashed back and forth of it's own accord ending in a tuff of gold fur.

"If we're dead we're really dead," Danny ignoring the feeling, only seeing the sharp claws and teeth and that the best was easily twice the size of the dragon he'd dealt with during the amulet incident.

"Well it's been nice know ya."

"Sam there's something I should probably tell you."

"Yeah me too," unable to look at him but wishing she could.

"Sam, I l…."

Whatever he said was drowned out by the dragon, "TERPI USTE ARSA," waving his front claw over the stone beats, the pair raising up and repairing and retaking their positions on their pedestals. "Now what to do with you," looking over them, "MECO," the word pulling them away from the wall but still leaving them immobile and pulling them along with the great dragon as he walked into the darkness from whence he came. As he moved the halls the walls began to light up in blue torch light to illuminate the way, These walls were much like the previous ones, the walls carved into a tapestry of images, but unlike the war of the early corridor this one was surrounded by images of peace. This however only lasted for a short way as it ended into a large brightly lit room filled with books and tapestries, against the walls were more passageways, the room dominated by a large chair that could only belong to the dragon.

"Well I never expected this," Sam looking around as best she could, "I always assumed dragon caves were covered in bones of those dumb enough to try and fight them."

"Most are, but those dragons are generally uncivilized brutes without an iota of decorum or dignity."

"Well never thought I'd hear that."

"Of course not, YLAT DSHO," the pair flying over and attaching to a segment of wall while the dragon maneuvered over to the chair and laid down on his back, his wings spreading forward and around his body. Moving his hand over he grabbed a pair of glasses from a table and slipped them over his real eye and the amulet one.

"This is getting really weird," Danny now being able to look at Sam and the dragon at the same time.

"You will discover many things in your life will be so Daniel, it is an ill-fated consequences of the life path you've chosen to travel."

"For anyone else I'd say that was a mouth full, but you seem to have more than enough mouth for it."

He laughed lightly at that, "I suppose I do at that Samantha, but one might also say it is the better to eat you with."

When he said it they both went pale, "I have to start keeping my mouth shut."

"No Samantha, that is the last thing you should do," reaching his large hand over and picking up a pipe from the same table as his glasses, using his own fire he lit a claw tip up and placed the pipe it in his mouth and used the burning claw to ignite the contents, breathing in the rich concoction within. With a little wave with claw went out, seemingly not hurting him. Removing the pipe, and blowing a smoke ring, "a lack of action is worse than a harmful action taken, keep that in mind."

"Considering your going to eat me, um….sure, and since you are don't call me Samantha, I hate that name."

Again laughing lightly, "what makes you think I'm going to eat you young pups, I have long awaited the coming of the young halfling and his allies."

"You know me?" Danny a little skeptical before it hit him, "your the oracle aren't you?"

"Oracle," stroking his chin and taking a few puffs of his pipe, "I don't believe I've ever been called that, but it might be a fair descriptions, after a fashion. Allow me to introduce myself I am Dracus, former ruler of this segment of the ghostly realm, former guardian of it's people, and historian of all that occurs within my once domain."

"So your not going to eat us?" he asked needing to here the words.

"No child I have no intention of devouring you or your companions, unlike many of those that share my race, I have never indulged in such an act, it is, beneath the character, the spirit, of my people."

And how long are we going to hang here?" Sam asked.

"Till I decide otherwise, you did break into my home and damage my pets, that needs to be taken into consideration of your punishment."

"Um…ok, I don't suppose saying I'm sorry would help?"

"LEARSEE," waving his claw the two lowering to the ground, the glow fading after a moment, "it might." Leaning back into the chair and taking a long drag, "so tell me why have you sought me out, although given the description I'd say you want the future."

Waving her hand as the smoke hit her, "do you have to do that, there is such a thing as cancer you know."

Humming to himself for a moment, he extinguished the pipe, "apologies, at my age I'm somewhat set in my ways, and I haven't dealt with a living creature in a long while, I forget you have issues with certain thing that we do not."

"You mean like health concerns," coughing trying to escape the cloud.

"My dear I've been here long before your line existed, and I have done this everyday I can recall it's not as though any ill effects the living might have from it can effect me."

"He has a point Sam, what's he going to do die all over again?"

"Not the point," she hissed.

Yawning to himself, "she is right, it is not the point she has a strong spirit and will always speak her mind, it is her strength and weakness."

"Weakness," Sam looking over at him.

"You say what is on your mind, you do so honestly and without hesitation of fear, to do so in the wrong presence could be disastrous."

"This has something to do with my future doesn't it," walking over to him.

Growling slightly, but not in a threatening way, "I can no more see the future than you young lady, thought there are those here that can, I believe you know one Daniel, Clockwork."

"You know about him?"

"I know about everything that happens in my home Daniel, he was a most interesting addition, he still is, weaving his little plans, moving his little pieces, he's very interesting to watch, I'm suspired more don't notice his handiwork, but his changes are so light it's as though he isn't there."

"What," Danny not sure what he had just said.

"Do not trouble yourself Daniel he will not harm you, he has an interest in you."

"How do you know all this," Sam looking up at him, "if you can't see the future then how?"

"I watch, I listen, I record all that happens. Many here see nothing but their own lives and concerns, but I see all, everything that's happening, and it all gets recorded. In that time I've learned to recognize powerful shapers in the fabric of this realm, Clockwork is such a being, as are you Daniel and those that surround you, how I cannot be certain, at least not yet, but you are shaping the future rather you want to or not."

"Wonderful, so you don't really know much about him do you?"

"I know far more than you do, but that is not of consequence you may discover that information as well in time."

"You can't just tell us?"

"No Samantha," liking her aggressive streak, "my information cannot simply be given out, it must be earned, you must come to know it yourself, through your own actions just as mine was."

"So we came up here for nothing," Danny sighed.

"Very few things are for nothing child, this may prove to be of use to you as well," leaning back in his chair, "if nothing else you have the knowledge of this visit, and that is more than most ghost's have."

"Was that suppose to make sense?" Danny looking at Sam.

Shrugging, "you got me."

"Few ghosts still know I exist, fewer still have the courage to come into my home, that is something to be proud of, and something those few will fear or respect depending on how you use it."

"I'm not exactly here to make ghosts leave me alone, yeah I'd be nice but it's not really why I came."

"You wish to have the future unfolded for you, or perhaps just a single question?"

"Mostly, I know the future always changes, it didn't mean I didn't want to know what was in store if I could."

Lacing his fingers together, "my apologies then halfling but that simply cannot happen, you are correct the future always shifts, a single move can undo even the grandest of plans, thus I gave up long ago trying to anticipate the future, at least the far flung events." Smiling down at them, "I do indulge in trying to deduce what may occur with in a few days, some times even a week."

Sam saw an opening, "I don't suppose you've done that now, that you could tell us something that might happen soon?"

"You're not as clever as you think Samantha, but if you so desire, your already living one of my presumptions, your arrival, or someone like you has been expected for some time now, in truth I'm ashamed it took this long."

"I'm confused," Danny looking from the white dragon to Sam, "did you catch that."

"I think he said he's been manipulating us."

"Not me Samantha, though I am at the heart of why you are here, I believe you'll find those responsible waiting outside for you."

Danny looked back at the opening to the room, "I'm really not liking where this is going," bringing his hand to the Fenton Phone and switching it on, "Tucker, Jazz, if you can hear me let me know."

"SAVE US," Tucker screaming into his friends ear making the half ghost tear it off or risk going deaf, "THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!"

He didn't have to say anything to Sam, the goth hearing it through the machine in his hand, "I think that answers enough questions," firing up her board and shooting forward with Danny right behind her for all of five feet as a black dragon, smaller than the white one forced his way into the room, and blasted them with a jet of green flame, the pair being flung back on impacts but not seriously hurt.

"I've come to aid you Lord Dracus, these creatures shall not harm you," the dragon approaching them on two legs, making the room shake as flame slipped from it's mouth.

Danny's eyes went wide when he saw the beast, his mind flashing between running, attacking, and wetting himself. "Oh Crap it's Saber," energy jumping off his hands as he lost control over his power for a moment, the woman still scaring him a little, their one confrontation more than enough to scare him. "How on Earth, the Ghost Zone, and Hades did you escape you psychotic, demonic, mentally deficient WITCH!" his eyes glowing as his nerve shot back up and moved in front of Sam, not wanting her to see the person she might become if they both weren't careful.

When Danny did that it caused Prince Aragon to pause, not sure what was going on, but quickly shook it off knowing her only had one chance to impress Dracus. "I AM PRINCE ARAGON, SON OF GADRON, TRUE KING OF THE GHOST ZONE, AND YOU WILL FALL BEFORE ME PEASANT AS WILL ALL THAT THREATEN LORD DRACUS!"

"Well that's so much better," looking back at Sam, "what did we do to deserve this," Danny groaned looking from the black dragon to the white one.

"You came here, that is enough," Dracus not making a move to help either one, simply wanting to see how everything would play out if let to the players.

"Great, I freaking hate riddles," Danny floating up and helping Sam back to her feet.

Igniting her saber, "one more round as a dragon slayer, just what I wanted."

"Not the time to be saying things like that Sam," throwing a blast of Ectoplasm at the black dragon ghost, hoping it would have the same effect on him that it did on the stone replicates, however he didn't shatter, he just knocked the blast away from himself with a meaty paw.

"Looking down at Danny, it that the best you can do little bug?"

"Not by a long shot," his eyes glowing green, the sounds of Tucker welling still coming from his phones on the ground. Making a decision about it he barked to Sam, "I got this, find out about my sister, make sure they're ok."

"Danny," she hissed, not wanting to leave him alone with this guy.

Not looking at her, "I know just go, they need you right now."

Quickly looking from him to the dragon she shot forward, using her board to squeeze through a small gap between the dragon and the door, nearly being taken out by his claw as he came down on her. Without thought or concern Danny flew over to her as fast as he could, catching the claw as it came down and held is as she flew past them and down the dark hall, her weapon throwing light on the walls giving it an eerie glow. With a snarl every bit as primal as the one made by the dragon Danny pushed the claw back and sent the beast into the wall with a crash, for the first time noticing the chain an charm around his neck.

"Lay a hand on her and I will burn you to the ground," Danny's hands igniting in swirling energy.

"Interesting phrase you chose, prefect actually," opening his maw and releasing a jet of blue flame at him that engulfed the half ghost.

After a few moments the flames died down, Danny unharmed, incased in a protective shield, "now I know what a marshmallow feels like, sucks to be them."

"YOU LITTLE PEASANT," charging at Danny, trying to grab him in his jaws.

Dodging left as the beast flew past him, taking a position a few feet above the air and watching him move, "I really hope your ok guys, I'll be with you soon."

Sam meanwhile was burning through the corridor, her board going all out, the walls whipping by so fast it was as through they weren't really there at all. In a fraction of the time it took her to get inside she was out into the middle of a war zone, their ship blasting away with it's weapons at the ghosts, who Sam was thankful weren't dragons as well. A quick sweep let her pick up a definite pattern to how they looked, all there looking like rejects from a renaissance fair.

"Dragons, an archer, all we need now is a princess, and a white horse," firing in, her words catching the attention of the attacker, the Archer taking aim at her and releasing an arrow at her. It moved with a speed she wasn't sure was possible, but to her it wasn't fast enough as she sailed over it. "Nice one Robin Hood but not good eno….," her words stopping as the arrow exploded behind her and nearly made her crash as the shockwave hit her.

"Right, he can do that," Tucker's voice coming over her phones, "the big guy with the ax has rope in his hand, and the guy in the hat, well I'm not sure what he does but it's bad."

"Next time get to me a little sooner," she hissed throwing her staff at the archer, not caring if it hit him, just needing it to buy her a few seconds. Pulling her gun so squeezed off a single shot, the blast cutting right though the bow, taking it out of the fight. "Let's see how tough you are without that to help you," getting her answer a moment later as the bow fixed itself before her eyes, "I have got to stop asking things like that, it keeps ending badly." She didn't get the chance to fire off another shot as the executioner launched his noose forward and caught her hand, jerking her back but not off her board.

"This day is just getting more and more complicated," putting her gun up and grabbing her whip, "might as well live up to it then." Firing the thrusters she bolted towards the large ghost, much faster than he was ready for, at what she hoped was the right distance she leapt forward, her board continuing to move ahead right toward the ghost. Lashed her hand forward her whip shot out, wrapping around the other arm of the ghost, two now locked by their hands. After a second the board connected with his gut sending his back, unable to block the strike with his ax. Pushing the recoil button Sam shot forward, the lighter gravity of the Ghost Zone allowing her to spin and arc, pointing her feet at him and kicking him in the face, right in the middle of the green skull mark.

"NICE ONE SAMMY," Tucker watching her go, not believing she'd just done that.

Flipping off the face of the ghost and landing on her board that had shot past him and stopping with a sliding turn. "It's what I'm here for, and the names not Sammy, it's Sam, call me Sammy and…."

"You die," Tucker and Sam speaking as one, both knowing the old routine.

"I know, that doesn't meant that wasn't cool," Tucker looking at her then shifting his attention back to the controls the loss of one ghost and the distraction of another all he needed to get things back on track. "Jazz you got the weapons?"

"I think so," taking the stick the targeting array coming up, "I probably should've spent some time with this instead of just watching you and Danny huh?"

"Would've been nice," tapping on his PDA, the small computer taking the place of the main computer so he could get the systems online faster. "Ok shields are at eighty percent, power is at full, half the weapons systems are out, but I still have a few, foamer, normal blasters and lightning are still working, take one and start shooting."

Looking at the screen that appeared on the screen in front of her, "well mom always did like lightning," pushing the screen, a small hatch on the top of the ship popping up, a blue 'X' appearing in front of Jazz indicating the targeting lock. "Danny was right I should've played more video games growing up," trying to get the ghost wizard in her sites, the large hatted spook moving to fast for her to hit. "Think you can follow him for me, make this a little easier for me."

"Try yes, actually doing it is another matter," the ship moving forward as he tracked the ghost, the spirit shooting away from the fight as the ship followed him. "Great it knows what we are," Tucker pushing the ship on.

"Whatever helps Sam and Danny at this point so follow it," Jazz firing off another arc of lightning, the shot missing as the ghost formed a shield in front of himself, the barrier shifting and swaying as the energy hit and rebounded it back to the ship.

Jerking the ship left the blast just missed them, "HANG ON," the ship doing a barrel roll, the rules of gravity not applying to Tuckers surprise, nothing really moving out of place.

"Was that really necessary," Jazz barking at him.

"Sorry," blushing, "I forgot where we were for a second it happens ok," righting the ship and keeping it after the ghost only to stop as a new played floated onto the field

"Ok there's a girl in a ball gown in front of us," Jazz looking over at her partner, "you got any clue what's going on?"

Recognizing her, "we're in big trouble," rechecking the shields.

"Why," the redhead looking from her to him, getting her answer as the Wizard stopped next to her and the Amulet of Aragon activated on Princess Dorathea and she began to grown and shift into her blue dragon form. "Figures everyone else is from the middle ages we might as well have a dragon too."

"I should've stayed in bed," looking at the blue beast, the female ghost releasing a blast of blue flame at the ship, warning lights flaring as the flew right through it.

Back near the mouth of the cave Sam had her own troubles, the executioner not being stopped for long, thankfully it was enough for Sam to use her whip to get her saber back, the orange blade setting off her eyes as she blocked an arrow show from the archer. "Come on big boy, if I can block your shots what does that say about everybody else." For the most part she was lucky, the energy of the blade disrupting whatever gave the arrows their special quality, she knew that but she wasn't going to tell him that.

The archer made some noise Sam didn't recognize as words and pulled four arrows from his quiver and fired them off simultaneously at Sam. The first exploded in front of Sam knocking her back, the second and third transmuted into bolos and wrapped around Sam upper body and legs. The final arrow shot right at her chest a few moment behind those three. It wasn't fast enough however as Sam shifted around on her board, moving out of the line of fire as best she could the arrow stilling hitting it's mark slicing into the flesh on her arm as well as the rope binding her upper arms.

She groaned slightly and brought her arms to the cut, despite hurting like crazy it wasn't as bad as it felt, her arm feeling alright in spite of the ghostly metal passing through it. Using her board to stay a few steps ahead she managed to get the rope off her feet and avoid any more arrows. She did however realize the executioner was on her tail coming after her as well, the knowledge sparking an idea in her, she didn't know if it was good but it would take some pain off her arm.

Keeping an ear out for him she continued to move, her hair whipping by as she weaved and dodged the arrows, some exploding other taking different shapes midway through their flight, but all coming way to close to her for her own comfort. Finally finding the right place she powered the board up suddenly and spun, lashing her whip out, the coil being caught by the ax rather than on his body as she hoped but it would do. Blasting forward, she yanked the whip back, the ax not moving from his hand, but it was still enough moving her faster in his direction.

"Not my best idea," one side of her saber dieing out while the other powering up and arcing around slashing though the weapon and pulling the nose of the board up and jetting skyward right up his body. As she had felt nearing her back the arrows from the archer flew right into the there ghost, a series of explosions, flowed as the arrows hit his body.

Shifting her weight she did a few spins in the sky catching glimpses of the arrows hitting the other ghost and knocking him down to the ground, or as much ground as was in the area. Looking past him the archer kept firing at her and not leaving her much choice as she fired up the thruster and jetted over his head, her body still spinning on the board, making it move becoming almost second nature. The rotations were enough as the arrows passed by rather harmlessly and letting Sam pull out her gun, unlike the archer her shots was dead on, one blast cutting through the bow again, another into the quiver and a third through the arm of the bowman. The first two shots didn't really stop him for long as the weapons recovered, but the shot to the arm was perfect, unlike the weapons it couldn't simply fix in a matter of moments.

"Lets see of tough you are now," Sam stopping the spinning and arcing down, delivering a slash with her blade to his back, her speed not allowing him to get to her in time and simply floating there unconscious and out of the fight. "Not as tough as I thought you were," riding up next to him, still very aware that he might be dangerous. After a few moments she moved away from the pair and sat down on the hover board, her body suddenly feeling very tired. Off in the distance the sounds of battle hit her making her growl and groan and forcing herself to stand back up as she moved towards the fight between Tucker and Jazz and what she though was just the ghost Wizard.

* * *

**DP Style**

"When was the last time you saw a dentist," Danny barking as he held the mouth open, his back against the wall getting an intimate view of the beasts teeth. Not surprisingly he couldn't talk his jaw snapping up at him trying to eat him, or at the least maul him.

Dracus continued to watch the fight, intrigued by the drama unfolding before him, both staying away from him the Prince fearing him and Danny not wanting to fight a second dragon. His home however was another matter the pair knocking over books, and ruining the various artifacts scattered in the room, while such actions were repairable if they continued much longer he would have to intervene at some point if it continued much longer.

Still being held against the wall, Danny was running out of ideas, his body being pushed further and further into the stone wall. "Ok if you let me go we can just forget this ever happened and go on about our lives," Danny offered doubting it would work but it was worth a shot. After a few seconds and a tasting by the monsters tongue Danny had had it, "alright handling this like an idiot with ghost powers," kicking him in the roof of the mouth and firing off a blast of energy with it, like before it produced a recoil that shot him further into the wall but also knocked the face back. His head jerked back and shook, his head whipping around and collapsing to the ground as he fell backwards and landed with a crash.

With the dragon down Danny slid out of the indention and dropped to his knees the exhaustion not as bad as it had been a moment ago but it still took a bit out of him. "Well I feel like crap now," glaring over at the white dragon, "anything else you want me to do, maybe fight a giant bulldog, wrestle a ninety foot cobra to the ground?"

"No, ending this fight should take the rest of the afternoon for both of you," taking a china cup from another table and sipping the tea.

"I'm sorry I didn't understand what you just said."

"You will," taking another sip, Prince Aragon getting up, flame slipping from the inside of his mouth.

Looking at Danny and snarling, "it will take far more than that to beat me child, no one threatens lord Dracus while I still exist."

"Dude I'm not threatening anyone," throwing his arms back, "you're the one with the loose screw here, I just want to talk to the man, that's it."

"LIAR," stomping over to him, releasing another jet of flame as he moved, Danny shooting forward away from the blast, not willing to let the dragon win. The move didn't do much good as he was backhanded by the dragon to the ground, hitting it with a flop and rolling along the ground. He didn't have time to recover as the black beast crushed him under the heel of his foot, his claws lashing against his back. "You dare to fight me, to mock me, to challenge me, you will pay the price for lifting a hand against the true king of the Ghost Zone."

"Will you just shut up," Danny coughed through his hand back and releasing a ball of energy, the blast easily caught in Aragon's hand, the ball exploding into a wave of goo as he did so, the green slime flying every where.

Looking from Danny and laughing Aragon scraped it off with his other claws, or tired to the ooze quickly gelling and locking onto both hands. As he tried to pull them apart trails of slime could be seen, the threads snapping his hands back together after a moment as if her were clapping. With every pull the ghost prince grew madder and snarled, "WHAT DID YOU DO," licks of flame jumping from his mouth as anger threatened to completely over power him.

"What you never superglues your hands together?" the half ghost phasing through the floor and appearing a moment later behind the prince, his hands swirling with energy. "Like someone once told me, it doesn't matter how strong you are, doesn't matter how good you are, some times it the guy you knows how to use what he has that wins the fight."

"Then that person was a fool," snapping his head around of his serpent neck and firing a blaze of emerald flames.

Ducking under the shot and flying up as fast as he could under normal circumstances and upper cutting the creatures neck causing the blaze to stop as he coughed and hacked trying to catch his breath. "Then how come I'm kicking your tail lizard lips?"

Danny's only answer was a tail to the side of the head, the green spike just missing his head, the attack knocking him for a loop, more focused on the head. Aragon followed it up by spreading his wings and jumping up, the high ceilings helping, his claws no more free than they were a moment ago making his options limited. After a second he powered down, slamming down on the halfa with his butt, crushing him into the ground, and making the room shake. That was what he though at least, Danny phasing through his body and coming out of his neck after a second, doing a full body shiver. "I really hate doing things like that, I don't like seeing the inside of creatures first hand."

"YOU LITTLE," snapping his head around and snapping at Danny, not getting anything, the boy still intangible.

"Smooth scale bait, let me guess they don't let whatever you ares go to school?"

"YOU WILL NOT SPEAK TO ME IN SUCH A FASHION," flapping his wings and going at him, Danny shifting back to solid and moving away from him.

"Temper temper," rubbing his fingers together in the shame motion, "you don't sound like a prince, maybe a spoiled media princess, but not a prince."

"I AM NOT A GIRL," firing off a jet of flames at the boy, the wave catching Danny, but again the flames didn't touch him as he wrapped his body in a shield.

When the flames died down Danny was fine, "seriously lay off the Mexican food, that heart burn you have is nuts."

"SHUT UP," the prince not use to anyone speaking to him like that and quickly losing his patience, Dracus watching and learning.

"No can do man, talking is kinda my thing, well that and beating ghosts like you," releasing a blast from his feet again, the move growing easier and forming a shield in front of him. Even as fast as he was moving the black dragon still took a swing at Danny, missing him, his locked together hands moving awkwardly and Danny easily slipping by, after a second hitting the dragon in the gut, his shield taking the brunt of the impact and knocking the beast down against the wall, the momentum from Danny's feet till carrying them. Groaning a little as the half ghost finally bounce off his attacker, lifting one arm up, "I'd like to see Dash or his buddies do a better guy check than that." Slipping back on to his feet he was hit with a wave of dizziness and stumbled around the room for a second before falling onto his back, "I'm just going to lay here for a second, and don't try anything you two ton gecko or you will be sorry when the world stops spinning around."

Looking from Danny to Prince Aragon, "very interesting, very interesting indeed," the white and gold ancient Dragon taking another sip of his tea and picking his pipe back up and pondering what would happen next and how he should handle it.

* * *

**Jazz POV**

"This is not going well," the ship spinning out of control, I wasn't sure what Tucker was doing but I hoped he could get the ship back under control. I had other things on my mind, mostly the big blue dragon that I recognized from my brothers files, that and trying to use the weapons to keep her away form us.

"She was not this big a problem last time, what's going on," I could hear him banging on the control but the ship wasn't coming anymore under control.

"The ship or her," watching the targeting icon spin around and finally pulling the preverbal trigger, a jolt of white lightning jumping out of the weapon positioned on the roof, miss the dragon, flying right by her neck, the girl not even having to move.

"I little of both, we were not ready to take this thing into the field," the ship suddenly stopping spinning and locking down in front of the pair, "thank you. Technology at it's finest right here, I knew the girl wouldn't let us down."

"Careful you'll get whiplash changing that fast," the targeting icon locking onto the blue transformed girl again. "Ok help me her," firing the cannon again, the arc jumping up at her only to be stopped as the Wizard shot between us and her and formed a shield, the blast recoiling back at us.

I looked at Tucker while he looked at me, "this kinda sucks," while manipulating the ship and making it jump up, the blast shooting right under us.

I tapped on the Fenton Phone in my ear, "Sam, Danny, I know you probably have your hands full, and I've asked this before today already but I really need some help here."

"So much for this ship making ghost hunting easier," Sam snapped into me ear.

"It's a dragon Sam," Tucker cutting me off, "I never though I'd have to test it for this kind of situation."

"Well maybe you should have," from the sound of her voice it was obvious the anger wasn't real, if anything she was trying to cover up just how tired she was.

"Sam can you help us here and argue with him later," I wasn't sure if that was normal for them, but at the moment I just needed this thing not after us so we could figure something out, and to be honest, not that I'd say it to them, I was scared for Danny. I knew he'd been doing this for a while and had enough power to probably deal with anything, but it didn't stop me from being worried about him, if we were dealing with this, what was he up against.

"I'll give it a shot," a black and purple streak moving in front of us and firing a red blast at the pair, again the shot rebounding off a shield formed by the other ghost.

"Right he can do that," Tucker speaking into the headset.

"Already knew," the back of her board leaping up the rest of it following her while Tucker made out own ship dropping giving us a perfect view of the fight. Sam fired a few more shots from her gun, the blasts aimed exclusively at the human ghost, and again the shots bouncing off the shield that he created. But while he was protected I could already see what Sam was planning, reading the subtle movements of her body, knowing she was speaking to me even if she didn't realize she was doing so. She continued to fly over the ghost's, diving and weaving as the dragon releasing a long blast of fire, her hover board moving as though it had a life of it's own, flying above the flames then arcing around them, hanging upside down as she moved around them, her weapon never stopping it's attack, the ghost's shield stopping protecting the ghost and now only protecting him. When she did it, I took my chance and fired the cannon, the blast hitting the dragon in the chest, part of me feeling bad about it, not sure what part she played in all this.

"Whoa girl, you definitely have some of your mother in you," leaning forward.

"I had to gain something other than the outside," firing again, the blast striking her again, Sam bolting away from the pair and moving back to us.

"Wacko boyfriend, big gun, great aim, all those years of trying not to be your mother are kinda going down the drain aren't they?"

"SAM," barking into the Fenton Phone.

She flew in front of the window, "what are you going to do, I'm out here you in there, I can say whatever I want."

I didn't get a chance to say anything back to her as the dragon released another blast of green flame, thankfully Sam had somehow figured it out and shot out of the way, where she ended up I wasn't sure, but given the angle of decent I was guessing she dove under us, a good place to be as it hit us square on, the shields holding.

"I'm not having fun here," Tuckers hand flying over his PDA trying to do something, I wasn't sure what, from where I was I could see the screen but the images were flashing by so fast I couldn't read them. "If we can't see we can't do much of anything and I don't want to run into anything along the way."

"Well figure something out cause I'm in the same boat," not wanting to fire in case Sam was out there. After a few moment I began to grow frustrated, I didn't like being helpless, or more to the point I didn't like not knowing what was going on around me. "Come on do someth….," I didn't really get a chance to finish the thought as the ship jerked to the right and spun around again knocking away from the fire, after a revolution I saw the source, the wizard blasting us with what looked like a white stick, given the over all theme I guessed it was a wand, I didn't get to look long as the ship kept spinning and seeing the dragon appear on the other side of the ship, the blue beast lacing her fingers together and pounding us in the nose of the ship knocking us wild and sending us end over end. Again I was thankful there wasn't gravity in the realm, but it didn't stop the ship from spinning and making everything inside jump as move from the sudden shifts in the impact.

"Can we call for more help now," Tucker not looking at me as he worked feverously on the ships controls trying to regain control of the vessel.

When he said it my mind shifted off myself and on to Sam, where was she, was she ok, did the ghosts have her? I didn't get to think to long as the magician descended on us and hit us again with the white wand, sending us flying wildly again. "Nothing like being inside a giant bummer car," grabbing the dash and holding on for my life. After a second I tapped the Fenton Phone, "Danny, if you can here me, get your butt out here, we can't handle this, the ship's screwing up, I can't find Sam, and there is A FREAKING DRAGON AFTER US!" I didn't know if he heard me, but I prayed he did, out ship getting hit again by something, I didn't know what, it came from behind us.

* * *

**DP Style**

Prince Aragon roared, his hands torn free while Danny glared at him his eyes glowing and hands ignited, both were panting, their energies almost gone. Without hesitation Danny bolted forward, the black dragon releasing a blast of fire at him that missed as Danny shot up, arcing over him then diving down punching the beast in the nose, the fire becoming stuck in his mouth for a moment. The momentary discomfort didn't do much through as the dragon struck Danny down with his tail, making him bounce off the wall and drop to the ground, his energy dissipating.

"This is over ghost boy," moving over him, "one way or another I'll make you pay for daring to come near the great one."

"Anything that gets me away from your corny dialog," Danny snarling and staggering to his feet, a ball of ectoplasm forming in his hand and blasting the beast in the mouth as it opened to barbeque Danny. The shot as expected made the beast cough and gag, adding to the others shots he'd taken to the mouth.

Floating up to him, ready to give him another shot, his hands igniting in swirling ectoplasm his Fenton Phones started to blast in his ears. "Danny, if you can here me, get your butt out here, we can't handle this, the ship's screwing up, I can't find Sam, and there is A FREAKING DRAGON AFTER US!"

Looking at the black dragon, what he thought was his one shot to take him down in front of him, he sighed mixed with a growl and took off, away from him. "I'm coming sis, hold on," flying out of the room, going as fast as he could, to his sister, not caring about the fight, or the white dragon, just knowing he had to help his sister or he'd never be able to live with himself.

"Yes peasant run, flee as fast as you can, I'll never let you harm Lord Dracus, not so long as I can lift a sword and my claws remain sharp." Despite his words I knew why Danny was leaving having heard everything Jazz had said and knew it was his sister that was now in danger but simply didn't care, if he destroyed her it just saved him the work of doing it himself one day.

Dracus himself also knew why Danny was leaving hearing the message as well, thought even if he to hadn't heard it he'd expected a situation like this to occur, and knew Danny would go to her, his only real question was rather or not the Prince would go as well. He knew there was a chance the son of Gadron wouldn't help his sister but he had hoped he had his fathers sense of honor and duty. "And so it ends," he said softly leaning back into the chair waiting for the finally moment to play out.

Danny didn't know any of this, nor did he care flying out of the cave as fast at his could without wasting any real energy not knowing what he'd find, a little afraid this dragon would be as tough as the one inside the cave. Figuring out where they were wasn't that hard, the war leaving more than enough sound and smoke to lead him right to them all. It only took a few minutes, and he knew the situation wasn't as bad as he had though the second he saw the blue dragon instantly recognizing her as Princess Dorathea, someone he at least knew how to deal with.

"Sis," tapping the headset, "I'm not your tail, I'll be there in a few, don't worry, I've dealt with this girl before."

"Thanks but no thanks Danny, I think we got this now," pods popping out of either side of the ship, "Tucker finally figured out how to run this scrap heap."

"This is not a scrap heap, some of the systems just aren't where they should be," tapping on his PDA, "I had a choice between getting the weapons back online or the flight controls, I've just been opting to try and keep this thing going where we want."

"Call it what you want," Jazz aiming the targeting arrays and firing twin energy orbs firing from each pod. As before the Wizard shot forward protecting the dragon, forming a shield between her and the ship, down below Sam lashed her whip up grabbing the magicians feet and pulled him down, the shield dissipating as she did so. Even with that the blue dragon managed to engulf the energy in one wave of flame the other set managed to get through the balls separating a rope of energy materializing between them and wrapping around the dragon binding her as it encased her body in green energy cord.

Danny slowed down as he say that and barked into the headset, "I'VE BEEN GOING THOUGH ALL THIS AND ALL THE TIME YOU COULD'VE DONE THAT!"

"Blame your friend Danny," his sister pulling her head set away to keep her ears from being damaged.

Tucker glared with her, "would you stop saying that, I told everyone before we went in the ship was still a little glitchey, I didn't know how it would handle in the field."

"Well they may not need help but I do, this guy is making me crazy," Sam snapped, doing a spin on her board as the ghost throwing a transparent bird at her.

Turning his wrist and energy orb grew in his hand and he fired it off at the ghost with the two big hat, the ghost easily blocking it, the shot coming from some distance away. He wasn't really surprised by that, expecting it after seeing it before, but a little shocked as it bounced back at him. The blast however missed him as he shot under it, and came up to the shield, shifting and landing on it feet first, slightly bouncing off as well turning into a flip and firing off a few blasts at close range the shots bouncing off but missing him. The shots themselves were weak, with little behind them, but it forced the ghost to maintain the shield longer than it had before, his mind focused more on Danny than on Sam the nearly invisible bird growing weaker quickly.

Sam didn't really need the help dealing with the bird, her flights with Tobias while he helped her gain a degree of security with the board coming into play. The bird she now faced was weak and slow in comparison, easily taking it out with her saber slicing it's legs of before cutting off one wing the bird losing cohesion and fading away. "Later chicken legs," sheathing her saber and pulling her gun blasting the other ghost in the back a few times, the ghost not able to fight both Danny and Sam at the same time. As few shots was all it took to bring him down, after a moment passing out, neither feeling all that bad and turning their attention to the dragon that was struggling in the energy bindings.

"You want to do it or should I," Sam flying up next the half ghost watching him pant, "never mind stupid question." Dorathea's struggles didn't amount to much as the goth flew up and ripped her charm off, the ghost shrinking and turning back to her human form, the bonds shrinking with her keeping her from escaping and attacking.

"I should've just done that with the black one," Danny floating back and leaning on the ship, blocking her sister view, all she could see was his butt.

"Danny move or I'll shot you," one pod moving slightly, the half ghost moving instantly a little afraid of his sister. "Thank you, the last thing I need to see right now is your big bruised tail," leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes trying to let the adrenalin running through her system slow down and return her to normal.

"Well this entire day has just sucked," Danny laying down on the roof of the ship.

"Don't suppose you can explain this," Sam hovering next to the ghost girl who now had stopped trying to get free and just watch them, "I thought you just wanted to dance?"

"There are times when that's all I want but I'm not limited to that one desire, and for now I have little choice in what I do, my actions demanded rather I like them or not."

Sam looked at her, trying to process what the green girl just said, "what are you talking about?"

"I'm doing as my brother wishes, I have no choice in the matter, he is next in line for the throne and there fore must be obeyed."

Sam just stared at her with her mouth open for a few moments, "you have got to be kidding me."

"He is the first born prince, the rightful heir to the kingdom, I am merely a daughter, nothing more, my place is at the side of the king, doing as he wishes in all things," looking away from her, "my one desire is service as it should and must be."

"You really do live in the dark ages don't you, you do know women are equal to men right? We have all the rights, abilities, so on and so forth, if you don't want to follow him tell him to kiss your butt and walk away, chances are people will follow you."

"That is not how we do things in my home, I have no choice in the matter, especially now that my brother has earned the right to council to the great dragon."

Sam brought her hand to the headset, "Danny are you getting this?"

"You mean the fact that we've been set up by another ghost."

"That's what I'm hearing."

"That would explain the matching necklaces," sliding forward and tapping on the front of the ship, "Tuck I need to get back to the cave, think you can mange that or did you really damage steering on our ship?"

Tapping on a few controls, "she's a little shaky but I can keep her moving, that's not a problem but it won't be at full speed for a while, for that matter it'll take a few days to figure out and fix everything, providing I can at all."

"Just get me there Tuck, I need to recharge a little in case I have to go another round with that big black dragon, and if that happens I'll need everything I can get man." Looking over at Sam, "you coming or do you want to watch them?"

"I'd rather watch them but I'm not going to let you get you tail whipped unless I can watch."

"Well a guy always wants to here that," rolling his eyes.

* * *

**DP Style**

Prince Aragon watched Danny fly away, a slime on his lips despite the pain in his mouth, he'd won the right, or at least made the child run to save his sister, giving him the illusion of winning the fight and he hoped that would be enough for Dracus. Turning to him and reverting to his human form, his charm hanging from his neck as he bowed low to the great white dragon, a little shocked that he looked so normal for lack of a better term. He'd excepted the creatures that was suppose to be the greatest in the Ghost Zone to be far more impressive and threatening.

"I am Prince Aragon , son of….,"

"I know who you are," leaning back into the chair, "I heard when you came in, now tell me son of Gadron, why have you come here and disrupted my home? PAIX FREIR," waving his hand the room glowing lightly as everything began to repair around them, burned books coming back together forming from ashes, tapestries reweaving, artifacts reforming.

Bowing low, "I came to aid you Lord Dracus, I heard from my agents that the treacherous half ghost was coming to test himself against you, I had to stop him, as my father had come to your side during his time in power, so to must I in honor of his obligations."

Watching him the white dragon brought his claws together forming a pyramid with them, "you are under requirement to live up to his oath ghost prince."

"Never the less it is my duty to come, to do as he would do," taking a quick glance up, spotting what he believed to be his fathers amulet around the face of the dragon acting as his second eye.

He hummed mixed with a growl, "your speak well son of Gadron, but it is an odd coincidence that you would appear now, in the eve of your greatest need." Prince Aragon tried not to let on that he was nervous when the white dragon said it, fearing he had been found out. "But times of need often create such unlikely events, and the threads of life are often interlaced on the tapestry of fate."

"I….um….of course lord Dracus," trying not to sigh in relief. "You are wise beyond the stories great guardian of the realm, just as my father often said."

"And you flattery is an intoxicating change from my solitude ghost prince, but I do not have all night, I know you've planned to speak with me, now do so before we are interrupted by the halfling who has undoubtedly dealt with your forces."

Prince Aragon showed no reaction to the dragons words, predominantly because he didn't care about the others, something Dracus noted. "You already know of our plight, the shield you helped my father construct is falling apart, every tear it grows smaller, weaker, soon nothing will be able to stop the other ghosts from enter out land and defeating my warriors, the only ghosts still loyal to you and all that you stand for. Please Lord Dracus aid those that are at your beck and call, help us defend out realm, to make strong what you helped forge with your own two hands, what my father helped steel along side you, fortifying the bond between my humble family and you."

"Prince," tapping his claws on the rests of his chair, "as I said I know you have long wanted an audience so speak you mind and purge the flattery and charm from you words."

Dracus' words jarred him a little, slightly afraid that he'd angered the great dragon, "the shield must he reestablished, and my people must be protected. My power as great as it is can only do so much, and many are rising that can equal me, defeat me, even with the fraction of your power running through me. The shield is our only defense, but even it in time will not be enough, I need the power to protect my realm and to expand it if need be, to take the Ghost Zone by force and reinstate the old ways. The laws you proclaimed are no longer heeded, your name no longer instilling heart in the spirits of men, with your help Lord I can make this place as it was when my father held power, I can return you to your rightful place as the true power in this land."

Aragon's mind popped with a new plan, where once he simply wanted the shield back, he now wanted more, his fathers power so close he could almost touch it, the power he knew he was destined for. With his fathers amulet he'd be unstoppable, he'd be the king he was meant to be, he'd make all remember his family, their rightful place as the supreme authority in all ghostly matters, it was just a matter of convincing the ancient white ghost to give him that power.

Dracus closed his good eye, considering the words of the ghost, it was true his laws, the one's he'd introduced himself and those through Gadron were now ignored. Despite that however he was no fool, he knew where the ghost prince was going, and what he'd do if he was given to much power. "While you do not say it you ask a great deal of me prince."

"I ask for the boon you made my father, I ask that you give it to me, as his son it is my right, my destiny to become his successor, your agent in the world."

"That was part of our agreement yes," nodding his head, "one of his children would become my emissary, but never did we decide on you prince."

"But it is obviously me, I am his first born son, the lineage is clear."

Smiling slightly, smoke rising in small lines from his nose, "that may be how things work in for the succession of your throne but not for my blessing."

"You would pass it to my sister?"

"That was for your father to decide, he never did, thus it cannot be known who he would choose."

"Then by the laws of my kingdom, laws you set down, I am entitled to the role," a lick of flame flicking out of his mouth.

"That law does not apply to this moment, and this situation, your father was to choose what would happen, who would take his place in my service, that is not a decision I can make in his absence, but I do owe him a debt, and you a favor for coming to my aid, ask what you want if I can give it I will do so, but choose your payment wisely for I will grant but one of your desires, and one alone, for it may effect the very future you wish to insure."

Aragon tried not to show his rage at the words and did a power job, his clothing beginning to rip as the transformation became to flow through him for a few moments before finally gaining control over himself. Even with his focus restored flame leapt from his mouth as he spoke, already knowing what he wanted, "I wish the power you gave my father, the amulet you gave him is rightfully mine, I want it, I'll even give you the one I was given in return, it will no longer be of use to me."

Dracus shook his mighty head and reached for his pipe tapping it on his teeth, he'd hoped the prince would have more sense, that part of his father had truly been inside the boy, but he saw now he was either not that man or to short sighted to know what to do. "That can no be done, this," pointing at the charm that had once been his eye, "is part of the pact I made with you father, and cannot be given or traded away on a whim, ask another ghost prince and I heed you ask the right request not what you believe to be the right one." Part of him hated that he had said that, that he'd given the son of Gadron a second chance and practically told him what to say. He admired the boys father, respected him and hoped the boy, some where deep inside, had part of his father within him.

"Then I what the power to destroy my enemies, to make them kneel before me and tremble with fear as I reinstate the old ways and return this world to what it should be," his lust for power all the more obvious, not bothering to consider the sage council of the white dragon.

Dracus sighed when he heard the princes request, now knowing his desires were for naught, the boy was not his father nor would he ever be, the look in the princes eyes tell him all, the deaths to which he'd sink, the heights of his perversions, the darkness in his soul. "Power enough to do as you ask can not be given, it must be earned, such power is already at your disposal, your father already having it, if you so want it, you must find the clues that point to it."

"I don't want a riddle!" wings ripping out of Aragon's back.

The display made Dracus move forward, his teeth bared, "THEN BE SILENT," gold fire hitting the spot in front of the prince's feet. "What you want is at your disposal, but you must find it, the clues hidden within the books written by your father, but you yourself, only you or your sister, can find the secrets that lay with in, hidden away by magic to keep them away from any that would abuse the power."

"Where are they?"

"That is for you to discover young one, but I believe you already of what I speak."

Looking at him for a moment, "the crown and ring?"

"Yes," nodding his head.

"They are lost to me, you must know that, Pariah Dark has one of the artifacts and the other I cannot find."

"But the last is still open to you," smiling and leaning back.

"Last?" stepping back, not believing what he was hearing.

"There were three, the man that defeated your father only had two, and only a fraction of their power, only when all three are united will their true power be revealed, the power you ask for, be found."

"Where is it?"

He laughed darkly, "I already told you, I cannot tell you that, you must discover it on your own, but from one piece inevitably the others are found, but they are locked into the title and role I gave your father, part but not intertwined, but perhaps in your search for them can you find the title you seek." That made his stare up at the dragon, an opportunity now open to him, his wings pulling back into his body. "However those books are many, and by the time you comb through them all, the shield will collapse, POLSE ELCM," a scroll leaping up and coming to his hand. "Take this, return to you home, and do as it says it will solidify the shield where it now is and keep it there, for how long I am unable to be certain but it might be long enough to find what you're looking for."

Holding the large parchment in his hands he looked to the great dragon and bowed lower, "thank you, thank you for this, I will prove myself worthy of my fathers name, I will find the third artifact I will prove myself worthy of your faith in me."

"Of that I have no fear," looking away from him and watching him fly back and disappear through the dark portal and away from his presence. When he was sure the prince was out of ear shot, even though his stench still lingered he spoke, "leave him be Daniel," looking to the darkness, "he isn't worth it."

After a moment Danny became visible and floated over to him, looking back, his eyes glowing, somewhere between rage and confusion. "To get the ring he has to let Pariah Dark out, that guy was nearly impossible for me to beat last time."

"I know Daniel," wiggling slightly to find a new comfortable spot, "but that is not a concern for the moment, to find what he's looking for he'll have to tear through books for the next fifty of your years to even beginning to find a clue where the artifact is located, by that time it will have long since been to late for you to be concerned with that eventuality."

"I'm sorry can you say that again, in English maybe?"

"He said you'll probably be dead before that guy even begins to figure out were to go," Sam translating putting the pieces together.

"Yes and no Samantha," leaning back into the chair, "it's complicated."

"Then explain it," Danny growled, knowing the creature in front of him could probably crush him under normal circumstances, and now probably wouldn't have to break a sweat.

Laughing lightly, "after his silver tongue it's nice to find those that speaks their mind. As I told him and I believe you heard I cannot simply tell anyone anything, though considering what happened in my home, I do owe you something, that boy manipulating you to get to me. Ask, all of you, each that fought because of him, ask me something and if I am able I will tell you what I can, aid you in what way I am able to."

"I…um…wow," Danny floating back a little forgetting his question, "so that's four questions or one from the four of us?"

Chuckling at the halfa question, "four my dear boy, one for each of you, but remember what I said, ask the right question of me, not what you think is right."

"I hate trick questions, sis, Tuck you getting this?"

"Every word of it," Tucker just outside the mouth of the cave, already having seen the ghost prince leave, "ask him what I'll be worth in twenty years."

"Tuck he doesn't know the future so that's kinda pointless."

"I have one," Sam moving forward, "what can you tell me about Saber, about my future self, where is she is she secure, will she escape, can she be stopped if she is, will I become her?" When she'd seen the black dragon in the door she hadn't made the connection, not till Danny had said it, and even then it didn't mean that much to her, but now, having though about it she'd become worried.

A mix of humming and growling, "that is actually many questions, but I can give you one answer that might encompass them all. As you've most likely been told the future can not be known, but I can tell you this, she is secure, and held in this time and at some point she will be free, when I cannot say for I do not know, but she can be defeated when such time happens, all things can be, and I know that her jailer I already making such plans for that inevitability, but how the end games plays out can never be known until it is finally played. As for where she is however I believe you can already deduce that."

"Clockwork," Sam folding her arms.

"For my own reasons I cannot say, but that is a fair guess."

"Well that explained nothing," Danny growled angry at her wasting her question.

"I don't know at least we know he's somewhere and someone's ready for the time when she does get loose."

"And nothing says will ever become her, in true now that you know about her it's doubtful you and she will ever become one in the same."

Looking at Danny with a grin, "the big dragon say's I'm never becoming that craze witch, I don't think I've wasted anything do you?"

"Um…nope, that seems like a good one to me."

"I got one," Tucker barking into their ears, "does he know anyone that can help me figure out all the secrets to this thing?"

"Tuck I'm not asking him that," Danny snapped.

"I know of several with such skills," Dracus hearing every word, "but few are willing to help you with such an endeavor. Perhaps the greatest of which is the one you fear the most, the one you will one day need to make piece with before your life ends."

"You mean Technus," Tucker asking looking over at Jazz scratching his head.

"You already had your question, you cannot have another."

Grunting, "but Sam got a few questions."

Ignoring him the beast looked at the half ghost, "Daniel what about you?"

"I'm thinking," fingers bouncing off each other looking for the right way to ask what he wanted, "Jazz you got anything?"

She leaned back into her seat she had several things she wanted to know, things about Tobias' past, David's intentions, her family linage and just how far back the ghost obsession went, the odds of her ever having a normal happy life. "I'm not sure yet, there so much to ask and I'm not sure which ones the most pressing."

"Jasmine," speaking to here, "you already know what you want to ask, your mind is simply clouded by the thousand questions that haunt your waking dreams, simply ask what's in your heart and do not fear everything else."

"Am I going to end up being considered insane like the rest of my family?"

He smiled when she said it even as Danny and Sam shared glances, "as I told you brother Jasmine I do not know the future, but I do know the past. Your family is far from what you believe it to be, for many generations your blood line and the ghostly realm have been linked, not just in ways you know. Some have been considered having questionably comprehension, others had their sanity held in doubt, other were held in high regard, revered for their power and knowledge, a few even worshipped, using their skills to gain power in the living world and beyond. What lays ahead for you I do not know, but you are far from insane young lady, and even if the rest of the world doesn't recognize that, you are surrounded by those that do and will always seek your guidance so long as you are willing to give it."

Jazz wasn't sure what to say to that, but she had to admit it made her feel better hearing the words, "thank you," whispering into the mike leaning into the seat, closing her eyes, a feeling of calmness flowing over her.

"Your next Daniel," the white and gold ghost looking at him, "what is it you want to know?"

Closing his eyes, "I want…you said the either the crown and ring lead to the other…"

"Is that your question?"

"No," shaking his head, "if someone has one of them can they also find this third one…"

"Ye…"

"I wasn't done," cutting off the beast, "I mean that's not my question….SIR….if someone had such an object and was lead to the third…thing," not knowing what to call it, "how would someone go about stopping them from getting it, for that matter could they?"

Throwing his head back and laughing, "AT LAST, I KNEW YOU HAD A MEASURE OF INTELLIGENCE! THAT IS THE QUESTION TO ASK," throwing his arms to the side, "I KNEW YOU HAD IT IN YOU!"

Sam moved half a step back, not sure if this was a good thing or not, "I'm a little bit afraid now."

"I apologies," wiping a tear away form his eye, "it's just been so long since I had someone with an ounce of promise being in my presence, I lost my control for a moment. There are many ways to answer that question, but I believe the only one that will work for you is to stop them before they get to it, regrettably due to obligations made I can no more tell you where it is than I did than I did that impetuous child."

"I asked the wrong question didn't I," Danny floating up to him.

"Quite the contrary, MEKO COBO," a book flying up to his hand, "as I said I cannot tell me, it doesn't mean you cannot figure it out for yourselves. Within this tome is everything you need to find what you ask for but it must be deciphered first, the clues understood in order to find the secrets with in, it will not be easy. However you are not alone in this endeavor," looking to Sam, "I recommend looking to you friends, all of them, each has something to contribute, yourself included, only together can what's inside be uncovered."

Taking the book in his hand, the volume human sized, "so why didn't you just give this to the prince?"

"One, I made a deal with his father and I always honor my promises, two I don't like him and this will keep him out of trouble for what I hope will be years. The man is an idiot, I had hoped some measure of his fathers nobility had rubbed off on him but it didn't for him to gain this power could be more disastrous than Plasmius getting the artifacts."

"Ah crap Vlad is looking for this thing?"

Bringing his hand to his lips, his expression hard to read but if her were human Danny would swear it was mock innocence, "did I let that slip, it happens I am old after all."

Shaking his had and pulling the book to his chest, "ah man."

"You know what they say," Sam floating up next to him n her hover board, "when one door closes another opens, and on the other side is a guy with a baseball bat ready to pound you into the ground."

"Thanks a lot Sam," putting the book under his arm, "I feel so much better now."

"I do what I can," patting him on the shoulder.

"Guard well the information I have given you Daniel, there is more in that book than you know, secrets that could save your life or destroy your existence and the lives of all that touch it. It all depends on how you use it and if you are strong enough to resist temptation."

Patting the spine of the book, "we'll keep that in mind."

"Do and know this is a sign of trust, I've heard many stories involving you, I've come to believe you are a noble creature, that you are worthy of this gift."

"I'll try and live up to the trust."

"Very good halfling because if you don't I will have to deal with you personally, and you don't want that, now do you?" smiling at him, showing off everyone of his teeth to emphasis the point.

"Right got it," Danny starting to float back and down, Sam beside him, "tick you off and I get eaten."

"Keep that in mind," leaning back, "but remember this as well, I am many things but it has been a long time since anyone has come to speak with me. In times gone by I was once sought after, my wisdom carried much weight, over the years I've grown bored, I'd like to share my insight into situations again, but have long lacked the proper outlet, if you wish, you and your friends may become that channel."

Danny and Sam shared a glance not sure what to say but not wanting to offend the dragon knowing he could kill them both. "I'll think about taking you up on that offer later," Danny finally getting out, when keeping himself between Sam and the dragon.

"I look forward to your return," leaning over and pick up a book as the pair departed, he knew they most likely wouldn't come again, at least under their own desire, but if he as right, events were converging that would bring them back to him at some point, his need far from over.

It only took the pair a few minutes to get out of the cave and back into the ship, "Tuck," Danny looking at his friend, "I don't care where we go, but make sure it's not here and there are people with pulses near by."

"You can get it moving that far right?" Sam sitting down and leaning against a wall.

"Top speeds out of the question but I can get us out of here," tapping on his PDA, "I wasn't sure about the cloak before but now it seems like a great time to find out."

"As long as we're not here I don't care," sitting down next to Sam, Tucker moving them forward, the other ghosts still floating there, the prince abandoning them as soon as he had what he wanted.

After a few minutes Jazz got out of her chair and moved over to the pair, Danny cradling the book, not wanting to look in it, a tiny bit afraid what he'd find. "So that it," sitting down cross legged:"that's what all this happened for?"

"You say that like I was looking for this," putting the tome down, "and it's not like we didn't find out a few things out we didn't know before."

"Like my evil self is going to get out."

"Our family history isn't quite what mom and dad said it was."

"That Vlad's becoming a lot stronger unless we can stop him here and now."

"Not a good time for the feather duster to be out of his mind."

"Shut up Tucker," Jazz not bothering to look at him as her finger traced lines over the cover of the book, like her brother a little apprehensive about opening it.

"Sis one thing," taking her hand, "for what it's worth I'm sorry about earlier."

"It's ok."

Sam moved forward slightly to look at it, "so if you two are done can we see what's between the covers?"

"Whatever it was," Jazz shrugging, "said we all had a key to understanding it could only come from each of us. He might've just the four of us or he could've included Tobias in the number, considering how much he knew about us I wouldn't put it past him. At the moment given the warning he issued I don't want to open this unless we're all here with it," looking up at the goth, "you ok with that?"

"I'd rather know what it says now, but considering I can barely keep my eyes open I'll wait," yawning, her eyes fluttering closed and leaning back against the wall.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Danny shifting back to his normal appearance, his eyes closing and slumping over on to Sam a few moments later, a soft snore escaping his lips.

Patting him on the head, "sleep well bro, you earned it," picking up the book and slipping back over to her seat next to Tucker. "So," looking back at them, "you have a camera in this thing anywhere, I think I can use this later to make his life miserable."

Peaking back to see the two snuggling in each others arms, "figures you have to knock those two out for them to get that close."

* * *

**DP Style**

It was over a day later and Prince Aragon was still shifting through books, trying to figure out what secrets they held but still not having a clue where to begin. "Where is it, where is it, where is it," his chant slipping out every few minutes as he flipped pages growing more and more frustrated by the moment. So far he'd hadn't actually read a single book, just looking and scanning, trying to find some clue where to begin.

"The additional books you requested," the chronicler carrying a stake of book in his arms, his face hidden behind the spines. "Are you sure you don't need some help, your father kept extensive notes, going through them all could take decades.

"Only someone with my fathers blood can find the clues, that makes you useless to me," not bothering to look up and waving him to the side to put the books down.

Gently putting them down, "I meant you sister, she could be of help."

"My sister is a fool," turning the page, "even if she weren't a girl she'd be useless to me, her mind always else where, obsessing over dancing or some other nonsense."

"You know your sisters condition isn't her fault, the desire to dance simply overwhelms at times and can only be alleviate when dances with her at a grand banquette."

"Regardless, I can't leave something like this up to her, the very future of my family is at stake, this must be done with the utmost respect and care, everything in here must to read and reread, over and over again till I understand how to find my fathers wisdom, till I can earn my place as his successor in the eyes of Dracus and can gain his amulet.

"If that is your sole desire, but what of the realm, what will happen to it while you do this?"

"Things will work out, my sister can be a figurehead for a time, it's not as though she can possibly mess things up here while I'm doing this."

"If you say so your majesty, your will of course is law," leaving the room, closing the double doors behind him and lets the green skinned prince to do as he wished and floating through the halls till he found princess Dorathea sitting on her brother's throne, a coy smile on her lips as she watched her old friend approach her.

"Is my brother having fun/'

"He is other wise occupied yes," floating up to her and kissing the woman's hand, something her wanted to do rather than being forced out of ceremony. "May I say your grace, your plan is exquisite in it's elegance, you leave your brother to work on a fools errand while you assume power."

"Regrettably it is only temporary, soon he'll tire of search and force it on me, but till that time I can institute a few changes to the laws, help even out a few inequalities running rampant through the realm and make this little slice of the abyss a little more like the rest of the Ghost Zone. Best of all my brother will never know the difference and even if he does he'll think he instituted it because I simply couldn't conceive of going against him."

Chuckling as he bowed slightly to her, "I must ask why do you not simply take power, many would follow you and your brother is an idiot."

"He is still my brother so watch your tongue Voltex," she warned, "as for why I let him, I can't take power, not yet, some would follow me yes, but not enough. For now it is best for him to go about his way, while I make my little moves, trying to make my home a little better while I can, the day will come when his reign of terror will go to far and I will be forced to intervene, but till that day I'll bide my time and arrange for the day when I can't sit by any longer."

"You are wise beyond imagining princess."

"No not really, I've just learned there are other ways of getting things done than by staging coups just because I don't like something."

"This is still more than anything I would ever consider and far grander than anything I've read about in the history of the realm."

"I do what I can with what I have," not hiding that she enjoyed being in the big chair, a small knock on the door as the Wizard stood in the door way. "Come in, come in," waving the mage in, the door shutting as he came forward.

"I…um…..majesty," the old historian looking from the princess to the Wizard, suddenly very nervous that he had heard to much, and his life here would soon be at an end and his time in the dungeon would soon fast approach.

Giving him a smile, "calm yourself old friend you have nothing to fear," rising off her throne to great the new arrival, "you did well my protector, but then again you always do. Please, make yourself more at home, your among friends with him, anything else he learns would be trivial compared to everything else he's learned over the years."

Bowing his head undid his belt the billowing full body cloak fell the ground giving the Chronicler a sight, under the robes was the form of a woman dressing in tight leather armor that left little to the imagination, he orange skin a sharp contrast to other ghosts. A tight brown leather bodice laced around her chest, a few straps of cloth danced around waist making it look like she was wearing a shredded skirt. Around her forearms were leather arm cuffs, and thigh high boots incased her legs. After a moment she pulled her hat off, underneath was the image of an angle, light green hair dropping down in a tight braid down her back, the tip held in a steel ball. Her vibrant silver eyes caught his attention most of all, that and a small scar under her right eye, the only imperfection he could see.

Looking to the green woman, "I'm not sure I understand, who is this, what happened to the Wizard?"

"She stands before you, as she has always been," Dorathea moving over to her. "My father gave her the job long ago, but he knew a woman would not be easily accepted in those days thus he created the Wizard persona to hide her, her skills a close enough match. In time," looking up at the statuesque woman who was a head taller then the royal girl, "she was assigned as my personal protector by my father and revealed to me her secret. When my brother recruited her to be in his private guard we choose to keep her identity a secret, knowing he could never accept her into the position."

"And we never knew, a testament to you both and your father, it's amazing."

"Indeed it is, now I trust you to keep this secret as you keep so many others," Dorathea folding her arms while a white staff appeared in the hand of the other woman a nearly invisible large bird sitting on her shoulder and staring at the ghost book case for a chest.

Bowing low, a few books and artifacts falling out, "of course princess, this secret like so many others will never escape me, but what do I call her, her name, to use in times of privacy?"

"In truth I do not know her true name, my father has always called her Amazon and so have I, and she has never seemed to object." At the words Amazon nodded slightly, her hair swaying back and forth a small smile on her features.

"Amazon it is then," taking the woman's hand and kissing it, "it is enchanting to meet a woman of you grace and beauty, and a pity they must both be hidden behind such robes," the complement making the woman blush, not use to being fawned over by anyone other than Dorathea .

* * *

**DP Style**

"So he coming or not," Jazz growing more impatient by the second and tapping her foot.

"Give him a break, he's having to go throw everything in the ship trying to figure out what's wrong and what isn't." Sam was growing tired listing to the other girls complaints, but put up with them, feeling the same way, wondering why it had taken almost a day for Tucker to give them a status report.

Growling softly, "I helped him map that thing, I know how complicated it is, but he should've at least told us something by now, anything would be good at this point."

"Ask and ye shall receive," Danny materializing next to them, the pair having flown from the cove to the park.

"What did you have to do to drag him out," the redhead leaning forward on the kitchen table.

Shrugging and dropping into another chair, "something like that, it was almost a big a fight as the freaking black dragon."

"It wasn't that bad," leaning against the back of the hard wood.

"I think you left teeth marks in my arm," shaking the appendage.

"So," lowering her eyes, "what's it like?"

"As I told you, I wasn't sure if it was ready for combat, but at least now I know."

"Stop stalling," Jazz resisting the urge to kick him in the leg.

Taking out his PDA and calling up a list, "a few bad connections in the physical side, I wasn't reading the diagnostic equipment right, my PDA wasn't accessing a few things that it should've been, some of the weapon systems weren't operating right, they were interfering with the flight controls. All total I'm suspired we didn't die every time we flew."

"That bad huh?" Danny not liking the sounds of everything.

"Not really no, give me a week I think I can fix it all, now I know the problems and I can handle them, think of it as a dry run, a chance to find all the stuff that was wrong before we really need it. On the plus side we know the weapons are working, and we know the ship can hold it's own in a fight provided things are being worked by the right team," leaning over and putting his arm around Jazz.

She didn't get a chance to tell him to back off, (you can remove your arm yourself or you can have it reattached, choose,) the thoughts making him jump back, his chair falling over and making the other laugh at the classic pratfall.

"Thank you Birdie."

"Bird brain the barbarian came back, and just in time to not get his tail kicked."

(I know I heard about your little run through the Ghost Zone, sorry I missed it, always wanted to see a dragon up close.)

Danny was casually looking around, "ok if we're going to do this I need to know where and what you are so I can at least face the right direction."

(Ok,) a lizard dropping off the ceiling and right into the table, hitting face first, scrambling to his feet, (that went better in my head.)

Stroking the small reptile, "everything sounds like a good idea in your head birdie, so how are you doing?"

Looking up at her, feathers starting to grow on his body, (better, the hawk side of my mind has finally calmed down again. I knew I had to balance things but I ignored that need, and the bird decided to kick me in the face a few times till I remembered.)

"Just for the record how close to losing it were you," rubbing his neck with two fingers, "just so my brother knows since he's been a little worried about you."

(Worried?)

"He thought you'd come after him and tear his face off."

"I did not," her brother hissed.

Giving him her, I'm a psychiatrist I know everything look, "maybe not in the those words but I saw how you stiffened up when ever someone talked about him.

(To put your mind at ease I'm fine, I've always been fine, the human never left the hawk just became dominant in me for a while. It's happened before, the hawk runs wild if I get stressed or try and repressed it for to long or ignore it, I think it happened once while I was working for The Ellimist, but all that time is kinda fuzzy, just bits and pieces. Basically the hawk was running the show most of the time but I was always there, it just needed me to go be a hawk for a little while and it died down. Near as I can tell I was pretty much fine up till the sparring, I think having the girls challenge the hawk for dominance as many times as they did forced it into over drive to do some alpha predator thing. Don't worry about it happening again now that I know about it I can work around it, balance a few things out a little, slow down the training a little and make room for being what I am instead of what I want to be.)

"I'm getting really tired of this but, what did you just say?"

(I'm fine Danny, I ignored the hawk and challenged it's place in the food chain, it didn't like that, so it decided to prove it was still really tough, I'm better now humility is good, I can get the bird to accept that and I'm not going to be spends so long letting Sam and Jazz beat my tail.)

"Once more," Tucker kneeling down, his arms folded on the table, "preferably said in a way I understand."

(How to put this in simpler words,) tapping his talon on the table, (the hawk side of my mind is like Dash, someone tried to take his part on the team, made him feel puny, and he got ticked so he shoved a few people in lockers till they realized he was in charge again. The human side of my mind is now back in control and we've come to an understanding, I'm going to use it and I'm going to adapt so it doesn't happen again.)

"Ok got it now," grabbing his chair and sitting back down.

"Now the real question," Danny grabbing his feathered face and turning him so they looked eye to eye, "how long have you been here and what have you been seeing?"

(Maybe twenty minutes and nothing much, just seeing if anyone would notice me, that and seeing how much info I could gather without anyone having to tell me what happened wile I was away.)

Leaning back in his chair, "lets not ask like a normal person or anything."

Fluffing himself up, (do I look like a normal person to you.)

"You don't look like a person period," surprisingly coming from Sam, the others staring at her, "ok so maybe it was in bad taste, I thought it'd be funny."

(It was, but next time more sarcasm less deadpan,) looking back to Jazz, (what's with the book?)

Patting the large manuscript that Dracus had given her brother, "this is complicated, basically it holds the secrets to our survival if we can figure out what it says."

Walking over to it, (great one of those things,) looking down at it then snapping his head up, (wait give me second,) hopping down and morphing his human form, finishing just as Maddie walked in the room, looking around and spotting the book in front of the teens.

"There it is," walking over to them, "I've been looking ever where for that book," the anger in her voice making the others rethink what they were doing.

"Um…this one," Danny, like the others, growing nervous, trying to get between the older woman and the book, "can't be this one."

"Danny I know what I'm look at," pushing him aside gently to get at it and getting a better look at the cover, "oh…sorry, your right that's not what I've been looking for."

"Itoldyouso," the words coming out without a space between them, getting glares from the others.

Jazz looked up at her mother, "problem mom," trying not to sound small as her mother's face flash from anger to despair, to confusion.

"Nothing for you to worry about dear, I just ordered a very expensive book for you fathers birthday and it arrived two day ago, and now I can't seem to find it."

The sibling looked at each other nervously, "yeah about that one mom," Danny getting it out before his sister, "I think dad already knows about it," his mother's face growing pale.

"How?" the word both a warning and a threat.

"He found it and opened it, showed it to us, he though he ordered it," Danny giving her a lop sided grin.

"AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH," running her fingers through her hair, "I HATE THAT MAN, HE CAN'T NOT RUIN A SURPRISE!"

"Mom calm down," her daughter running a hand along her back, "this is dad we're talking about, he's does this every year, remember this is why we never have anything we're suspiring him with sent to the house, or hide it in the house, or have anything with house in the name."

"I know, I know," her face slowly going back to normal, "it's just, I spent weeks tracking that book down and he ruined it, again, just once I'd like to give that man a gift that he didn't already open or wasn't…"

"I know," hugging her mom, "it's just the way dad is, we can't stop it, we can't prevent it, it's just the way it is."

The other three mean while had moved back, putting distance from themselves and the scene before them, "it's times like this I'm glad my parents don't talk to me that much."

"My idiots guardians did, I wish they hadn't Sam, I really really wish they hadn't"

"I got nothing, my parents are painfully normal."

After another few moments Maddie left the room, slightly calmer, the door slamming behind her a few moments later, the woman heading off to the mall to find something for her husband, and actively considering a big can of pepper spray to try and teach him not to open things that didn't have hit name on them. "These are the day why I wonder why she married him," Jazz leaning against the door frame.

"And if she didn't we wouldn't be here," her brother sighed.

"Doesn't mean I don't wonder why she did it."

"Maybe all the women in out families are just attacked to the crazy ones," getting glares from his sister and Tobias, "I said it, I'm glad I said it."

"Moving on," Sam dropping back into the chair, "can we look at the book, all five of us are here, and we just open it up and find out what it says that's so big and important."

Sitting down next to her, "think of it that way guys, as messed up as your family is, it's nothing compared to mine, nothing at all."

"Tobias," Danny dropping down opposite him, "no one has a family like yours."

"Don't I know it, so lets get to it."

"Famous last words," Tucker sitting between Sam and Danny.

"No one ever said he was a poet," Jazz between Tobias and her brother, "now let's see what this thing is all about," tentatively touching the cover and opening the book in front of them all.

"The blood ran cold, the fire died and knew the darkness within would not be denied," Tobias whispered.

"Ok maybe he is a poet, but a bad one," Sam glaring at him.

Shrugging his shoulder, "don't challenge what you don't know, don't fight what you can't kill."

"Philosophical debate later, the book now," Danny looking at the blank page and flipping it, the book quickly becoming a mix of stories and information. Some parts seeming like they were fiction, others looking like they were real, a few looked like fables or legends in the real world but with a ghostly flavor. Other section seemed to be biographies or historical perceptions of objects, it was simply a mixed bags of information.

"This is going to take a long time to get through isn't it," Tucker looking at each one in turn.

Thumbing through the pages, looking to be a few hundred, and none knowing where to even start looking. "You might want to clear some time away from the ship Tuck," Jazz borrowing the name his friends used for him, "we may be here for a long time trying to figure out where to start."

"Eclipse," Tobias saying quietly.

"What," Danny looking from the page to the bird, "what eclipse?"

"The ship, we're calling it the eclipses."

"Since when do you get to decide th…."

"We decided Danny remember?" her sister cutting him off, "let me guess," looking at him, "you heard us talking about it?"

"Yep, and I like eclipse, simple, elegant, and we're not calling it Tuckifer."

"Tool of the female," looking back down at the book.

"No I just like the name, and it's not like I went with Jazz's, I just think Sam had a better choice."

Looking over at him, "thank you," running her fingers through her black hair, "we up for tomorrow or you still need time?"

"I'm good, name a time I'll show up."

"We'll need to work around this," Jazz scanning the page, reading fasted than the others, all her time with other books paying off.

"And have a date tonight so I'm out," Tucker making them all look in shock.

"Since when," Danny looking at him cockeyed.

"I met someone on line, I'm going to see her tonight."

Sam looked at him and shook her head, "that's not fast to anything shouldn't you at least take a few days first."

"Nah, new website, you put everything, it matches you instantly, you go out the next day, simple easy, no fuss no mess."

"You might want to make sure she's a woman, and not a pedophile while you at it, I heard bad things about these kinds of situations."

"Different time Tobias, it ain't going to happen."

"I'm pretty sure that's whatever one says in that situation."

"So," Sam reading along with the Jazz, "anybody else find it weird that a book your mom bought for your dad was actually a set up to get you to fight a dragon so another dragon could look good?"

"Yeah that is pretty weird," a wisp a blue smoke slipping out of Danny's mouth, "oh come on," shifting into his ghost form and floating up.

A moment later a familiar ghost appeared before them, rising from the floors, "I am the Box Ghost, BEWARE!"

Danny dropped slightly, "I thank you I thought I was going to have to worry for a second."

"HEY, I'M SCARY!"

"I'll be back in a few minutes," his hands igniting in green swirling energy.

"AAAHHHH," the ghost tossing the small box he'd been carrying and flying through a wall, Danny right behind him and out of the others sights.

Tucker picked up the box on the ground, "don't you love it when he shows up."

"The scary part is that doesn't effect any of you," Tobias sitting back down and starting to read.

"The Box Ghost is nothing new," opening up the box.

"TUCKER," the girls barked in unison, unsure what might be in it, only to watch him pull out a scroll.

"What," rolling it out, "he of all ghosts isn't going to hurt us, check this out," putting it on the table, unrolling into two pages the first being a map and the second one a note. Reading off the page, "follow this map, it will lead you to a great treasure, it's yours for the taking."

"Give me that," Jazz snatching it away from him, reading it as well then looking at the map, knowing what it meant having just come from that section of the Ghost Zone, "well this would explain the setup part of that guys story."

"We're dealing with a real rocket scientist here folks," Tobias reading it as well, "on my worst day, on any team, I've never come up with a plan this bad."

* * *

**Authors notes**

Where to begin

I know I changed Dorathea quite a bit, but we only really saw her personality in one ep, and I'm not throwing out the origin from the first ep, I'll get to that later. Mostly I just liked the idea of here being the brains behind her brothers reign.

Dracus was a calculated decision, he might seem like an odd addition but I like the idea of someone being that smart and that aware as an option yet not actually doing anything but answering questions. And I do plan on using him off and on.

I know it seems like I have a lot of master minds in the story, great game players but really they all want different things. The Ellimist and Crayak are the kings but they're rarely seen nor do have immediate plans for them. Clockwork is more subtle, he wants things done, but he won't just do them, he makes others do them. The wild cards, the emissaries of E & C, again no real plans for them but they are there. The Fright Knight is kinda one, but he wants specific things. Dracus isn't really a manipulator, he knows the past, and present and what might happen in the immediate future, but as the former guardian even he has things he won't let happen. Dorathea well, she's just trying to make her home a little better one move at a time.

If your wondering, in my mind Amazon looks a lot like Xena from the show of the same name, for a while he was going to be just a wizard but for some reason the character evolved into a woman.

What on Earth is Vlad planning, I agonized over how much to say, but in the end I just gave it up, of course just because you know a little doesn't mean you know everything.

Finally why did I do the slightly BS thing with Tobias, I just wanted to get him out of the way and let this be a core DP story, and it doesn't seem all that far fetched that he'd lose it a little if he tried to repress the hawk to long, see the third book where he loses his mind.

I'm not sure about the next chapter/story, I have ideas, but none of them fit, what I want to do needs to be pushed back at least one story and I'm not sure what can take there place yet, I have a core idea, I'm just missing the right element to bring it all together.

**Please R&R**, I need to know how many people are enjoying this or if I should just let the story go


	18. Opening act

**DP Style**

Nearly a week had passed since they'd gotten the book from Dracus and the five were still trying to figure out what secrets lay within the large tome. They hit it together everyday, scouring pages, and individually at night, the book moving between their three homes, Tobias sneaking in at night while they were asleep to continue working.

Each looked at the book from a different perspective, one unique to them and how they'd been raised. Jazz attacked the book from the angle that it wasn't the words that mattered but what lied beyond them, as if the way it was said was as important as the message itself, as though something could be found within it. Tucker hit it from a technical stand point, running tests of every sort trying to find out if the clues were hidden somehow within the book. Sam looked for the key trusts, searching for what was real and what wasn't, trying to find what should be and what wasn't, questioning everything she saw. Tobias looked as a hunter seeking prey, scoring each page slowly, methodically, leaving nothing to chance, everything important even if it didn't look that way. Danny simply saw it as a ghost, using what he knew about them to figure out what was really there. All that searching hadn't lead them any closer to the truth though, at least not the truth they though they were looking for, the connection between the crown of fire, ring of rage, and whatever the final artifact was.

In spite of that they had learned a great deal, the origins, or what they thought were the origins, of Pariah Dark, the Dragon siblings, even Walker were in the book, their stories similar but different from what they thought they knew. It was a tapestry, a story worthy of Shakespeare filled with trust and betray, great heights and shocking lows. Everything ultimately leading to what now was, the ghost king imprisoned, the real king missing, his children exiled and afraid, Walker, once a proud lawman in kings service outlawed and exiles from his home because Prince Aragon feared him and the power he held over the soldiers of his land. Even in the face of that the spirit still stayed true to his oath to the king and tried to make the Ghost Zone a safe place, but without the guidance of the king he'd gone out of control. And while those things were important in their own right, especially to Jazz, it didn't get them any closer to finding the secrets to what Vlad was up to or how to stop him from doing it.

"I still say this means something," Tobias looking at the page describing the history of King Gadron and his rise to power. "There has to be something in this story we're not seeing, I don't know what but it has to be here."

"So you keep saying," Sam leaning back into the chair in her room, "but we've all been over that section and nothings there, inside or out."

"I know," pounding the floor with his knuckle, "but something's there I know it, call it instinct, call it faith, call it insanity, but I know something's there, I can't see it either but I know something it's there. It's like when I'm hunting, I might not see the target, but I see the signs that point to it even if I'm not always consciously aware of them."

"Well until you become aware just drop it," Tucker snapped.

Danny was on the floor between the to other males, mostly because he knew Tucker was ticked and didn't want a fight breaking out between them. "Tuck you have to let this go," knowing what was wrong, "it's been a couple of days now it's over and done with, move on."

"I an not moving on, and you don't know what it's like, you weren't there."

"There's a reason blind dates have a stigma," the birdman moving just out of arms reach, "you never know who's on the other side till you see them and it applies to computer dating as well as being set up."

"Still it was Paulina, P-A-U-L-I-N-A," drawing out each syllable, "I had a date with her and no one believe me but you guys."

"You also only had it for about thirty seconds, then you both realized you were there to meet each other, and she bolted," Sam still enjoying the story. "Hard to believe that girl of all people would do that, I guess she got tired of just having everyone at Casper High fawning all over her."

"Or maybe she's deeper than we all thought," Jazz turning the book and flipping a few page, then in unison both girls looked at each other, "nnaaawwww."

"She wants something I don't know what but she wants something," the goth leaning back and closing her eyes.

Tapping the book, "I know you school politics are interesting and important to you, but I want to know how to stop the world from going down the crapper."

"Now we can't have words like that in this house," Sam's overly chipper mother forcing her way into the room, "such gutter language has to be used out, if even said at all, which it shouldn't be."

Several things flashed through the minds of Tobias and Sam, the latter always thinking them about her mother and former not use to family's rules yet. "does freedom of speech not mean anything to you?"

"Birdie," Jazz snapped, while the older woman stared at him, shock running across her face, not believing he'd spoken to her like that.

Sam did her best to suppress a smile, moving over to him, "ok," putting a hand on his shoulder, "I think it's time you get moving before my mom's head explodes."

"Right, right, shut up and leave Tobias," knowing what Sam meant and getting up, "I'll see you all in a few," moving past Sam's still frozen mother.

Jazz following him with her eyes, "I think I need to get going to, I have a project I need to finish up, Danny need a lift?"

"Only if you drop off Tuck," grabbing the book from the ground.

"Demands demands demands, I liked it better when we weren't getting along, come on Tucker, I'll take you wherever it is my brother wants."

"Thanks," getting up and following them, "good luck with her Sam, and if he head does explode can I get a recording, I can sell it on the net for serious cash."

When he said it she grabbed a small pillow off her head and threw it at his head, "get out of here before you get me in trouble."

"How can you stand him Samantha," her mother finally got out after the others had left.

"It's Tucker, it's nothing new to me."

"I mean that other one, that strange blond boy without any concept of decorum and dignity."

Doing her best not to make any outward sign, use to the close minded ideas of her mother, "Tobias is just Tobias and I find his openness refreshing, it's nice to have someone around that just speaks his mind and doesn't care about the consequences."

"He's rude and vile."

"He's a teenage boy, and I like him," her mother looking like she was going to faint, "not like that, just as a friend."

"I thought I raised you better than that Samantha."

"You did, that's why I'm the way I am, now if you'll excuse me, I have some things to get through," vaguely forcing her mother out of the room.

* * *

**DP Style**

He was use to the failing, rain, if anything it made him feel better, like it was part of him, it's been that way since he was a small boy. The rain had always been the only constant in his life, cities changed, people came and went, memories faded, but the rain always remained.

"Book," the word accompanied by a slight banging of metal. He didn't bother to answer, just staring out the little window, after a few moment the banging came again, "you you want a book or not Shaw?" Again he didn't bother to say anything just watching the drops of water fall, listening to them splash, and the occasional blast of thunder and streak of lightning lighting up the sky and the small room. "Franklin Shaw you there or not?" his name jarring him slightly, not use to anyone calling him that, more than likely the reason for the mans words.

"I'm here," turning to him, "and there's nothing in that stupid cart that I need."

"Your call freaky," the man shrugging and moving on, pushing the cart down the small corridor of the third level, the cells on the right. He didn't bother to say anything as the man moved on, he was also one of the few he let call him that, the librarians being the only ones that could take his mind off his incarceration, to everyone else he wasn't even Franklin Shaw, he was Freakshow.

He couldn't help but smile at that, he hadn't been given his stage name, it had been a title imposed on him from the other inmates when he first arrived, because of how he looked. Thin, bald head, his theatrical movements, they all thought it was funny to call him that, bur more they thought he would be an easy mark, someone they could walk all over with out having to worry. They'd been sorely mistaken on all fronts about that situation, he might not have been that big, or that strong, but he was far from helpless.

He may not have had his ghosts anymore, but he was still a showman, brought up in a family of actors and conartists and he knew how to use what he had to get what he wanted. A combination of slide of hand, acting, and pick pocketing easily set the stage for him, and he quickly became the man no one wanted to mess with. In under a month he went from being the weakest of the new meat to person no one dared anger, convincing them he had a direct link to the devil and had a great many powers. At times he spoke in tongues, other times, things would appear to move around him, he even levitated a time or two, and when he really needed to he would curse a person, making them vomit blood, make marks appear on them at a moments notice.

In truth he had no power, at least non super natural, just a lot of fancy tricks that the fools all bought into that had left him as king of the roost, and allowed him to have a private cell and all the peace and quite he could want. Of course being the king of such a small domain didn't really matter to him, he'd tasted real power for a short time and wanted it back. His ghosts had given him everything he wanted and now he had nothing but a few walls and the fear of a inmates.

"I'm going to get them back," he hissed, not for the first time, thinking of them often, unfortunately his options were limited. The orb had been a family treasure passed from one in the circus to the next, but after he'd been caught his family had cut off all ties to him, completely disowning him for what they believed was the abuse of the sacred object, the source of the family power.

"All because of two kids," he snarled as the lightning flashed lighting up his features. His features back to being flesh tone, his white makeup taken from him when he was arrested. Despite the white he'd worn his features were far darker, a mix of African, Cuban, and Lebanese ancestry making up the features of his face and body.

"Those two cost me everything and I'm going to get them back, I'm going to make them pay for humiliating me, for stripping me of my rightful place in the world." He wasn't the first to make such plans, the night ringing with those planning on taking revenge on those that had locked them away, the only difference was Freakshow knew just how stupid such a plan was. They'd be watching him, the police, others, they'd make sure he never got by them, and even if he did there was still the ghost boy, his former minion. Without ghosts at his beck and call he'd never be able to get by him to them, and until he could find another way to control them it was a mute point.

So he just stood there, watching the lightning strike and listening to the sound of thunder as he'd done as a child at the various stops his family circus stopped at, finding comfort in the rhythm, the routine, and letting it relax him till he could find a way to turn everything around. "One day everything's go to change and then we'll be on top again, that's the family motto isn't it dad," watching the rain fall, "everything will come back around if you wait long enough. Well I'm tired of waiting dad, I want everything I deserve and I want them now," the roar of thunder highlighting his words, the lighting in the cell block dimming for a second filling the area in darkness before flashing back on.

When the lights came back on the man was no longer alone in his cell, a small green form in the window ledge sitting the staring at him with little eyes. "Come to mock me little one," seeing the small glowing ghost mouse, sitting up on her hind legs, a fifth leg between the other two on his right side. The rodent cocked her head to the side and reach behind her back pulling a small card seemingly from no where and handing it to him. "Well what do we have here," the note on the card was simple.

'_If you want out you'll have to pay for it, our enemies are the same, deal with them and you'll have the power that was taken from you.'_

Reading it a few times he looked down at the mouse, "alright little one, let me out, and I'll do whatever you want as long as I get those two." The rodent nodded and jumped out the window, much to the surprise of Freakshow, "well yet another ghost come to mock me, what a shock." He turned his attention back to the window watching the rain fall, he wasn't all that surprised by the ghosts' action, it wasn't the first one to come and make a fool of him, the infamous ghost controller now powerless, it must've been quite a joke for all of them.

A few moments after the mouse left he felt a presence enter the room much to his shock, being around ghost's as often as he was had given him a few abilities other humans didn't have. He didn't get a chance to say anything as he felt himself shift out of phase with the rest of the world and fall through the floors, others passing before his eyes as he was flown out of the prison and far away from the rest of the incarcerated humans and didn't stop till he was a great deal away the slightly transparent ghost bird setting him down in the middle of the woods where other ghosts were waiting for him.

The spirits around him weren't his former troop but he doubted he'd ever see them again. No these ghosts were all animals, and by the look of them most likely not happy to see him with made the human more than a little nervous. If these creatures so wanted they could kill him without a second though he knew that, but he had to hope there was more going on than he could see. On his left was a six legged bear, on his shoulder was the mouse, a two headed bobcat on the mans right, a dead moose with one big eye was behind him, the bird that he now recognized as some kind of eagle sitting on his antlers, next those two was am albino wolf half a head to tall, at his feet was a three headed beaver, all six eyes threatening him with death if he moved.

"Well this is different," looking around not sure what was going to happen, the mouse pulling another card from behind her back and giving it to the bear who gave it to Freakshow.

Reading it, _'These animals are a gift, they will help you, but be warned they are a bit wild, do not anger them or they may be your death. The eagles intangible, the bear's claws can cut through anything, the moose generates a shield around itself, the cat generates ectoblasts from it's eyes, the wolf can become invisible and the beaver generates a sonic attack from it's mouths. If you agree to the terms set down, the mouse will return to me and inform me, don't worry you won't be needing her skills. They may not be the strongest individually, but together they may prove to be a force strong enough to defeat a few teenagers, and under your leadership I trust they will be up to the task, good hunting.'_

Looking at the beasts, "well then, it seems I have a friend, then it's time we get going, there are a few people I promised to kill, but first we need to be far away from here, and I need to change clothes," looking down at his blue suit, "I have to put on something more appropriate."

* * *

**DP Style**

"To much to go through and not enough time," Danny growled leaning against his locker the next morning.

"So you keep saying," pulling books from his locker, "it's not a nig deal, sooner or later we'll figure it out, and failing that you'll just kick Plasmius' butt when he does find whatever it is we're looking for."

"You live in a fantasy world don't you?"

"What we'll be fine, you fight, we win, it's not a big deal."

"And if something does go wrong you'll be the first to die, well at least the top ten, somewhere under my dad and Tobias but above Val."

"Above me what?" the teen ghost hunter stopping in the hall and looking at them, catching her name but not sure of the context.

Thinking fast, "there's an alarm system above you….or…um….will be, it's something I heard yesterday, something about a major prank, I don't know why, I don't know what they're doing."

"What are you talking about," adjusting her backpack.

"I have no idea," the half ghost having no idea what he'd just said or what it might mean, before he could even try and come up with something Sam showed up. The goth running down the hall and hauling both her friends away from the other ghost hunter practically in a mad sprint. "Sam," he finally managed to hiss after a few moments, now well away from the other girl, but having the eyes of everyone in the hall on them.

Without answering him or letting go of Tucker she grabbing him again and shoved them both into the basement stairwell. "We have a problem," she hissed, trying to keep her voice down and shutting the door behind her.

"We're in trouble all the time Sam, this is nothing new."

She looked at Tucker then to Danny, "you don't know do you?"

"Know what," Danny answer this time, afraid that if Tucker kept talking she'd kill him.

Pulling off her backpack and pulling out the newspaper, "this," forcing it in their faces.

"What," Tucker looking at it.

"I'm with him, what's the problem, so they're discussing building a new road."

Sam looking at the paper, realizing she was showing them the wrong side and turning it around so they could read the head line, "I mean this."

Danny's eyes went wide as he grabbed Tucker pulling it close between them while they read, a reputation of "oh crap," escaping Tuckers lips. thief Franklin Shaw, alias Freakshow is missing and presumed escaped. The investigation is currently underway, and reports say evidence is scarce, this is being attributed to the possibility of ghost interaction at the scene. Shaw was accused of using ghosts to commit his crimes, but no proof was ever found to cement the claim…..'' Under the story was a picture of Freakshow's mug shot and in his Circus Gothica costume.

"Great as if we needed more problems," Danny slumping against the wall, not wanting to show that he was afraid himself, still having nightmares about the man controlling him.

Tucker looked from one to the other, "ghosts….how? We destroyed his orb he shouldn't have any ghosts anymore, how'd this happen?"

"I don't know," Sam folding the paper us, trying to stay calm herself and not outwardly panic like Tucker. "This is really bad though, I mean he knows who we are, he had to testify against him, and this might be a little overly paranoid but how do we know he's not going to come after us. It happens all the time in moves and TV shows."

"Because he's not that stupid," Danny growled, his eyes glowing at the though of his friends being in danger. "He knows I'm here, he knows I don't like him, and he knows I'll protect you, he's not stupid enough to dare come back here, chances are he's a thousand miles away and still running."

When he said it Sam dropped down to her knees and hugged him, "that was exactly what I needed to here right now, thank you."

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING IN HERE," Mr. Lancer forcing the door open and making the three fall a few steps down, Sam ending up on top Danny , Tuckers feet on top of her back.

"Did you have to do that?" Tucker moaned trying to move off Sam without falling further down the stair.

"Oh you three," the bald man helping Sam up, "I didn't know."

The three looked at each other not use to him being nice, or understand, finally Sam got it, "you read the paper didn't you?"

"Saw the news actually, I'm guessing one of you didn't know," closing the door behind him, seeing the fear and embarrassment spread across their faces. "If you two would like the day off, I can arrange that, I realize this can't be easy for you."

"Sweet, I'll just," Tucker trying to bolt only to be grabbed by the back of the shirt by Danny, "or maybe not."

"We're ok Mr. Lancer, Danny's right he's not dumb enough to come back here, that's probably the first place the place are looking."

"You cam e up with that Mr. Fenton," the teacher not totally believing that.

"Something like that, actually I said he wouldn't be dumb enough to come to a city full of ghosts, some of which he controlled. I know they say criminals return to the scene of the crime, but no ones stupid enough to come back to a place where supernatural creatures want a piece of your hide."

"Not the words I'd use Mr. Fenton but I'd say it's a fairly accurate analysis of the situation."

Shrugging, "you see enough ghosts a few things are bound to start sticking."

"In that case, stick you bodies into your classes before I decide to right you up."

"Right."

"Got it."

"We're gone."

"And remember there's a pep rally today and I expect you all to be there, I will be looking for you."

Sam pounded the wall as she left, "is it to late to say I want to go home?"

"Yes Miss Manson, now go, I'm going to ignore this transgression," watching them leave him and head down the hall, more than a few people watching.

"I knew I should've just not come to school today, for that matter I shouldn't have gotten up this morning."

Putting his hand on his shoulder, "you say that very school day Sam."

"Which means it's true Danny," the goth swinging into class ignoring how the others looked at her and Danny, knowing they'd been talking about the two of them.

* * *

**DP Style**.

"I'm coming," Maddie barked running up the stairs as someone banged on the door, a few moment later opening the door, only to find Vlad Masters there in his dark suit.

"Hello Maddie, you look lovely today," bowing slightly and flashing her a smile, trying to walk the line between being friendly and openly flirting.

A wave of emotions flashed in her mind as she looked at him, the two strongest were rage and joy, a strange mix but there it was. On the one hand she was glad to see him, on the other hand he'd hit on her a number of time as despite what she' told him still wasn't all that comfortable around him. "Pleas come on," finally waving him in, "Jack we be home in a few minutes," coming out more as a warning than just information.

"Oh well I can't stay long," walking into the living room, trying not to watch her to closely, knowing he was on thin ice with the woman he loved.

"And why's that," pulling a few things off the chough for him, "anything important?"

"I own Axion now," smiling up at her as he sat down, hoping she'd be impressed but getting nothing, "I came down to over see part of the reconstruction. That was an awful mess wasn't it, ghost and animal attacks, rampaging robots, how could one building suffer so much even in this town."

"Then maybe you should've picked another," snapping slightly even though she tried to civil.

"But then I wouldn't have a completely legitimate excuse to be down here and accidentally run into you Maddie."

"Yes well," sitting opposite him, a little nervous about what the man had just said, the hair on the back of her neck rising. "So how long will you be in town?"

"A few days maybe more, I can't really be sure, it all depends on how business turns out, you know how erratic that can be. Well you must you live with Jack and he's the most erratic person I know," laughing a bit, then stopping when she didn't join him, "I'm joking."

Giving him a pity laugh, "he can be a handful but that's part of the reason I feel in love with him," not hiding the enjoyment on her face when it looked like someone had punch the wealthy man in the face with a hammer.

"So," regaining his dignity, "I've heard from the grapevine your little Jasmine is finally dating, how's that working?"

Maddie was a little scared by that, not sure where he'd gotten that information, but finally shrugged it off, "she's alright, and all things considered she could've found someone much worse to be going out with, even if she doesn't really say that's what she's doing."

"And grandchildren aren't in the future I hope," the comment making her cough and hack in surprise.

Finally recovering, "we raised her better than that Vlad, and I'll thank you not to think about it, beside Tobias knows if I ever found out they were doing that he'd never see daylight again."

"He doesn't sound like much of a catch then."

"He's fine Vlad, very nice, respectable, he goes out of his way to polite but not in the phony way some people do," giving him a knowing smile.

Smiling back at her, "I do hate people that do that, don't you."

"Beyond words," sitting back, "in any case, I like him, Jack's still on the fence about him, but he'll come around if he ever spends some time with him."

"So he's worthy of your little girl?"

"I've met far worse people in my life, and he makes her happy, the way Jack doe to me and isn't that all that matters?"

The smile he gave her made it seem like his face was going to explode at any moment, "excuse me, I need to use your restroom," practically running out of the room.

"Think about that for a little while," wiggling in her chair and getting a little more comfortable, glad she'd been able to take him down a few pegs in a matter of moments.

* * *

**DP Style**

A few hours had gone by and the four found themselves in the middle of the pep rally, Jazz a good deal away from the others with her class, like the others mostly just waiting for it to start then to just be over. The redhead scanned the large gym, she doubted she could find the others on the other side of the gym but thought it was worth a shot, at least it gave her something to do while the others around her talked about things she'd lost touch with over the last few weeks, training, fixing the Eclipse and decoding the book becoming her primary focus lately.

"Where are you little brother," asking herself while scanning the room, not sure where he was and partially not caring just trying keep her mind busy, ever since Spectra had corrupted spirit day it just wasn't the same for her, they gave her a weird vibe and ruined the enjoyment she use to get from it.

On the other side of the gym the trio were sitting up and near the back, trying to stay away from the others in a quiet part of the gym so they could talk without being heard or targeted by Dash. The Football star had been on the war path for them for the last few weeks, every since he'd beaten Tobias his place on the social latter had dropped a rung and he was desperate to get back up the only way he knew how. That had meant Danny had been forced to avoid the boy more than usual, but thankfully that wasn't a problem today, the blond teen with the rest of the team to get some kind of award.

"Well I can think of ten things I'd rather be doing now," Tucker tapping on his PDA.

"Do I want to know what," Danny trying to get comfortable, they been unable to grab the coveted seats at the top so he had to do with knees in his back.

"Just about anything," still tapping on the machine.

Sam peaked over, "still with the online dating, I thought you'd learned by now."

"Hey I'm just checking out you know who's online profile, seeing if I can figure out what she was doing there."

Shaking her head, "yeah like your going to find that out by looking at a computer screen."

Not looking over, "never underestimate what technology can do for you."

"And never anger a girl on the edge," Danny reminding him, "how about seeing if you can hook into a news site, maybe they found something on Freakshow."

Looking over at the half ghost, like Danny very uncomfortable by is spot on the belchers, someone knees stabbing into his lower back. "What happened to not being worried about him?"

"Not being worried and not wanting to know if they found that wacko are totally different things," Sam slapping him on the back of the head.

"Fine fine give me a few second," bring up a new screen, and flipping through a few files, "ok people know absolutely nothing about where he is."

"Can you try a little bit harder Tuck, for me," Sam going against her better judgment and fluttering her eye lashes, scaring both boys greatly.

"Scariest thing I've ever seen."

"True dat," looking form Danny to Sam, "promise never to do that again and I'll look."

"Promise to look and I'll never do that again," the goth leaning back, hating having gone down that road.

"Ok," looking on a few more sites, "some say he might be heading north away from Amity Park, but that's only on one site and I'm not sure how much I believe it."

"At least that's something," Danny leaning forward finally giving up and moving as far up as he could without hitting the girl in front of him.

They didn't get to keep up the conversation as music started pumping though the speakers and cheerleader jumped out, waving their pompoms, one or two doing flips and other wise distracting the teens, the roar of the school making it hard to hear each other, the boy in front of Tucker nearly making him drop his PDA. After a few minutes everything calmed down, the cheer ending and Mr. Lancer coming up and tapping on the microphone.

"Attention everyone, you all know why we're here, it's because we've won every football this season and it's all thanks to one man, I give you your quarterback and team captain, Dash Baxter!" As he came up he got a mixed welcome, a most cheering, but more than a few booing him, someone even throwing an empty soda can at him and hitting him in the head.

"Best athlete in school and he has the reflex's of door knob," Danny sighed getting giggles from his friends.

"WHOEVER THREW THIS IS DEAD," he barked into the mike holding the can, crushing it in his hand.

"Threatening someone in front of a room full of witness, and you say I'm stupid."

Putting her arm around him, "not stupid, just not applying yourself."

"Thanks a lot Sam," rolling his eyes and enjoying watching Dash make an idiot of himself, "you are recording this right Tuck?"

"Every word of it."

"Cool, if he keeps this up we might finally have something worth wild to use on this guy."

"That's a big if."

"Where was I," Dash collecting himself, "right, were the best team this school has had in eight years, that's really saying something and you all get the privilege of seeing it up close, so come down to the game this week an watch me whale on the platypuses!"

As soon as he said it the school went dark, every light dieing simultaneously, then a single spot light lighting up in the middle of the gym floor. They didn't have to see him to know who it was, they could just feel him. "Greeting children, I am Freakshow, your master of ceremonies for today, don't worry this is a show you won't soon forget."

"HEY," Dash yelling storming over to him, "NO ONE STEALS MY THUNDER!"

If Dash had any more to say he didn't get it out as he was hit in the throat by the cane Freakshow was carrying, the athlete dropping to the ground and struggling for breath. "Don't interrupt junior I'm on a role, now stay there and you might learn something." Looking back to the others and speaking back up, "many of you know me, as the master mind behind Circus Gothica, well now I'm here to put on a new show, one that will haunt your nightmares for years to come, well all but two of you. You know who you are, Miss Manson, Mr. Foley we have something to discuss," as he said their names everyone around them moved to one side or the other and making it very clear where they were. "And just so we're clear, no one try and be a hero, if I see anyone going for a cell phone or a computer there will be problems down the line."

Due to the people around him Danny couldn't manage to escape with the others while the white faced man was speaking, and really couldn't now that he practically had a spot light on them. "I'll figure out something guys," grabbing their hands and squeezing them tightly, Sam's more so than Tuckers.

"That better be a promise Danny," she hissed in a sing-song quality, her nerves creeping up and wishing she had her weapons on her rather than keeping them in her backpack the class room.

"I swear it guys, I'll get you out of here."

"Now don't be shy, come on down, join the fun."

"BITE ME," Sam barked standing up, growing braver with Danny near by and beginning to think it might just be him, not seeing signs of him having any help, "what's one little man going to do against all of us?"

Tapping his cane on the ground, "spirit I hate that, boys come," at his words the wolf appearing next to him, the eagle holding the bear walked through the bleachers, right under the trio, the doors on the side of the gym burst open as the moose forced his way in, the other animals following him. "As you can see I'm not quite alone here, I've traded in the complications of the circus for the simplicity of the zoo, and I assure you, they are more than able to handle a few humans." Looking over at a girl who was slowly reaching over to the pocket in her large pants, tapping his cane and pointing at her the bobcat fired off a blast blowing a hole in the materiel. "Now what did I tell you all about being hero's? My pets are rather volatile and I can't be sure just what will set them off."

"Smooth Sam," Tucker looking at them, not sure where this was going.

"Great more animals, where's Tobias when we need him, this is right up his alley."

Between clenched teeth, "then maybe someone should go find him," beginning to move to the stairs on the bleachers.

"Sam," Danny warned watching her.

"He wants us not you, maybe he'll let everyone else go if we just surrender, Tuck you coming?"

Leaning over and looking down at the animals, "I can stay here and have them come and get me, or go down and get who knows what done to me, some choice." After a second of thinking he followed her, knowing Danny would be back after a few moments and save their butts.

"So you're a bit smarter than I thought you'd be," the ringmaster watching them closely as they came near him, his animals close to attacking, "stay," lifting his hand.

"Your not," Sam trying to mask her fear with anger, doing everything she could to try and make herself believe she wasn't in any real danger. Ghosts were one thing, they were scary, but at least she knew how to beat them, but this guy, he was human, alive, it wasn't an accident or a few hundred years that had made him this way, he'd just chosen this after less than a life time. This guy was human and he was evil, it might not have actually been that simple, she knew that, but that's how she saw it, and human evil was just somehow scarier than ghost evil.

"And whys that little girl," reaching out and grabbing her by the face, loving being this close to her and seeing the fear in her eyes as she faced him.

"Because a smart man would be a thousand miles away right now, and failing that not using ghosts. Do you have any clue just how many ghost hunters are in this city, in a matter of hours if not minutes they'll be here and this little plan of yours will fall apart and you'll be back behind bars were you belong you sick sack of crap."

"Little girls and their fairy tales."

"I'm not a little girl and I never liked fairy tales and your never getting out of here," pulling her head away from him, barely controlling the desire to punch him in the face and bury her knee in his crotch. The only thing keeping her from doing so were the others and the fear of the ghost retaliating before Danny or Jazz or even Valerie could do anything to stop them.

"But you are," stroking her hair, "only little girls have stupid little dreams of white knights, and that's what your praying for. But by the time that happens you'll be gone and so will I, and then well, nothing will really matter will it."

Balling her hands into fists, "bite me."

"Not yet, but soon," tapping his cane on the ground, "escort the others else where, and be sure to keep an eye on all of them, I don't want anyone getting any bright ideas."

With a roar the animals complied, all save the eagle that is, the bird staying put to keep an eye on Freakshow and to watch over Sam and Tucker. At first the others in the room refused to move, those objections stopping as the bear tore a chunk out of the belchers with his midlevel limbs, the act enough to scare the others into submission and make the others move. For a few moment both Fenton's considered changing and attacking but both put it aside, the people around making them put their plans of hold, at least till they could ensure their respective secrets and having faith that the two could keep themselves safe against the man.

When everyone was out Freakshow looked at the two, "now where should we begin, I have so much I want to do to you, that is all I really could think about in there, and yet so little time to do it in."

Outside other events were occurring the mass of students were divided by the animals, the ghosts snapping, growling, and clawing to keep them apart. Each animals took a group and forced them into the to small rooms with one positioning itself in front of the door, making sure they couldn't escape, only the wolf stayed free, prowling the halls just in case something went wrong so she could warn the others.

Shoved away in the music room, arguably the largest room in the school was a mix of students, of various grades, including Danny and Jazz, neither one totally sure what to do, somehow drawing the room that was guarded by the six limbed bear. "Well this is fun, any ideas how to get out?"

"A few," pulling her brother away from the others and into the corner, keeping her voice low so the others hopefully couldn't hear them, "unfortunately I have no idea how to make any of the work with these people around."

"Ditto, if I could hide behind or in something, I could take these guys down, but you time, cause enough panic to make sure no one notices us disappearing."

"I was thinking the same thing, figures the one time we need people to panic is the time they all stay clam, people in this school are becoming way to desensitized."

"So what are we going to do about the her and now?"

Shrugging and looking at the guard, "this is your area of expertise not mine, but whatever you think of I'm up for it."

"Great no pressure or anything," taking a deep breath and trying to keep his ghost powers under control, feeling his eye just wanting to light up.

Leaning back against the wall, "no one ever said being a Fenton was easy and it's not like we haven't been in tougher spots."

"Most of those we had time, equipment and luck on our side, right now we got nothing but you, me, and a bunch of scared teens."

"Then we'll have to improvise."

"At the moment I'm improvised out, unless something happen I don't know how to even get started figuring out a plan, I think this might be all up to those two right now."

* * *

**Tobias POV**

I knew Jazz had told me to stop showing up at school, at least in human form, but that didn't mean I was just going to stop all together, at least as far as meeting her after school was concerned. (It's not like I have anything better to do with my time right now,) which was true, I hadn't had much more progress than the others so far, all I really saw was a bunch of words except for that one story and I really didn't know why it intrigued me so much. (Not here not now,) pushing those thoughts aside, just wanting to enjoy being with my friends for a little while.

(What's going on here,) getting my first good glimpse of the school and not seeing anyone out there. (Ok am I off,) looking around, circling for a second till I found one of the large light up clock slash temperature signs, (nope right time for school to be out so what's up?) I was sure why but I was a little spooked, I knew there could be a totally normal explanation behind this but it didn't stop me from being a little worried.

Pulling my wings back I shot at the school in a dive, covering the ground faster and flaring as I shot up next to a window. My eyes might not have been designed to see through glass but this close it wasn't a real problem, well technically it was because it let me know there was a problem, namely I didn't see anyone inside the room which was not good, by all rights I should've seen someone, even a lone teacher. (My hawk sense is tingling, and not in a good way. This isn't a fire drill since there's no one outside, no cops so no one was removed, no Fenton's so it's not ghosts, which doesn't leave a lot of choices.)

All put together it meant I had to investigate, the problem was my options were limited. Well it actually left a few it was just a matter of which ones I wanted to use, (small would be good, but I'm getting tired of running through the vents of this school, and I have a feeling I'm going to need to be a little bit bigger during all this.) That left a few choice and none I really wanted to use, if for no other reason I wasn't that popular right now, at least the animal me, Axion's publicity crew was doing a number on my image in the city. (So I guess that leaves only a few choices, which really mean I only have one.)

Flapping away into a blind section of the school, a spot no one could see and devoid of video surveillance equipment. A few seconds I walked out as my human self and headed right up to the door, glad this was one of the few schools that didn't lock their doors at every opportunity, I guess when you have things that float threw walls, trying to keep things out seems kinda stupid. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I reached for the latch, something very bad was on the other side of the door and I was about to walk into it, but then, when did knowing something like that ever stop me.

Pushing the door open I walked in, terror shooting threw me as I took a step on the tile, "oh this is a very bad idea." Taking a deep breath a moved a few more steps the door shutting behind me with a slight bang, the recoil more than I thought it's be, combined with the silent hall making it sound like a cannon had gone off when it slammed shut. I jumped at the sound, my heart beating even faster in my chest, "come on man, a heart attack is not the way I'm going to die, not after everything I've been through."

I moved as fast and quietly as I could through the halls, but I knew things were up, the predator in my just knowing things were wrong here. That sense became clear as I heard the growl coming from a hall divide in front of me, for a second I thought about running, about morphing, a few other things as well but in the end didn't do any, I was lost in a situation I didn't understand, with luck I'd get those answers if I played along.

"Come on then," bracing my self for whatever came, or thought I did as a large white ghost wolf walked out and stared at me, "well this can't possibly end well," his muzzle lifting as he growled at me. "I don't suppose we can talk about this? I get you some kibble, maybe a bunny and we call it even?" If he bought that, or even understood it I wasn't sure but I doubted it as jumped at me grabbed me by the throat and pulled me along, amazingly not breaking my skin. Both sides of my wanted to fight back, but I let it go, if we had ghosts running around the school I'd get answers real quick to what was going on, and I was a little surprised Danny wasn't out taking care of this.

After a few seconds the wolf jumped up, me still attacked to him, and hit the door a few times with his front paws the door opening to a worse sight, a giant green ghost bear who grabbed me with one paw and hurled me over a room full of teens landing at the feet of two in particular. "Hey guys, let me guess shouldn't have come here?" looking up at Danny and Jazz.

"So much for a boy toy buying us time," Danny squatting next to me head.

"I'm not her boy toy!"

"He's not my boy toy," the two of us linking up and causing the room to stare at us a little more than they already were.

Moving my hand to avoid seeing a few things, "Danny move or you will never have kids."

"What," looking down seeing and seeing what was at eye level with me, "right sorry."

"What are you doing here?" Jazz laying on her knees and looking down at me.

"If a bear didn't just throw me like a rag doll I might have something clever to say here but the truth is I just came in to see how you were doing," getting an 'oooooo' from the kids.

"Grow up guys," the redhead snapping at them and helping me sit up, "anything broken?"

"Nothing by my pride," a little surprised that was true, after that I'd expect everything to be broken several times over. "So what's going on here?"

"Freakshow got out," Danny starting.

I looked at him, glad he'd held there as I searched my mind, "this might be the concussion I may have, but who is that again?"

"A human who controls ghosts, Sam and Tucker testified against him after he robbed a few places got him thrown away. He got out, now has these guys working for him," waving to the bear, "and he's now doing who knows what with them while we're stuck in here."

"Ah," beginning to understand the situation, especially why he wasn't doing anything, keeping my voice low, the others in the room becoming slightly indifferent to us, "want me to sacrifice myself for the others, I got no problem doing it," looking up at Jazz, "I won't be happy but if it'll save their lives."

Looking from me to the ghost bear to the others, "I like the idea, but lets keep it in reserve till we exhaust the other choices."

"And those are?" looking around I doubt he had any others.

"I got zero, she's got zip…."

"And you expect me to have more than zilch" less a question than a statement of fact of my part.

"Pretty much, but then I didn't know you were coming."

"Great I'm surrounded by idiots with horrible plans."

Nodding over to her, "what do you see in my sister again?"

"I'd explain it to you, but then you'd probably kill me," getting another 'ooooo' from the peanut gallery.

Ignoring them, "I don't suppose you have a cell phone on you?"

"Why would I," leaning back and watching the bear, ghost changes aside I was guessing it was a grizzly and beyond that it was watching and listening to us. I growled lightly under my breath at him, not a clear threat but enough to confirm my belief that we were being watched by him, "we have a bigger problem."

"We know," Jazz glancing over at him, "I had a feeling he'd been keeping an eye on us, I think they know us."

"I've run across a few ghost animals in my life, it's possible, definitely something familiar here, but I can't put my finger on it," then almost as an after thought adding, "our parents might know they have files on pretty much everything." It wasn't hard for me to figure out why he added it, he was trying to cover his butt in case people figured out who he was.

"Well whatever your call is I'm with ya."

"As comforting as that is birdie, I wish you'd come in with a plan because this is not a place we have a lot of options in."

Cracking my knuckles, "there's always primal, it's always worked for me."

Tapping me on the head with her own knuckles, "news flash your human, probably not over one fifty, that's a five hundred pound monster with supernatural powers, you winning a fight is about as likely as Danny becoming Miss America."

"Sick and wrong," not bothering to look at her, keeping my eyes trained on the ghost, letting the hawk in me work him over, instincts that had taken years to cultivate telling me everything I wanted to know about this creature. He was a predator but didn't get much chance to use his skills, he had intelligence more so than a normal bear should, there was also something wrong with him, something about him wasn't natural anymore, more than the obvious, something had happened to him, but I wasn't sure what. It took less than a minute to figure out exactly what kind of beast this was, I knew his strengths, weaknesses, how to enrage him and how to bring him to his knees with a move, but to do most of those I'd need to be something other than human, which wasn't a choice at the moment.

When I felt a hand on my shoulder it brought me out of the slight daze, I wasn't even aware I was that into it, "birdie your scaring him."

"What," looking up at her.

Nodding over at our guard, "I don't think he likes you looking at him."

Looking at him again I understood how she'd come to that, I'd been so preoccupied with the fine details and ignored the big picture, the bear was felling challenged by me and was on the verge of taking me apart. Looking away again, "right thanks, I got lost there for a second."

"You found something didn't you," Danny moving closer to me.

Nodding, "sorta, an idea nothing I want to put our lives on yet."

"Whatever it is I'm more than willing to hear it," looking over at the bear for me.

Thinking fast I changed the plan, the new piece giving me what I needed, it was possibly suicidal but it would work if I didn't care what would happen to the others. "How much do you care about everyone here?"

Hitting me on the back of the head, "you can't kill them birdie or anything that will get them killed."

"Answers that question," looking back at the bear, "in which case you better make sure they stay alive cause this is going to get ugly real soon." I could've told them the plan but we already had a good number of the teens looking at us and didn't need any more of them getting panicked, besides I had no idea if this would even work. I kept my eyes on him, this time, intentionally trying to challenge him, I knew it was dangerous but at the moment it was the best idea I had, and it would give us one major distraction.

At first nothing, not even the slightest indication that he saw me, then slowly he met my eyes, his ears lowered, muzzle lifted and let loose a low snarl. That didn't stop me and I didn't let on that he was scaring me or at least any of the ways that I could prevent it. The big Ursus got madder by the second, going from loose anger towards me, the usual bluffing moves, fangs, claws, growling and grew to him moving on me a step and full on roaring. I didn't let it phase, me still staring at him, letting him make all the moves while everyone around me made sounds like sacred mice, scrambling away knowing something was going to happier very soon even if they didn't know what. All the anger finally culminated as he came at me, dropping down on all six's and charging mouth open ready to take my head off.

"OH CRAP," Danny barked bolting away from me as fast as he could as a human and taking his sister with him.

"Come on big boy, show me what you got," trying to keep my body from tensing up as he got closer, people jumping and in some cases being thrown out of the way. Human stupidity mixed with hawk cunning as he tore up, "help me help you Sam," hissing it under my breath, my lips barely moving. I didn't know when it hit me, but I just knew when to move, the green glow of the eyes set me off and I lunged forward, knowing full well if I did this wrong I wouldn't get a second shot and they be burying me in a mason jar.

"TOBE," I think it was Danny I wasn't sure, I wasn't sure about much of anything as my hand touching the bears head the rest of my body only touching the sky, a little bit at home but mostly lost. Momentums met and I slipped into a fall an rolled along the back of the green fur, the body feeling slightly squishy, and came to a stop as I fell off his butt and landed with a slide. The grizzly on the other side kept moving forward straight into the wall that had been behind me and going straight through it right into the next room.

"Run," my growl mixing with the hawk as I started demorphing, my eyes flashing gold, the word an order as the others started moving away, driven by fear that was well over due.

I could feel things shifting inside me as a hand grabbed my shoulder and started pulling me sending a jolt of pain up and down my body, the contact with the bear breaking something, whatever it was not fixed yet. "Not the time for this birdie," Jazz hissed yanking me out the door while the bear shifted in the other room, whatever it was being to small for him, not that it mattered in the long run as he tore chunks out of the wall, all of his claws glowing green and lighting up the darkness he was in.

After a few seconds we were in the hallway, people pushing and shoving as they ran for there lives most of them staying near the three of us, drawn to us for one reason or another. I had to reverse the morph part way through the door, feeling better, but my shoulder still feeling like it was dislocated or something. The people around us also left us limited, none of us able to crack out our powers and deal with this the right way.

* * *

**DP Style**

Danny looked around, over two dozen eyes still on him, most of the people who'd been locked with him had run in various directions, these few however had been with him during the Youngblood raid and despite how that had ended from their perspective, him falling off the plank, they were looking to him again. A thousand things ran through his head in a few seconds, all the time he could spare knowing the bear would be on them any second. "Ok," finally ready, "everyone get out of here, call my parents, the cops, anyone who can help."

Considering none of them moved he was doubting that was going to work, "Danny," his sister warned staying close to Tobias, trying to help him stand.

"Fine," he growled, "if your staying with me don't slow me down, Jazz he gunna live?"

"I have a name and I'm fine," pushing away from her and standing up and slightly shaky legs, "lets just get the others back and book."

His sister nodded slightly, letting him know he was ok and ready to go, "plan?"

"We run," bolting down the hall, the others staying with him, Jazz helping Tobias, despite his attempts he couldn't hide the fact that he was still hurt. About three steps in the wall behind them exploded as the bear cut his way free and came after them, both following orders and wanting a piece of Tobias, not liking being made a fool of.

The beast made their fear jump up a few thousand times as the group ran as fast as the they, nearly trampling Danny, and unfortunately not letting him out of their sight. The group didn't stop, and the three getting trampled wasn't an option out of fear that one of the students would stop and try and help them, pretty much ruining the plan. Regardless of that the ghost had them making great time, or did till the white wolf showed up, darting from the hall in front of them and growling.

"Scary dog in front of us, teddy bear from Hades behind us, this is not going well," Jazz coughed.

"The alternatives are worse," Tobias snarled, trying to keep up with the others, the pair falling behind, and with so many near by, they didn't dare morph, not yet any way.

Danny on the other hand was having a better time, being where he wanted to be at the moment, and moving over from the group that had slowed down many trying to decided between which ghost they wanted to be caught by. "COME ON SPOT I'M RIGHT HERE," moving over to a door, the wolf watching him, Danny wasn't sure if it was because the canine knew he was a ghost or just because he the first target but he came after him. In the end it didn't matter, the ghost jumped at him, only missing as Danny dropped down, the ghost's momentum destroying the door that had been behind Danny, flying into a desk nose first and knocking her loopy for a second.

"Thank you fido," darting in,a few of the others following him.

"WHAT ARE WE DOING IN HERE, WE'RE ALL GUNNA DIE, SAVE US," the screams emanating from various students seeing it was a dead end, or was for the most part, "BREAK THE WINDOWS, TO SAFETY!"

Danny didn't even hear them running between desks and grabbing his backpack, having backtracked to his class room. "Come on baby, time to work," pulling out his glove, the weapon from the future and slipping it on, the knuckles glowing purple after a second. He didn't have time to look at the others, as they grabbed trash cans the started pounding in the glass trying to get out, "hang on guys," not seeing his sister or Tobias.

Running outside, he found an ugly sight, a few people still frozen, just enough to keep the pair from taking the ghost down the way it needed to be. To make matters worse they were both on the ground in front of the bears feet while he looked down at them ready to impale them on his claws.

"GET AWAY FROM THEM," running forward, fear overriding his judgment and punching the bear in the stomach, just missing stepping on the pair. His natural strength mixed with the energies in the glove and sent the bear back half a step then onto its back with a crash that reverberated down the halls. The half ghost was frozen after that, shocked that he'd done that, he'd known his glove had a lot of powering it, but not that much. Shaking his head he looked back, "you two ok?"

"No matter what I say I'll get punched so I'm not saying anything."

Trying to untangle from him, "good answer," looking up at her brother, "do I want to know why you have that here?"

"Always be prepared?"

"That's the boy scouts," Tobias pushing Jazz off him and crawling away, seeing the bear moving again, "your going to want to look around, and I'd tell you to play dead, but I don't think that works in this case."

Looking over, "great," bracing himself to fight the bear, "would you get them out of here sis and stop messing with him."

At the time Jazz had moved over to Tobias and was helping move, but at her brothers voice she realized that was a mistake, for anyone else they would've needed her, but in the here and now, the others needed her more. Meeting his eyes for a second she darted forwards grabbing as many of the others as she could and forced them into the class room, then moved out again and forced the rest of them inside the room and away from the fight.

Those few moments were enough for Danny having stayed out of the bears reach till that moment, whispering to himself, "going ghost," twin rings lighting up the hall. "You want to rumble, lets go," his other hand lighting up with swirling energy. The fight was over before it began a punch from the green energy picked him up off his feet, the glove delivering the final shot knocking him back end over end and slamming him into a wall and taking the ghost out of the fight.

After a second he looked down at the other boy, who was now sitting up, healthy, having demorphed, (well this hasn't been the best day now has it?)

"Is that a trick question?" Looking down the hall, "you might want to change into something more…."

(Quiet,) cocking his head to the side listing to the sounds, (we got company coming, humans, your call?)

Looking down the direction the bird was facing then back to his sister, "human," twin rings running along his body while Tobias shifted into human form, the pair standing up by the time whatever the bird had heard walked around the corner.

Or in reality just one, the yellow and orange clothing tipping the boys off as to the target, the girls face going from strict resolve to calmness as she looked at them, "thank you there's someone else out here," Val wavering her hand a group of other kids following her around the wall, "anybody else with you?"

"Just my sis…t…er," Danny's head snapping around and running to the door remembering the wolf, only to find the ghost on the ground, unconscious, Jazz sitting on the teacher's desk still in her human form ever one else long gone, a streak of white hair fading quickly back to red.

"Problems?"

"Just wasn't sure you cold handle that," looking down at the mutt.

Shrugging and hoping down, "I am a Fenton after all that does mean a few things," looking past him to Tobias, "you ok?"

"A few scrapes and bumps, had worse, now lets get these folks out of here," nodding back to the teens that came with Valerie.

"So other people were stupid too," motioning them to the window while Val took Danny aside.

"I'm impressed," looking around, a little shocked that he'd taken out at least one ghost, the hunter wasn't sure he had it in him till now.

Looking aver at Jazz who was helping people through the window, "like my sister said we're Fenton's that has to count for something."

"Still that's a big trick," grabbing his hand by the wrist and looking at the glove, "but I'm guessing you had help."

Pulling his hand back, "my parents are professional ghost hunters who make their own equipment it's not like I haven't been trained in them since I could walk, and they aren't going to miss one or two little ones, and if they have they didn't say anything to us."

"How many more do you happen to have and how many can you stop?"

Shrugging, "as many as it takes to stop that guy," heading for the door, "Toby, Val get everybody out of here, Jazz up to you but I'd like you with me."

"Don't call me Toby," folding his arms and leaning against a wall.

"And since when are you in charge, I got them out," waving to kids at the window, "I can help."

"That's why I want you gone, I'm not sure how much I trust the others to get a message to my parents, but you two I trust to do it."

"Not happening," Val hissed, "I'm going with you those two can get the others to safety." She was trying not to come off as arrogant but she knew she could take on the ghosts better than he could, even if being with him cost her the use of her weapons.

"I don't think…."

"Shut up," Tobias hissed, even with his human body his senses were sharper than there's, part the hawk in him, part due to the training he'd under gone with Sam, and part all the spying he'd done had left thier marks on him.

"Don't tell me…," the girl not saying anything else as Danny grabbed her and wrapped his hand around her mouth to keep her quiet.

Tobias' body went ridged as he listened, the sounds giving him an idea what was coming, four legs, light on it's feet, and on a mission which translated as a ghost in his mind. After a few more seconds he guessed it was a cat, mid range in size, bobcat, lynx, or some cat he didn't know about provided he was even close to being right. Using hand signs he tried to let Danny know what they had coming but wasn't sure how well he was doing given the look on the half ghosts face.

Before he could get anything close to the answer to Danny Valerie darted around them, kicking the door in and firing off her gun at the two headed bobcat blasting it into the wall. "Freaking ghosts stop following me!"

Whistling, "so much for stealth."

"Shut up new guy," slipping her gun back on her back in the waistband of her skirt, "who do you think you are anyway with the marine hand sign crap."

"Names Tobias," giving her a mock bow, "and at least I'm not Rambo, for all you know we're going to have a dozen ghosts on our tail in a second, and how do you know that thing was even evil?"

Danny moved between the pair, "back off, it's over we can't do anything about it."

"It was a ghost, they're all evil regardless of who they're following."

"Narrow sited bigot," the bird boy spit. Val was shocked he'd say that, to the point where she couldn't even speak and charged at him, only to be stopped as Danny held her in place, the girl still reaching and clawing at him.

Pushing her off, letting his sister grab her and try and calm her, "not the best thing to say right now," grabbing Tobias by the collar and pulling him to the far corner of the room.

"She needed to hear it," keeping his voice low and grabbing a look back at her, "she lumps all ghost into group, she doesn't know them, she doesn't care, of all people she should be more sympathetic to this kind of prejudice."

"Why because she's black?"

"I've watched her, I've listened, predators know they're prey and also their hunters, people lump her into various categories, for a while she was the rich girl, then the poor girl, then the freak, then normal. She knows what it's like to be persecuted for reasons beyond her control yet she does it to ghosts, it's hypocritical."

"It's human," looking back at her, "now keep you mouth shut we don't need to give her a reason to suspect us of anything."

Looking over at her, "fine, but it doesn't mean I have to like this situation."

"Don't worry I don't either, nothing like working with someone that wants to shoot me."

"As opposed to someone that wants to eat you."

His eyes glowing green, "I thought we agreed you'd stop making those stupid jokes."

"Sorry, it happens when I get stressed."

"I know, now lets figure something out," walking back to the other two, "she ready to talk?"

Pulling away from the redhead, "I'm fine," glaring at Tobias, "so what are we doing?"

Danny knew getting her out of the way wasn't at option, like Tobias he'd watched her, he knew how she thought, when she'd set her mind on something and she was ready to fight and nothing he said would make her get lost. "We have to get Sam and Tucker back, nothing else matters, we get them then Freakshow loses all interest in the school."

"And we're going to do that how fearless leader?" the transformed bird leaning back on the wall.

"I have no idea I'm making crap up as I go along."

"Crap it's Marco all over again," shaking his head.

"Shut up birdie."

Giving her a little salute, "shutting it boss."

Danny looked over at Val, more exactly through to where he weapon should be, "two questions where did you get that gun and how good a shot are you," playing as if he didn't know.

Pulling it out, "my dad's been building ghost weapons for Axion, he gave me one just in case, to that end I've gotten pretty good at hitting what I aim at." Danny knew it was a lie but he wanted to hear what she'd come up with and how plausible it might be.

"Alright," opening and closing his hands, not sure how he'd gotten in charge and trying to think of how the four of them could do this without reverting to their other selves. "Assuming they know we're out and that what we saw is all he has we have three more ghosts to deal with, hopefully those ones are still watching the everyone else but we can't count on that."

"I can see this ending badly already."

"Birdie," Jazz warned again, not needing his negativity even if it was meant as a joke.

Not even listening to the pair Danny continued, "so with the human we have at least four to go through and we don't know where everyone is or if Sam and Tuck are alright. So assuming the worst we're in a lot of trouble and in a fight we can't win with the equipment we have, thinking the best it's two on four and they're fine. Either way it's our two weapons against whatever they can do so we're not in the best of situations."

"And there's a plan somewhere there?"

"Not really Val," scratching the back of his head, "best bet would be going in in two teams," looking over at Tobias the bird nodding slightly in agreement. "But I'd feel better if we all had weapons, which means we'd either be dividing the weapons or sending one team in with nothing." Closing his eyes and trying to think things through "but given the options we should probably go in as one, hit the doors, if was can't think of anything better when we get there we storm the place as a last resort."

"I've heard worse from better," Tobias nodding, the plan still working for him but liking the idea of two teams more.

Val just shook her head, "that's it, that's the best you can come up with?"

"So sue me I don't do this a lot, if you got anything better I'd love to hear it."

For a second Danny could swear she was going to shift into hunter mode and start barking orders but in the end let it go, "why would I know anything?"

"Then that's what we're doing unless you want to get help," giving her one last chance to go so they could do it right.

"I'm not running," her voice more the hunters than the girl he knew.

"Alright," moving for the door, "stay quiet, keep up, don't get caught, Tobias keep your eye on my sister, she gets hurt it's your head."

"Don't even have to tell me that," glancing at the redhead, the girl nodding back at him.

"Alright last chance to get out of here," Danny offered hoping something in Val would suddenly change and she'd bolt to get her stuff leaving them free to use their powers.

Shaking her head, "your not getting rid of me."

Looking from Val to Danny both Tobias and Jazz were thinking the same thing, running would be for the best, they leave morph something more dangerous and takeout the reaming ghosts in case the other two couldn't. That however was countered by the chance of Val finding out who and what Danny was, not to mention it might escalate the fight to the point where she became more a threat to everyone than Freakshow himself. "I'm not going anywhere," Jazz crossing her arms.

"Ditto," nodding slightly

"Alright then lets move and do something stupid," Danny moving into the hall wishing someone had left to actually give him some real back up.

It didn't take them long to get where they were going the halls nothing new to three of them, the other ghosts staying put with their captives as they were told to do. Slipping up next to the door Danny peaked through the small window and got the lay of the land as best he could. Near as he could tell Sam and Tucker were unharmed, still standing up, but with their backs to him, Freakshow was still standing, partially obscured by his friends, the eagle resting on his shoulder, her wing pushing his hat to the side, nearly knocking it off.

The half ghost's mind was a blank as he looked at the scenes, not sure what to do, or for that matter after nearly half an hour why nothing had apparently happened to his friends. Shrugging he pulled Val forward and let her see what he was seeing but staying as quiet as possible, from the look on her face he guessed she was a little surprised by the turn of events as well. Lifting three fingers up he started counting own with them, when it got to one Val tore the door open and shot at eh bird, the ghost flying up having seen the shot coming.

"MAKE WAY FOR THE BEST GH…," catching herself in the middle of her battle cry, "I MEAN BACK OFF CLOWN BOY!"

"Clown boy?" Danny moving past her in a dash ready to drop the human.

"Not the time for banter boys and girls," the hawk coming out in Tobias as he looked over the scene trying to find traps.

"CAN YOU AT LEAST ATTACK THOSE FOUR," Freakshow yelled looking at the bird ghost, Danny now seeing a small gash on the mans forehead.

"Huh?" Danny stopping with a skid.

"It's complicated," Sam yelling darting forward and round kicking him in the face, her combat boots giving her a little extra power. The kick shifted her body into a spin, putting the leg down she round kicked him in the gut with her other boot knocking him to the ground, sliding along the smooth floor.

"It better be," running forward again and jumping up reaching for the bird with his gloved hand, missing her as she flapped higher and shot through the roof of the school.

Coughing and hacking, "get back here you coward, kill them," waving his cane at the six who were looking down at him, having no clue what had just happened. "I said get back here," reaching into his coat.

"DON'T MOVE DIRT BAG," the other doors to the gym blasting off their hinges as Maddie with a large cannon in her hands, other weapons strapped to her back, "NO ONE THREATENS MY BABIES AND LIVES TO TALK ABOUT IT!"

"I have never been so glad to see that woman," Tucker whimpered as she ran over to the six, Danny and Val quickly hiding their weapons from sight, not wanting the woman, Mr. Gray or the police following her to see them.

"Thank goodness your ok," the red head running up and hugging her kids before being pushed off by them.

"Mom," Danny trying to cover up the slight embracement, "we're ok," looking over at Sam, "we are all ok right?"

"I'm ticked and I want to crush his skull in," the goth looking at Freakshow while the cops handcuffed him.

"In other words your normal," looking back to his mom.

Tucker looked from Danny to the others then threw his hands up, "fine sure no one ask me how I am."

Tobias moved over to him, mirroring him like a parrot, "how are you tech-head?"

"I meant someone else, but I'm fine just the same."

Damon watched his daughter carefully, he knew about her ghost hunting, and he didn't approve but every time he'd taken her weapons from her she just got more, but all the same he was proud of her at the moment even if he couldn't really say it. "What you did was dangerous Valerie, do you know could've happened to you?"

"I know," not meeting his gaze, "but I had to do something."

"I know," pulling her in close, wishing he could've done better with his daughter

"This is all well and good," Jazz pulling her mother aside, "but there are a few more ghosts running around, and you should probably get to them before they get away or hurt the others now that the guy calling the shots is no longer in control."

"Right, of course," starting to move then stopping as she looked at Tobias, "I didn't know you went here."

"I don't," thinking fast, "but I heard what was going on from some of the others that had gotten out. Don't ask me why but I decided to come in and see what I could do, in retrospect that wasn't the best idea, but what can I say, I wasn't really thinking with head. Given what I know of your daughter I should've just stayed where I was and let you kids handle it, it's not like they needed me slowing them down."

Maddie was a little taken back by that, once more impressed by the boy but in different ways, "brave and stupid, you remind me of Jack."

Shifting his eyes while he tried to process that, "thank you," more than a little fear in his voice unsure if it was the right thing to say.

Seeing how nervous he was, "it's a good thing," putting a hand on his shoulder, looking to the others, "now you kids get going, I don't want you seeing this," turning and running out the door ready to take out any other ghosts that were in the school.

"Have I ever told you how cool your mom is," watching the other woman run out, honestly liking the woman even if he'd only known her for a short time, having a feeling she heard him.

"Ok kids," one of the officers coming up and herding the six out of the school but keeping them near the front till Maddie could clean out the school.

A few minutes later Jack tore up, guns at the ready having gotten his wife's call about ghosts, "WHERE ARE THE GHOST PUNKS," not stopping to look at his kids and just running into the school.

"Well if the school wasn't damaged before it will be now," Tucker sighed.

Almost on automatic Danny whacked him on the back of the head, "I can say those things, she can say those things," jerking his thumb at his sister, "you don't get to say those things unless you marry into the family."

"Your not my type and I doubt your sister will agree to that."

"Thank you for including me," the girl sitting on the hood of a police car with Tobias, the pair not really caring about their conversation.

Sam meanwhile was watching Freakshow being driven off, really wondering what had happened, "I hope you never get out," she hissed under her breath.

"So what happened," Danny lacing his fingers in hers, "what did he do?"

"Nothing," sighing and moving closer, trying to keep the anger and fear she felt in check, glad just to be held by him. "He talked to us for a while, all the things he was going to do to us, everything that had happened to him after he was in prison. Then when he finally decided to do it he ordered his bird to kill us and it refused, he then tried and was stopped by the bird who just sat on his shoulder. That was pretty much how you found us, with him basically being held hostage by the bird."

"Once more proving ghosts are evil, as bad as he was it was the ghost really calling all the shots," Val growled.

Glaring back at her, "as bad as the ghosts are, he was the one that wanted us dead, it saved us, why I don't know, but it did."

"Which is what we should be asking," Tobias moving over to them, Jazz next to him, interested in the story, "why'd that thing protect you?"

"I just said I don't know."

"Which is what we need to find out, someone was calling the shots and if it wasn't Feakshow then who was it."

"Those are the right questions," Maddie coming up behind him, students running out on either side of her as she left the school, her weapon on her shoulder, her husband next to her. "And those are answers I have every intention of finding out," looking from Sam to Tucker, "I won't let them hurt you, I will figure out just what he's up to."

"We will," pulling his wife close to him, "no ghost punk hurts our sons friends."

"Thanks," Sam looking up at them, glad to know they cared so much.

"A lot," Tucker added, feeling safer but knowing this was something they'd have to do themselves.

Jack looked over at Tobias and put his arm around him and pulled him away from the others, for a second Jazz tried to move and stop him but Maddie kept her back. "So," pulling the transformed bird closer, his animal instincts telling him to fly away as fast as he could, "you snuck into my daughters school, faced down a hoard of ghosts, and all just because you were worried about her."

Looking up him Tobias was clueless what to say and just went, "um…yeah."

"In some states doing something like that might be considered the act of a stalker."

"This isn't going well," flinching and wanting to run even more.

"But I did the same thing when I was your age, her name was Caroline, of course this was before I met Maddie, I still can't come within five miles of her, she was a pretty thing, black hair, nice legs….where was I going with this?"

"I have no idea sir," growing very worried if the man held him any closer bones would start breaking.

Looking down at him, "oh right you and Jazz, at the time I didn't understand the restraining order."

"And now you do?"

"Mine no, but I do know when you love someone you do stupid things you wouldn't do other wise. If I was a petty man I'd probably slap one on you, watch you squirm, but truth be told I see a little of me in you, and I just can't put another on myself."

The blond boy had no clue what to say to that, mostly because the man hadn't taken the option of burying him in the desert off the table yet. "So where does this leave us?"

"Your after my daughter, by the laws of fatherhood I have to hate you, but," patting him on the shoulder, "but your not afraid of ghosts and you risked your life for her, so I'm going to hate you a little less. That doesn't mean I like you, but for her sake I'm going to give you a chance, but if you hurt her, in any way, they'll never find your body and I'll spend the rest of my life torturing your spirit for daring to lay one finger on her." Looking down at him and smiling, the look looking like it might have been at home on a serial killer, "do you understand me?"

"Every word," his voice coming out high and squeaky, seeing what might've been the most terrifying thing in his life.

Pulling him close, going back to his more laid back tone of voice, "good boy," and letting him go.

Jazz moved over, seeing him about to collapse, "you ok?" slipping his arm over her shoulder to help support him.

"It's official your dad is the scariest thing on this planet, but on the plus side he loves you very much," looking back at him, then keeping his voice low to her, "and he might very well redefine the term shot gun wedding."

Keeping her voice equally low, "it's a little early for a proposal don't you think," hoping he hadn't just asked her to marry him. She was flattered if he had but she knew she wasn't ready for something like that.

"What," looking at her like a deer caught in the headlights of an on coming car, "no, I mean," not sure what to say to that, every choice possibly getting him in trouble.

"Relax birdie, it was a joke," seeing just how nervous he was and a little glad he hadn't been serious, and a little hurt that he hadn't.

"I just meant….I don't know what your meant, your dad is just really scary when he wants to be.

"That I know," helping him over to the others.

Danny grinned at him, "have a nice talk with my dad?"

"JACK," Maddie barked seeing how shook up Tobias, at that the large orange clad man took off in the other direction.

"Well this isn't helping you family image or anything."

"SHUT UP TUCKER," Danny and Jazz barking together.

Sam smiled a little at that, "and thus normalcy returns to the city, and everything back to the way it was before this pain in the butt."

When she said it Maddie froze, remembering what she'd been doing while before she was called about the ghost attack. "I have to get back, Vlad's back at our place and really don't want to leave him not liking the alone with all that equipment."

"V-Man's in town why didn't you say so," Jack growing excited and jumping in the Fenton RV to go see his old friend, "we need to go talk about the old days."

"JACK," Maddie barking running after him, fact that he was that oblivious to the advances he made on her every time he saw them.

The four looked at each other when she said the elder halfa's name the same thing going through all their minds, they were in big trouble. "I…um…need to get going, you know me being here and not actually being part of the school, don't want to get in trouble," Tobias moving away from them quickly before turning into a dead run and bolting away from them, feathers growing and jumping into the sky as soon as he was out of sight.

"I have to," Danny beginning to follow him and trying to think of an excuse, "not…be…here," finally giving up and heading in his direction, changing into his ghost form as soon as he could and flying after the bird and catching up after a few seconds.

"Yeah I need to," Sam beginning to go after them, reaching behind her to grab her board on reflex only to remember it was still in the school, "stay here," swallowing hard, "and wait for my parents," hissing the words between clenched teeth.

"Don't worry," Jazz putting an arm around her, "I think us being here, and them gone is going to be enough for…..whatever. At some point I'm going to find out what makes Fenton's unable to maintain a coherent thought or at least the ability to remember what they're saying."

"Your becoming more like the rest of your family by the second aren't you," poking the older girl in the ribs lightly.

"Scary thought isn't it?" the pair laughing at the thought.

A few feet away from them Tucker just folded his arms, "oh sure just forget about me, it's not like I matter at all or anything, I didn't get to do anything today."

A good deal away from them Tobias and Danny had met up, moving as fast as they could to the Fenton Works, both worried about Vlad being alone in the home. Not only because of the weapons, but the information held within the walls that they'd amassed, some of which they feared might be useful to the half ghost. If nothing else they were worried that he'd somehow found out about the book Dracus had given them and he was trying to stop them from stopping him, or looking for their ship.

"Well this is great, first Freakshow now Vlad, can this day get any worse?"

(Don't tempt fate,) turning into a head wind and shooting forward, (before you now it we could be up to our arms in rapid squirrel ghosts.)

"Squirrel ghosts?"

(I'm just throwing it out there,) catching sight of the big neon sign in front of Danny's home, (we're getting in range,) shifting his wings and flying higher, (but I'm not seeing anything that might be Vlad.)

"Well keep an eye open, if this is a trap I want to know about it," pushing himself even harder, moving faster.

(On it,) gaining a little more height by flapping but never spotting hide nor hair of the man that had manipulated him into attacking Danny. (If he's there he's doing a good job of hiding, I say we go straight in and tear through the place before your parents get there.)

Flying up and grabbing him Danny went intangible, "after the day I've had I could use a little venting on some one," diving through the wall of the op center and down to the second floor where he let him go. "Check this floor I'll hit the basement we meet on the first."

(Works for me,) morphing his tiger and padding through the hall while Danny shot straight down, to one room of the basement making it easy to see if he was there.

For a second he was going to bolt up but stopped, "wait a minute I know this game," opening his mouth, blue mist covering the room but nothing showing up. "Well it seemed like a good idea," shooting up the stairs and starting to hit the other rooms.

Above him Tobias was moving silently through the floor, the cat designed for stealth, not even the shut doors stopping him, a little weight on the door knob, just enough to turn it, and open them. The fur on his neck was lifted a scent he didn't know filling the room, it was a rodent and a ghost but that was all he could narrow down. A quick run through Jazz's room and a quick scent check was all it took to find the book. Lifting his head and turning his thoughts to private, (Danny I found the book, we're good on this end, no trace of Vlad's scent anywhere up here yet, but there is or was something up here at one point.)

He knew Danny couldn't get back to him, but with the book safe it was enough for him as turned tail and moved down the stairs as fast as he could on his large paws. This room was full of Vlad's smell, enough to let him know he'd been there but given the smell he doubted the half ghost was still here. Picking up Danny's smell he tracked the white haired boy down, Danny looking the weapons locker, hearing the light tapping of the tiger claws, internally letting him know he was there.

"I'm not finding anything missing, or a sign of Vlad."

(Yeah I think he's gone, scent's are recent but not enough for him to still be here.)

"Then what was he here for, I mean other to hit on my mom, eeeww."

(Double eeeww, but lets face it, she's a very attractive woman,) getting a glare from Danny, (yeah I said it, she'd a beautiful woman, I can have an opinion, she's also smart enough to stay away from that psycho.)

Pointing at him, "psycho point aside if you ever say anything like that again near me I will kill you."

(You can try, but it won't be easy.)

Danny's eyes flashed green, then shook it off, it wasn't worth it, and Tobias was his friend, "your sure he's not here?"

(A ghost can hide a lot, but not their scents, he ain't here, so we're safe.)

"When what exactly was he here for?"

His tail whipping around, (maybe it's the Eclipse, all that hardware has to be attractive for a guy like him.)

Growling and looking up, "alright you up for a flight?"

Losing his fur for feathers, (is that even a question you need to ask me?)

"Good point," grabbing him and phasing through the ceiling, and shooting off to the cave, seeing Jack pull up in the RV just as they left, "now that's good timing."

(Forget good time put on the gas,) slipping out of his grasp, I'll keep an ear open in case we have invisible company.)

"Thanks," shooting forward, out pacing Tobias, gaining miles on him as he maxed out his speed till he stopped hovering over where the Eclipse was hidden from the world.

Far behind him Tobias yelled, (if anything's here it's doing a good job of hiding, go.)

Danny couldn't see the redtail but trusted him and flew down through the rock and dirt, glad that he phased through the ships hull a moment later. Doing a quick look around he didn't find anything missing and slipping into the pilots chair and powered up the ship and again not finding anything wrong as he checked all the systems, the security not indicating anyone else had been there. "Ok books fine, ships fine, moms fine, why the heck was this guy here?"

* * *

**DP Style**

"And everything is back where it should be," the gold coin spinning on the black cord in front of him.

"Bah, all this work and for what," the ghost vulture fluffing his feathers, "a piece of jewelry, you could've at least ruffed the kid up a little."

Looking over at the old ghost on his perch, the pair hidden away on Vlad's private jet, flying back to Wisconsin, "I couldn't risk fighting young Daniel today, this wasn't about him, only getting what is mine back so I can finally move forward."

"Then why not go after that ship you've been raving about for the last few days, you keep saying how much you need it."

"I don't need it but it would've made my plans easier."

"And it's still sitting wherever it is why then?"

"Taking it would've alerted Daniel, by only taking what I need, he might not notice it till it's too late to stop my plans, he does have a nasty way of doing that when I'm not ready."

"So then why the big trip to Axion, if your just looking for that why the big trip up there with all the bells and whistlers."

"I needed things from there," patting the suitcase in the seat next to him, "and it gave me an excuse to put the trip on the company account. Did you really think I purchased that company for no reason at all, that it was a passing fancy?"

Shrugging his wings, "actually I thought it was to get in good with the little girl, and be close to the other one."

"HER NAME IS MADDIE," he barked.

"Yeah yeah, your lucky I remember your name half the time, my brains half fossilized you know."

Growling under his breath, use to taking it from the bird and his compatriots, "I needed a company with the resources to investigate certain projects I couldn't trust to others, but wouldn't arouse suspicions. After all who better to work on ghost technology and ghost hunting equipment, than a company in the heart of the most ghost attacked city on the planet. Due to reasons beyond my control I can't trust other ghosts for certain things, especially in matters of technology, but that's not a problem I have to worry about here. Thanks to them I now have detailed schematics of the Ecto-Skeleton, but more specifically I know have the ability to integrate certain other technologies into it. Combined with everything I've learned on my own and with your help, I now know enough to put my plan into action."

"And that is?"

"You'll understand in time," patting the briefcase, "everything will be made clear in time."

"Oy, again with the mystery, I'm getting sick of it, I've been with you a long time, you could at least tell me what's going on."

"You're a smart bird, I'm sure you can figure it out," standing up and walking into the back room the vulture spreading his wings and landing on Vlads shoulder. The lights turned on automatically as he entered, the compartment filled with cages, "and how are you seven?"

The animals barked, mewed, squeaked, squawked and made other sounds at the half ghost. The mouse ran up his side to his other shoulder, the vulture instinctually snapping at her. Jumping back the rodent stuck out her tongue and pulled a note from behind her back, _'everyone accounted for sir, our orders were carried out to the letter, did you accomplish what you needed?'_

"Of course I did," patting her on the head, "in part thanks to you, you did very good little one."

'_Thank you sir, I exist to please'_

"Such an enchanting creature," patting her again, "you all did well," looking at the rest of them, "you all did very well, and just as I wanted. Daniel and his little troop were kept running around dealing with you and that idiot and allowed me to take back what was mine and move through the city without having to worry about any one bothering me. Keep this up and you'll all be feed something special soon," the animals salivating at the thought, while the halfa and the two animals on him left the room, the light shutting off and the door closing behind him.

"Idiots," looking at the rodent, "except you my dear, my faithful little hunter, your far more than I ever hoped you'd be."

'_Thank you sir,' _bowing to him and scurrying down his suit then jumping to the top of a seat where she could watch him.

Vlad smiled down at her, the rodent was indeed worth all the time and money he'd spent experimenting on the ghost animals. Yes they had attacked him after Danny had manipulated there small beast minds, but he was willing to over look that, well he was after he'd beaten them all into submission, and taught them who was in charge. It'd taken time, but he had plenty of it, experimenting on them in his mountain home, changing there powers, enhancing them, specifying them. What the human knew of their powers was merely a shadow of their true power. The Bear was now far stronger than most ghosts he'd come across, and his claws could rend anything ghost or human made. The bobcat could project various types on energy from his eyes, independently or together, much like the sonic attack of the beaver. The moose's shield was nearly impenetrable by anything he'd come across, while the wolf was practically undetectable by any creature or technology when invisible. The Eagle could make an entire battle ship phase through a building if it was ordered to. But the mouse that was his master work, the rodent could pull or store anything from behind her back, notes were just the surface of the depths of the equipment she had at her disposal.

These animals had been instructed to keep their true skills a secret from Freakshow, to only show the first layer of what they could do, "and they all proved to be just as loyal as I hoped they'd be," leaning back into his chair. He'd told them to do as the human wanted but only to a point, anything contradicting his orders was to be ignored, all they really needed to do was keep Danny busy as long as possible. Their only other order was to leave the children alive, it wasn't that he had any great love for them, but he knew Freakshow's mind, and that he'd want revenge, it was why he chose him to be the pawn. If the idiot human had killed those two it would've angered Daniel to know end, and why'll that might have been enough to drive Danny to the dark side so to speak, if he discovered the others halfa's part in it he'd come seek him out and Vlad knew it, and beating him then might not have been possible if the time table wasn't strictly adhered to.

"Everything where it should be, everything when it needs to be, very soon all my plans will come to fruition and I will have the power I seek," his fingers forming a pyramid.

'_All as it should be master Vlad,' _the mouse bowing to him.

"Charmer," scratching her under the chin, "it's because of you this is all possible, without your help I never would've found this," picking the coin back up. I might've kept my dear misguided Maddie busy but it was you that found this for me, and I thank you for it."

"You treat that rat better than you treat me," the vulture squawked back on his perch.

"Then maybe you should become more useful instead of just sitting there," his eyes flashing red.

When the halfa said it the bird flapped his wing and cried, the sound caused a primal connection in the rodents mind and made her run under the chair. "Yeah you got a real winner there, and can she tear apart an entire computer system and rebuild it?"

"You enjoyed that too much."

"I may be smart and a ghost but I'm still a bird, I don't have to like rats in my home."

"Keep it in check, I need her as much as I need you."

"Well just make she sure she remember that," snapping at the rodent again, "there's a pecking order here and she's still at the bottom of the food chain." The rat run up to Vlad and handed him a card, reading it the man gray haired man laughed, "what?"

"And I quote," reading off the card, "my name is Zephyr you half extinct carrion eater, keep this up and I'll rip your wings off and feed them to you."

"Miserable rodent," flapping up and going after her, the Zephyr slipping through the crack between the seats, the vulture going intangible and flying after her.

Vlad let them carry on for a few moments, finding their antics amusing before growing bored with them and firing off an two small blasts from his hands, the energy hitting both of them and knocking them into the side of the plane. "You two will stop it," getting up and floating over to them, his eyes blazing, "I need you both, but neither of you is irreplaceable, what you do on you own time is your business but when you stop being amusing or useful I will have to deal with you."

"Got it boss," the bird bowing.

'_Yes sir,' _flashing him a card in large print.

* * *

**DP Style**

"So does anyone have any clue what this was all about?"

"You asking that nine thousand times isn't going to get us anywhere Danny," Tucker combing through the book while his friend lost his mind.

(Just let the man rant, he'll get over it at some point,) looking over Tucker's shoulder and reading along, trying to find anything that might be useful.

Glaring at them, "no I won't, not till I figure this out something is up here, Vlad didn't just come to hit on my mom, and I don't think it's an accident we were kept in school several hours after it should've been over."

"You mean we were kept several hours," Sam's voice ringing through the computer screen, her parents keep her home, "you ran as fast as you could in the other direction."

Glaring at the screen, "I had to find out what he was doing in my home!"

"Danny," hiss sister hissed walking down the basement steps, "keep it down, our parents are up stairs and we don't need them hearing any of this."

Tucker groaned disappointedly, "it was just starting to get to the good part."

Ignoring them, (find anything red,) given how she was moving he could tell something was up, she might've looked calm but that facade was slipping fast.

"I went through the rooms like you said, using what forms I had, I didn't find anything suspicious but I did find that one scent you said to look out for."

(The rodent?)

"Yeah, it was kinda hard following it with those two up there but I did trace it to the weapons vault."

"Some of the weapons are missing," Danny jerking away from the computer screen.

Shaking her head, "worse."

"One of the books," Tucker asking not liking the guessing game.

"Try even worse," looking over at Tobias, "you little necklace is missing," the words hitting the bird like a sledge hammer.

Tucker scratched the back of his head, moving his hat forward, "am I missing something here, Vlad came here to steal a piece of jewelry?"

Danny was as confused as his friend for a few moment till he got it, "oh crap, that thing is gone?"

"I can't find it," his sister nodding.

"Oh no," Sam covering her face, knowing what they were talking about.

"Can someone explain this to me," Tucker still confused.

Looking at the back of his head, (mind control ghost charm nimrod, the one that made me nearly kill Danny and Jazz.)

"He took it," Danny growled.

"The rodents scent is right where I hid it and I can't find that blasted thing anywhere, if Vlad doesn't have it this is one major coincidence."

(No such thing as coincidence, learned that the hard way,) bobbing his head, (folks I got a feeling we've been set up from the get go here.)

"Vlad's behind this isn't he, all of it," Sam asked.

Looking back at the screen and snapping at her, Danny's eyes glowing green, "that's what the bird just said."

"Sorry I don't speak nonlanguage, or at least don't hear it from here."

"Sorry," waving her off, "I'm stressed," looking around at the others, "alright," slipping into leader mode, something he didn't know he had. "Whatever Vlad is after it's safe to assume it'll be soon, he's gearing up folks and it's time we stepped up to it. We have to find whatever is in the book, and we have to do it now, this is Vlad folks, he doesn't go small, so whatever he's after is going to be big we which means it's us against whatever he'd planning, who know how many lives are now resting on our heads."

(Ladies and gentlemen the boy has hit speech mode, he is ready to lead us to hell and back,) keeping his thoughts away from Danny.

* * *

**DP Style**

"Hard to believe he just got out isn't it."

"Your telling me Joe," Buzz going through the package they'd been sent along with the fugitive, "I guess the guy actually did have ghost help."

"Gunna make keeping him in here a lot harder," pulling out a box, "I'll be bad when they send him back to the big house and get him out of here."

"The boy did have to cause a few more problems while he was out, nothing like getting a new trial."

"Sometimes the system works, some times it don't, now lets log this stuff in," pulling out a log sheet, "hit me."

Empting out the bag, "one shirt red, one coat black, one pair of pants red, one bow tie black, one derby red and black," putting all the stuff in the box, "this guy has a look going doesn't he?"

"Made it easy for him to spot, now keep going."

"One vest black, boots, black, cane black, lip stick red, face paint white."

"Nothing like a cross dresser to liven up the night."

"One….amber shard," looking it over about the size of three fingers and jagged, "or I guess that's what it is, red," holding it up to the light what looked like fire inside it, "whatever it is he probably stole it to but I've never seen anything like it, if we ever find out I might buy one for my daughters she's into this crap."

"I don't think so," comparing the inventory list to what was reported stolen, "wherever it came from it's his, that or they just didn't figure out where it was stole from."

"In other words send it along to the prison to be kept with the rest of his stuff."

"Pretty much."

* * *

**Authors Notes**

I know this one is short, it also isn't that thought out, but I just needed something in-between this next and last chapters and this is what I came up with.

For a while I struggled with how much to say about what to expect in the next chapter but opted to air on the side of not of a lot, enough to let you figure things out on your own but still let me have a few surprises (provided I don't change a few things, I've managed to eliminate a few problems I was having, but one thing I want to do I'm not sure I should, it goes into areas that may lead to a dead end I'm not sure, I'm still working with them.)

Anyway, I wasn't sure I really wanted to ever use Freakshow but now that I have I kinda like him, I didn't do much with him but I think he could be interesting in the future if done right.

I'm going to be away from my computer for a while soon so I don't know when the next chapter will come, or if I'll get blocked when I do sit down again

Please R&R


	19. The Third Artifact part1

**DP Style**

"I think we got it," Sam sighed leaning back taking a sip of coffee, "I'm not sure but I think we got it."

"If we don't we're not coming any closer," Tucker giving her a high five and putting down his PDA.

"So let us in on it then," Danny stopping his endless floating pace across the basement of the Fenton Works.

Jazz and Tobias just rolled their eyes, both laying against the far wall in their humans forms reading a novel from the redheads collection, trying to take their minds off the stress and just generally enjoying being near each other now that her parents we're as up tight about him being around her. "I can already sense the coming darkness."

"Shut up birdie," neither one moving, able to hear where they were.

Ignoring them both Sam looked over the book and the read outs Tucker had produced. "Ok as we know Tobias was right, that section of the book he kept looking at was where we needed to be, at least in part, it was the key to everything else in the book."

"Thank you," nodding slightly in recognition, "always trust the hawk hunting instinct."

"Anyway," Sam moving on, "when I focused more on that, it became clear he was right about it, how the story was written was actually more than it seemed. It was a story within a story, full of metaphors and hidden meanings both in the words and how they were written, things Jazz and I could see when we actually looked at it and dug into it."

"Things neither one of us could see alone," Jazz adding in, anxious for the dark haired girl to get the point, "it was only when we combined our insights did things actually start making sense. A secret code that combined thoughts and beliefs with a distinct mindset that could only be seen when the readers understood how the writers approached the readings the same way the writers had. I figured out the psyche you determined what was beneath the surface, get to the point Sam we already know all this."

Leaning back, "I'm trying to set the mood here," trying not to let aggravation sweep into her words, "turns out there was a code beneath the story, one that when translated told us there was a story underneath the information we saw. At first we thought it was metaphorical, another code in the pages, but it was literal, we had to look beyond the page to find what we needed."

"And that would be where I came in," lifting his PDA, "I used every resource known to man and a few only knowing to alien and animal…"

"Again thank you," the blond boy nodding.

Ignoring him and not missing a beat, "…..and I was able to find everything under the book, finally finding a combination of spectral energy, the Fenton Finder detection system, and Eclipse's original communications array. Lets just say it wasn't easy, the systems weren't meant to work in unison, even after Technus and I got through with them respectively they were never intended to be linked together."

"Again jump to the point," Danny growing impatient with all of them, it had been nearly a week and he was afraid it was already to late.

"The point is I was able to find what was underneath," nodding back to the papers Sam had, "but I don't understand the language."

"But I did," Tobias leaning back, "how I don't know but it was written in Andalite, or at least something close to it, thankfully Ax had taught me part of it during those long nights with nothing else to do."

"And what he couldn't piece together I was able to figure out the basic meaning to complete the passages."

"You are amazing Jasmine," putting his arm around her.

Smiling, "I try, it's a gift."

Snapping his fingers, "guys point here?"

"The point is we have it, we have everything but the where, we have the story we know what's going on we're just lacking the where of it." The goth looked over at Danny, "you know the ghost zone better the we do, if anyone can figure it out in this group it's you," handing him a map they'd found inside hidden under the text.

"Pick out the direction man, it's all up to you now," Tucker watch Danny look over the image.

Danny looked at it, a little lost, it was a tower, but the likes of which he'd never seen before, it was like it belonged to a medieval castle, similar but different from the Pariah Dark's castle. Bits of land hung here and there, and more than a few doors hovered in the back ground, "I got nothing," sitting down on a table still looking at it. "This could be anywhere, if the tower was taken out, we could search forever and not find this, tell me there's something more in there, something to describe where this might be in relation to other things."

"A few things," his sister answering, "but we have no idea what they mean, Tobias didn't know how to translate them and the things were to broad for me to figure out. With more time maybe but I'd have to figure out the entire language first and that could take years with just the five of us."

"Great," looking at the page again, slowly scanning it for something, anything that might give him a point of reference to go by. Laying back and leaning on an elbow, something clicked, well less clicked than something he noticed in the back ground, snapping his fingers, "magnifying glass."

The four started looking around, "where would that be in here," Sam asked pulling open drawers.

"Try these," his sister handing him hi tech goggles, "I kinda remember these from a while back, they're sorta like highly advanced binoculars."

Looking at them, then slipping them everything suddenly becoming very bright, "you sure these aren't the night vision ones," tearing them off his face and looking at the dial on he side. "Yep night vision," tapping the dial on the side and resetting it to magnify, "lets try this again," looking back at the page, the images jumping up with more clarity, the machinery adjusting automatically.

"Find anything," Tucker leaning in close to his face, looking over the new piece of technology, curious as to what it could do, the dial indicating several other settings.

Growling slightly, "not sure, I can't find what I was looking at," pulling them up quickly and putting his finger on the spot. Looking again the small image became all to clear to him, what looked like a small mountain in the background. He tapped the end of his nose looking at it, the picture different from the other images of floating rock, something about it striking a cord with him he just wasn't sure what it was though.

Sam put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently, "calm down, if you see it let it come, you can do this Danny."

Reaching back and covering her hand with his it hit him, "snow," slipped out, the touch igniting his memory.

"And that means," Tucker pulling back slightly.

"Snow," looking at them, the goggles lighting up, making him look insane, "there's snow on the mountain in the background."

"Again what doe that mean."

"Look," tapping the page, "now imagine all this covered in snow and ice."

Tucker and Sam both looked at the page, after a second both understanding what he was seeing, "Klemper," both speaking in unison.

"Bingo," tapping it, "whenever this thing was build, either Klemper took over the area or it was naturally reduced to a frozen waste land."

"But where's this," Tucker tapping the tower.

Looking at it and thinking back, "remember that big mountain, the one in the middle, it might be the right size, we just need to take a trip to find out."

"The ultimate weapon hidden in plain sight, completely impossible to get to without a flame thrower," Sam shaking her head.

"Or the ability to walk through, something we as humans have," the half ghost reminding her.

Looking at Tobias, "I think we need to run to the zoo and find a cold weather morph."

"What do you mean we, I still have a polar bear body, I'm fine."

"Guy's," Danny barked, "forget it we're leaving now, Tuck," looking over at his friend, "get the ship on remote it's time to kick some tail here and now."

Putting him hand on his shoulder Sam exerted her calming influence on him, "calm down, running off half cocked isn't going to get us anywhere, besides one more day isn't going to hurt us."

"She right," Jazz staying calm, "there's nothing to indicate Vlad has it yet, if we do this we do this right, we go in fast, we go in hard, but we go in prepared. Everyone needs to get some sleep, get their stuff ready, and be prepared to go all out tomorrow."

Danny glared at them both for a few seconds, wanting to scream and rant, but in the end let it go, knowing they were right and he was taking this to personally. "First thing tomorrow, we go and we don't stop till we have it, Vlad or no Vlad, if we have to tear into his castle so be it, but one way or another we stop him."

Cracking his neck, "I got no problem with that," turning around and cracking his knuckles.

"What a shock Tobias is ready to kick some tail," Tucker rolling his eyes.

"It's my passion in life, it's in the blood," smiling at him.

"So am I," the goth leaning back

"Not so much the kicking or being in his blood, but I'm up for the fight," looking at her brother.

"Alright then," nodding, "tomorrow we set the Ghost Zone on fire, nothing going to stop us."

"And now your taking it to far," Tobias rolling his eyes, "there's resolve, then there's creepy revenge, guess where you are."

"Birdie," Jazz warned.

"I'm just saying, he needs to lighten up, there's no situation so bad it can't be clawed out of or fixed with the right amount of explosives."

"Spoken like a true guy," Sam sighed

"Yep, but it does work, voice of experie…."

Jazz stopped him from talking by grabbing him by the back of the shirt, "come on, we're leaving before you stay something stupid, well stupider."

"Their relationship scares the crap out of me," Sam watching them leave.

Danny covered his ears, "naw naw naw, not hearing this, my sister doesn't have a relationship with anyone."

"Of course I'm use to scary Fenton's by now," watching him.

Whistling and snapping his fingers in his friends face till Danny came around, "so grand total how much trouble are we in here."

"I'm not sure but I don't want to see what their kids look like."

"Not them," rolling his eyes, "I meant what exactly what does this thing Vlad's after do?"

* * *

**DP Style**

"Blasted light," shielding his face, the morning sun streaming in through the windows, he'd been working all night on his projects, yawning slightly, "the first thing I do when I'm ruler of the universe is abolish morning forever."

Vlad combed though the files on his desk, all the pieces were finally in place, everything was where he needed to be, it was now simply a matter of getting what he wanted and that would be the hardest part of the whole plan. "The Knight's strength, David's psychosis, and Zephyr's cunning, they're everything I need to get what is rightfully mine, and once I have it, Pariah Dark will fall and I'll be complete and both worlds will bow before me. Then finally, Maddie will be mine when I destroy that idiot in front of her and she realizes that she was always in love with me."

Pushing his thoughts of Maddie aside he flipped through the pages, making sure all his preparations were ready, "it's always the last minute details that get you in trouble." His soldiers were ready, his powers primed, the Charm of Soll Thild was back in his possession, and the weapons he needed were finally in his collection, it was now simply a matter of getting past the obstacles that lay before him.

"Speaking of which," flipping over a few pages till he came back to the map, "still a matter of getting past all that ice, but that should be easy enough. If the text is right, even if I get past that the real challenge we be enduring the challenges, and I'm not sure if the others are ready for that." Smiling and leaning back in his chair, "of course I really don't care if they survive, I just need them long enough to get to my prize."

Flipping a few more pages to a copy of the ancient text that had started all this, his drive to claim the three sacred artifacts of Ghost King, the Crown of Fire, the Ring of Rage, and the Lightning Blade. One had slipped through his grasp, the second now in his possession, and the third would soon be his, and with it all the skill of a warrior. That was the true power of the artifacts, what they could do to a ghost, what they gave them, a lot of beliefs had sprung up around them but few knew they're real powers. The crown had been crafted by a thousand mystics and scholars, the wealth of their knowledge flowing into the crown, giving whoever wore it that same knowledge. The ring was formed from a piece of the Ghost Zone itself and funneled energy in all forms directly into the wearer, giving them unlimited but violent powers. The Sword was forged in the fires by the greatest warriors and strategists of the time, all there skills being imbued into the weapon making it the ultimate weapon of destruction, the wielder gaining all their skills.

"Each alone would make a ghost dangerous, but all together would make one unstoppable, two in the hands of an over powered fool nearly brought the Ghost Zone to it's knees, in my grasp nothing will stop me and Daniel will finally learn his place." Tracing his fingers over the images, "at last I'll really know your touches," something that drove him crazy, he'd only used the ring once during those brief moments it was his and barely got a ounce of power from it and he'd yet to use the crown, the Fright Knight had made it very clear to the halfa that using one without the other would be dangerous. The powers generated by either could be lethal to any creature that used them for to long without the other stabilize it, and while the ring was currently out of his grasp the sword could be used to substitute. "Power for skill, not my first choice but it'll do till I complete the trifecta."

"Boss," the vulture with the bushy eyebrows tapping on the door, "we're waiting for you."

Growling, his eyes glowing, "tell them I'll be them in a few moments, I just need to finish a few things here first."

"On it," flapping away.

Looking over the papers again he sighed and put them back in his desk, "time to see if all my work will pay off, or if this has been a pointless game doomed to a stalemate." Standing up, twin black rings running over him and returning him to his ghost form and phasing through the walls as he floated to the Plasmius Portal, unwilling to run for them. After a few moments moved through the final wall and stood in front of the assembled ghosts, his warriors, his Knight the Fright Knight, his Bishop Zephyr, and David his unwilling Rook.

"We are assembled and we are ready," the knight tapping his sword on the ground, the fires around his head leaping up and growing brighter.

David looked away from the blue skinned half ghost, "whatever, lets just do this, remember you promised if this works I get another shot at that gutless bird, this time with your back up."

'_Shut up human, today is about Mr. Masters,' _Zephyr flashing a large print card at him.

"Keep it up rat," black-purple fire flaring around him to his lion form, "mice don't mean much to me."

'_Go ahead and try, you won't last long enough to tell the tale,' _her extra right reaching behind her back, all three of her upper arms encased in white fingerless gloves up to her elbows.

Growling and lunging at the rodent, not making more than a foot as the Fright Knight grabbed him with his free hand and held him off. "Save your energy for later," pointing his blade at the mouse, "you'll get your fair share of battle this day, you do not need to look for it here."

David pulled away, only after the armored ghost released him, "Let it come I got it."

'_As always your wisdom is flawless,' _the rodent bowing to him.

"I've told you to stop trying to endear yourself to me mouse, I respect actions not words," looking from her to Vlad, "at your command we will proceed."

"Very well, I leave you in charge of these two, proceed to rendezvous point, I need make a few more arrangements then I'll join you, do nothing till that point in time."

"Of course master," bowing and looking at the others, "come, it is time to meet our destinies as warriors, with our heads high and our weapons drawn."

"You know you sound like some stupid back and white movie right," David growled as the Knight passed into the Ghost Zone, following a few steps behind him, Zephyr jumping after the knight and darting around David's legs, glad to be by the ancient ghosts side in this endeavor.

When all three had passed he closed the gateway, "you can come in now," the vulture in the dark glasses flying in, "report."

Landing on the table, "the others are doing final system checks now, so far everything's coming up green. We'll need maybe another hour before we can go, even then it's pushing it, we need at least another day, preferably a week. I still think this is a bad idea though, everything might be ready in theory but we still haven't finished running all the tests to know for sure. To put it simply we need someone better equipped for this.

"I told you, we can't trust anyone at this point, only those who have proven unwavering loyal or otherwise controlled can be trusted now. Any ghost with that level of knowledge a potential is a threat at the moment and I don't have time to gain power over them."

"Still, there are better ghosts out there to do this kind of things than the three of us."

"None I trust as much," looking away from him to the portal, "now best estimate how long?"

Looking back where he'd come from, "an hour, but how well it'll work I can't be sure it might be hours it might be minutes, we're dealing with a lot of unknowns, there's a chance it'll even blow up in our faces the second we turn it on."

"There's no time for a field test, if everything plays out as I have foreseen we may not even need it."

"Then why go to the trouble to even make it?"

Smiling, "one must always look a few moves ahead, know where trouble might come from and have fitting contingency plans waiting. What I have planned, what you've constructed is the ultimate contingence plan for all possible occurrences."

"Unless it explodes and destroys everything in the area."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take," looking at the gate way, thinking ahead, contemplating new plans based on the changes to the situations. "Get back to the others, I need everything finished, tell them to hurry, but be thorough, you two hours no more, but I'd prefer the original hour."

"On it," flying through a wall.

A sigh mixed with a growl in his throat and stayed there for several seconds, "now what exactly am I going to do if this all doesn't work?"

* * *

**DP Style**

"Come on people lets move it move it move it."

Sam grabbed Danny by the collar pulling him down to meet her on the ground, "I swear if you start singing that stupid song you'll get to the Ghost Zone much faster than you planned."

(This day is already turning out fun,) Tobias standing on a console, well away from the others, having nothing to add to the start up and unloading of gear on the ship. All the same he asked, (anyone need some help?)

"Your not here for the technical side here birdie," Jazz moving another box inside the Eclipse, dressed in her long sleeved outfit and Tobias' jacket, between bouts studying the book she'd finished learned to morph normal clothing successfully but was still using her other cloths for this just to be on the safe side the bird not caring if his jacket was ruined by accident.

(Doesn't mean I don't feel useless just sitting here.)

"Well she has the last part so it doesn't matter," Tucker barked from the pilot seat, checking the systems one by one, "so are we ready for this?"

(Not in the slightest.)

"What he said," Jazz sitting down in a chair.

Sam dropped down in the chair next to her, her dark hair bouncing at the move, not bothering to put her mask in yet, the dark material tucked away in her belt till she though she would need it, "let it come one way or another we'll survive."

"The question is will the world," Danny sitting next to Tucker, looking back the others, "guys I know I'm being a pain here but…"

"We know," his sister stopping him and the others, "it alright, it's not like you don't have a good reason. Just breath, relax and let come what may, we're with you, and we trust you to get us out of this in one piece."

Speaking to him privately, (I've known many leaders in my time, even been one for a short while, I know the makings of a good one, you have what it takes you just need to learn to keep some of the stress to yourself or at least stop taking it out on us.)

"Thanks guys," spinning around and looking out to the water, "alright Tuck it's your show now, lets hit it."

Tapping on a few controls, "hitting it," the ship moving forward slowly.

"I know this is probably a bad time to ask," Sam grabbing onto the sides of her chair, "but you did work all the bugs out of this thing from the last trip right?"

In a mocking imitation of Sam, "you did work everything out right," slipping to his normal tone, "would you trust me I know what I'm doing, we're totally safe on this end."

(Never make the guy behind the wheel mad, he might run the car off a cliff, I don't know who said it and this is a different situation, but the idea still applies.)

The goth looked over at him, "you are such a typical guy."

(Really,) spreading a wing and looking over at it, (where did you ever get an idea like that?)

Jazz looked from one to the other, "well nice to be in the middle of this."

(Come on this is what you do before a big fight, you bark and snap at each other, get out all that anxiety so you keep you head focused when the time comes let slip the dogs.)

Danny turned around when he said it, "let slip the dogs?"

Shaking his head, the feathers making a soft rustling sound, (let slip the dogs of war?) Not getting any sign Danny understood, (it's a historical cultural reference,) still not getting anything from him, (read a book man you might learn something.)

"Just move on birdie, my brother doesn't read unless he has to."

"What is this gang upon Danny day?"

Sam leaned back, "when is it not?"

"Not you to," spinning around and watching the world fly by as shot towards the city, unseen by the people below them that morning.

"Fun being on the receiving end isn't it," Tucker keeping his eyes on the sky rather than looking at her, "now you know how I feel all the time."

Sam huffed, "we don't do it all the time."

"Yeah you do," still not looking at her.

"Really," leaning forward a little shocked by that, "I had no idea."

"Well you do Sam, I accepted that a while back, but you do do it."

(Well this is a buzz kill,) flapping his wings and hopping into Jazz's lap.

Rubbing the top of his head, "this is what you go through when you deal with people this long, after a while they start getting on each others nerves."

Looking up at her, (really I had absolutely no idea,) trying not to come off hostilely, having been through this more than a few times when he was an Animorph.

"When do you want it done then," the goth leaning over to him.

(Sometime when I'm not around preferably.)

Various conversation came and went for several minutes till Tucker flipped a switch on the ship, under them the Fenton's pool sliding away and revealing a tunnel down the basement of the home. "CCAAKK ladies and gentlemen this is your captain speaking," doing his best pilot imitation, "we'll be landing momentarily only to be making the next leg of our trip a nonstop flight through the Ghost Zone, to the realm of ice and Klemper. If your not continuing with us today we thank you for picking Air Eclipse, a subsidiary Ghost Hunters Inc. if your not flying Air Eclipse you can obviously fly on your own. Now please notice the fasten seatbelts light above your head and…." finally stopping when Danny slapped him in the back of the head, Tucker taking the shtick to far for his enjoyment.

"Thank you," Sam sitting back down, "I was about to do it myself."

"Yeah that's it, beat the pilot, there's absolutely nothing that can go wrong with that from here."

(The testosterone in this room is beginning to get a little thick in here isn't it?)

Scratching him between his wings, "you took the words out of my mouth birdie."

Looking up at her, (I do that a lot don't I?)

"Oh yeah," looking over at her brother, "can we just take this thing down before something goes wrong, it's getting old and I'm getting impatient here."

"I'm with Jazz and the overly intelligent turkey there," pulling her gun and adjusting the setting on it, "let's just get this over with."

"Well the girl with the gun, my sister and the living zoo want us to go, and either one alone could make our lives miserable."

"Together ," Jazz jumping in shifting into a superheroesk way of speaking, "we can make your lives painful beyond imagining, for we are the pains in your butt that know to much."

"Tuck take us in, I need to throw my sister out, she's gone nuts."

Flapping back to the console, (I'm with him on this one, that was a little creepy Jasmine, at least for you.)

"So you're the only ones that get to relieve stress through humor."

Looking at Danny while he turned to look at him, (yep pretty much, but then again your pretty bad at it.)

"I'd say your sleeping on the couch to night…."

"DON'T EVEN FINISH IT," her brother barked, "I DON'T NEED TO HEAR THAT!"

"Danny chill," Sam sighed, "she was joking."

(And that one was funny.)

"Tuck crash us into the ground, I want to die so I don't have to listen to this crap."

Rolling his eyes, not caring about the conversation, "you guys do what you want, I'm still going ahead with the plan," maneuvering the ship through the through the tunnel and into the basement. "Ok someone with Fenton DNA want to open the portal so we can keep going?"

"Whatever gets me further away from this place," couching the control, the doors sliding open, allowing the green swirling vortex to be seen.

Flapping over to the back of Danny's chair, (so this is it huh?)

"This is it."

(I was expecting more, like a cross between space and how everyone describes hell.)

"Nope just this, well except for some areas but generally it's just chunks of rock, doors, lots of nothingness and the occasional building and ghost."

(Can't say I like it, either side of me, this place just feels wrong, to much nothingness, this isn't natural.)

"Maybe by a humans definition, but as far as I know this is how it is and how it's been for years, decades maybe centuries or millennia's."

Growling as well as a hawk could, (doesn't mean this place isn't putting me on edge, something about this place is seriously wrong.)

"I don't think the dead care," shrugging and looking at Tucker, "so how long will it take to get there?"

"No clue, but we'll find out when we get there," pushing the ship onward.

"Wonderful," leaning back, the bird flapping back to the girls as Danny hit his talons. The others continued talking back and forth, Tobias staying in the back of the ship, the outside making both sides of this mind go crazy. The human was ok with it to a point but it made him feel disoriented, but the hawk felt like it was going insane, up was down, the sky was everywhere and no where, it was like space and the ocean, completely alien environments to him.

It didn't take long for them to get to the ice section of the Ghost Zone, less than an hours passed in all, the temperature in the ship not dropping despite the blistering cold outside the Eclipse. All around them snow fell, practically raging at the sight of them, a perpetual blizzard that never seemed to end, but with the armaments on the ship it didn't stop them from flying, the vessel designed to handle far worse conditions. For Jazz and Tobias this was a first, the girl not seeing this section before, and Tobias finally feeling some measure of comfort in his surroundings. The endless field of ice reminding him of his own trip up north, unlike the rest of the Ghost Zone he'd seen a degree of natural order controlling this section.

"Well this is bleak," Jazz leaning over her brothers shoulder, "not a place I'd want to die."

(Reminds me of the time my uncles freezer turned into one big Popsicle, only more fun.)

Rolling her shoulder, the bird balanced on her, "you think this is fun, I thought you were a warm weather man?"

(Generally am, but like the song says let it snow, let it snow.)

"Can we not do Christmas right now," Sam looking out over Tuckers chair, geared up for combat, the compressed board under her arm, "I don't need to be thinking about that right now."

(Don't blame ya, not my time of year either, but then again my guardians pretty much ignored me at that time of year, more so than normal.)

"I didn't know," Sam not looking at him, still amazed by how much his life sucked and how much of his personal life she didn't really know, she'd heard a lot about his life, part from the bird part from Jazz, but how much his life sucked before she met him never ceased to amaze her, "I'm sorry."

(Nothing for you to feel sorry about, my life sucked, it got better.)

Danny looked back at them, "actually she was talking about becoming uber perky again, every year she turns into a little version of her mother, smiles and rainbows practically burst out of her."

"Shut up Danny," looking at the desolate, endless ice.

(Chipper Sam, that might be an evil even I can't stand to see.)

"Girl with a gun."

(Not going to stop me, I can just regrow the body part.)

"WILL YOU BE MY FRIEND!" the words jarring everyone in the ship and making it leap as Tucker jerked on the controls.

(Who or what was that,) flapping down the bird making him leap at the sound.

"That would be Klemper," the half ghost looking around, "wherever he is."

(Right the ice dude,) following Danny's lead.

"FRIEND," the ghost leaping onto the front of the ship obscuring their view, his face staring back at them. "BE MY FRIEND PLEASE, THOSE OTHER MEAN MEN DON'T LIKE ME!"

"Other mean men?" Sam not liking the sound of it.

"Vlad," Danny's eyes lighting up, "put a move on it Tuck."

"Can't see can't do squat," looking over at his friend.

(Quoting someone there?)

"Yeah me two seconds ago weren't you listening? Someone want to get him of the windshield, I haven't gotten around to putting in the wipers yet."

"Klemper," Danny looking at the ghost, "you know me right?"

"Yeah friend," nodding his head.

Sighing, "yeah I'm your friend and friends don't block other friends paths. So do me a favor, get off the ship and I'll deal with those mean men for you, then we can play, but you have to back off for a little while, ok?"

Cocking his head to the side he finally nodded, "ok friend," floating off the ship and letting them pass.

(This is the great pain in the butt you were always talking about?)

"Just have to know how to talk to him, and any other time I might kick his butt, but right now I'm saving my energy for Vlad."

"Still I was expecting something more," his sister leaning forward.

"No that's pretty much it unless he starts getting clingy, for the most part he's not evil, he just wants someone to be with, it's a little hard to justify beating him up for that."

(Maybe for you, the last animal that wanted to be near me I took part of his hide off.)

"Things like that you need to keep to yourself," Danny focusing on the icy landscape, looking for any sign of Vlad, or any booby traps the other half ghost might've left.

"Well I'm not getting an ominous feeling from this place or anything," Tucker looking back an forth, goose bumps jumping up upon his arm.

"Well at least I can't say I lived a boring life," Sam's hand resting on her weapon.

(All things considered I prefer boring to this,) looking out the window, all the ways this could go wrong flashing through his mind.

"I always knew my name would get me in trouble, but I always thought it would be when I applied to colleges not this."

"Life's funny that way," pointing forward, "and there it is, big as life and twice the size."

Whistling at the sight, "that is a big frozen rock," the ice mountain one of the biggest things she'd ever seen.

"I can see how'd there might be a tower inside that thing," Sam trying not to sound to amazed by the sight herself, she'd seen it before, but now it just seemed so much bigger.

(Well this isn't the most intimidation thing I've ever seen but it's still has that 'I'm about to get killed feeling' to it.)

Danny looked back at the others, "it's time to see what we're made of folks, we may not win, we may even be to late, but let's give them something to remember."

(Not your best effort there,) flapping back from the seat.

Shrugging, "not in the best mood right now," slipping out of the chair, twin rings running over him shifting him into his ghost mode, "ready to kick some ghost butt?"

(Been ready to sink my claws into the psycho for a while now, me and mind control have a hate hate relationship, and I want to thank him for renewing it. Beside I owe him torturing my tail for as long as he did, time I showed him why you don't do that to a guy who can kill you twenty different ways off the top of his head.)

"Indiscriminate hate of Vlad, these are the ties that bind us all together," patting him on the head.

(Never underestimate the power of raw hate.)

Rolling her eyes, Jazz moved between them, "need I remind you what happens when people are driven by hate and revenge rather than by…"

(Justice?)

"Peace and love 'O hippy one?"

"I was going to go with sanity, but yeah, the guys hurt all of us in one way or another, striking out with blind rage won't help anyone here."

(I can't put it aside, but it doesn't mean I won't enjoy it.)

"I'm with the bird, I've faced Vlad before, it doesn't drive me, but he's right it is fun after a while."

(Then lets go kick some ghostly tail,) starting to morph, white fur replacing brown feathers.

Grabbing the changing bird, "we'll lead the charge, if things turn bad we'll run, if not come down, but leave the cloak on, we don't need to give away all our edges yet."

"See you in a few Danny," Sam watching the pair phase through the floor of the ship, "and be careful you two."

Jazz put a hand on her shoulder, "they'll be ok, I'd put those two up against anyone, they know if they don't we'll find them and kick their butts up and down the Ghost Zone."

"I hope so," watching them though the front of the ship, Danny flying and Tobias running on all fours, now totally bear and making good time.

(Now this I could get use to,) loving the feeling of snow under his paws as he ran at full speed after Danny.

Looking down, not enjoying the cold wind blasting around him, "how can anything like this I can't even feel my toes."

(Maybe because you have a tail at the moment,) offering him a reason.

"Not what I meant and you know it, and how can you like this?"

(To the bear this is home, fur and blubber keeps me warm, the sting of the ice makes me feel alive, and there's plenty of room to run. Granted the hawks not thrilled but it's not in charge at the moment, old Nanook here is.)

"And once again this conversation isn't strange to me in the slightest."

(Curse of an interesting life, personally I miss being shocked by things, it was fun.)

Looking ahead still not seeing anything, "you've never gone up against Vlad before, trust me you'll have more than a few shocks before this is all said and done."

(I'm cool with that,) charging up to the mountain of ice and snow, slowing as it loomed over him, (never seen anything on Earth like this before.)

"You'll find that a lot here," hovering over him and looking up, not even seeing the tip of the floating iceberg.

(This it?)

"If I'm right yeah, if not," shrugging, "we made a long trip for nothing."

Looking up at him, (and made a jerk of yourself to all your friends don't forget that.)

"Thank you stoolpigeon."

(Good one, I actually haven't heard that one before.)

"I've been saving it up."

"If you to are done bonding," Sam's voice flowing through the Fenton Phones, "can you tell us what's going on out there?"

"We got nothing Sam," looking around, "if he's here he's doing a good job of hiding from me, you picking anything up snowflake?"

Snorting, (I've been sniffing since we got out, but most of the scent have been obscured, the raging show masking them from my senses.)

"Get to the point man, you finding anything?"

Sniffing the side of the cliff, (a few things, but I'm not sure how reliable I'm going to be,) moving through the snow as tried to piece together what had happened before they showed up. (Vlad's here but he wasn't first,) moving back where he'd come from, (others proceeded him, I think you was the rodent that was in your house, one I can't place, it's familiar but I can't place from where.) When he came to the next scent he jerked back, his fur rising, his fangs showing while he pawed the ground, and dug his nose into the scent, determined to be sure of the source.

"You find something," Danny moving closer to the bear.

Looking at him and growling, (David's here, those monsters are WORKING TOGETHER,) tearing at the ground with his paws, the thoughts hitting the others in the ship, till then staying silent to all but Danny.

In the ship Jazz and Sam looked at each other, "crap," they hissed in unison, making Tucker look at them.

"Great, now you two are doing the stereo thing, considering you only do that with people your other otherwise interested in, does that mean there's some kind of attraction here?"

"SHUT UP TCUKER," both girls speaking in unison again.

"Yep definitely an attraction going on there," getting slapped in the head at the same time by the teens.

Danny heard the conversation inside the ship but didn't care about it, focusing more on Tobias as he recreated the moments leading up to their arrival. "So it's just the four of them?"

(No,), the anger dieing down slightly, but his rage could still be felt in his thoughts. Shifting his nose up, his nostrils flaring, then back to the ground, (I'd say the birds are here too, at least one on the ground, the scents muddled so I can't be sure. They also headed back up, where I can't be sure, there's to much interference by the storm to place them exactly.)

"This just gets better and better," crossing his arms.

Still following the smells he moved over to the ice and followed it around for a while before finally stopping, (here,) tapping it with his nose, (this is where they went in.) Sniffing the chilled surface, (what lies beyond there is a mystery to me, but that's where they are, this is your realm, it's your call what to do now.)

Danny closed his eyes, a soft green glow still slipping thought the cracks as he thought it over, "guys, we'll need you, we're going to come back and do this straight on, no stopping, in other words we're going in guns blazing, no questions asked."

"Copy that, we'll be over you in a few seconds."

"Copy that," Sam leaning over and looking at her friend, "you think this is a movie?"

"Well I thought it sounded cool," shrugging and getting the hip in position and dropped the shields, Danny flying inside with Tobias a few seconds later.

"Quick trip huh guys?" Jazz looking back at them, Tobias still intangible thanks to Danny, making it a little easier for him to demorph in the tight confines of the ship.

Looking up at her, a beak on his bear muzzle, (quick is relative, it felt like I was out there for a few years, I like the snow part of the place, but the ghost element still making me uneasy.)

When the bird was normal Danny let him go, "games changed guys, we knew Vultures and the Knight were probably going to be there, but David and whatever the other thing is make this a lot harder."

"This might be a stupid question," Tucker looking back, "if he can pick up all these smells how did he not know David and Vlad were working together the last time they fought?"

(Not sure,) Tobias flapping up on the back of one of the rear chairs, (scents are complicated, how much is left when anyone moves is sometimes hard to predict, different creatures and landsacpes do different things. It's possible when David turns on his fire he burns off all the scents he picks up which would make it hard to know who's around him prior to that moment.)

"You sure you didn't pick this up before hand," Tucker pressed.

(Yeah that's right Tucker, I kept this a secret from all of you just so I could get another shot at that psycho. I want him you all know that, I don't hide it, but wanting him and willingly doing something that stupid to all of you are totally different things.)

"Both of you ease off," Danny moving between them, "I believe him Tuck, I really don't think he'd keep something like this from us. Beside I was with him after the fight, he was saying a lot I think he would've mentioned that at some point."

"So how we going to do this," the goth looking at the ice, "are we going to phase in or just keeping shooting till there's nothing left?"

(Phase in?)

"In the Ghost Zone the living have a few tricks up our sleeves," shifting back to his human form, "take us in Tuck, time to see what this thing can do in a real fight."

Jazz looked over at him, "because fighting that dragon wasn't really a test of it's abilities."

"You know what I mean," looking out at the ice a little afraid of what he was going to come to face with.

Looking at the mountain then back at Danny, "I know I keep threatening to crash into something but I never thought I'd ever actually do it."

(Less talking, more crashing.)

Pushing the ship forward, "not getting paid enough for this."

Tapping him on the head, "your not getting paid at all."

"Thank you Sam," the Eclipse shooting towards the ice cliff, "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH," involuntarily screaming as they got closer and hit the side phasing through the ghostly ice. While the ship flew in the five were thrown out into a chamber of gray stone, the ship no where to the seen, three humans sliding and bouncing across the ground, Sam managed to get on her hover board and slide to a stop on the ground, Tobias flapped and righted himself before he hit and gaining a lay of the land, flapping up in the dead air as best he could.

(Crap,) hissing to himself as he saw the room, (we got company claws out people,) dropping the floor and morphing his Hork-Bajir body.

"I love it when they come to me," David flaring into his lion form and moving towards Tobias, ready to rip his throat out, the transformed bird slipping into a fighting stance, ready to take the attack, tapping into everything Jazz and Sam had taught him.

(Your not ever going to come close,) snapping his beak, David's attack never came as an arc of lightning shot out from the ceiling and landing between the two, the blast knocking David back into the Fright Knight bringing both to the ground.

"That…was weird," Danny floating up next to him.

Vlad walked over to them, "somehow I had a feeling it would be you little badger," looking over at Jazz, "or should I be call you that now my dear," the teen in her gorilla form.

Bearing her teeth, (you realize I can crush your skull right?)

"Jasmine, my dear I had no idea you were like that, you have a bit of your mother in you."

(I have a lot of my mother in my, enough to despise you on sight,) growling at him mentally and vocally.

The vulture with small eyebrows flapped over to the elder halfa, hovering in the air next to him, "so is this all part of the plan, or is something weird going on here?"

"Regrettably it isn't, apparently there were a few things left out of the tapestry."

Sam moved closer to Tucker and whispered, "you have any clue what he's talking about?"

Shrugging, "not a clue," looking up where they'd come in from wondering where the ship had gone to and if it was ok.

"I'm speaking of the reason we're all here Samantha," looking at the goth having heard what she said.

(To stab you in the face with an ice pick,) the birds thoughts hitting everyone in the room while he snapped at the half ghost, his blades flashing in the light.

'_Try to hurt the master and you'll have to deal with me,' the _mouse flashing a card and jumping in front of Vlad.

(Well never seen that before,) looking down at her, (you know I eat things like you.)

"I already told her that," the vulture glaring at the rodent, "it doesn't work, she had no respect for the delicate food chain build up around our species."

(Not that bright is she,) looking at the green bird.

"Nope, the little fur ball doesn't seem to grasp what she is, and what we are."

Sam moved over to Danny, the half ghost floating down to her, "this is a little weird."

Shrugging, "it must be a bird thing."

"More than likely all three are like this when they're left alone," the older halfa ignoring the two bird, "so tell me Daniel what lead you here, just for conversation sake."

"None of you business," Danny's eyes lighting.

"I wouldn't be like that little badger, it might just be the ten of us for the rest of our existence."

"All of existence with only two girls, this is going to suck."

'_Three girls,' _flashing a large print card, _'I'm a girl two.'_

"Your also not my type."

'_specist'_

"What?"

Sam translated, "your discriminating against her based on her species hence specist."

"No I'm just not into girls that are less than a foot tall and furry, not to mention dead."

"I'm stuck in a room full of freaks."

(Not in a position to talk David,) wanting to lung at his long time rival, but staying still till he understood what was going on. Looking over at Vlad, (how long have you been here, have you tried to get out,) jumping straight to the point.

"We've been trying now for sometime," trying not to let the aggravation her was feeling come on in his voice, the idea of being questioned by this boy insulting, "and I'd say an hour of two maybe more and we haven't made any progress. As you can tell," sweeping his arm and spinning around, "there's nothing else here, no doors, no windows, no passage way of any kind, once your inside you can't get out."

"We're human Vlad why don't you just walk through," Danny almost kicked himself when he said it, not wanting Vlad to have a way out.

"Walk right out, why didn't I think of that," his voice shifting from innocent surprise to rage, his eyes blazing red, "OF COURSE I THOUGHT OF THAT DANIEL BUT IT DOESN'T WORK!"

"Stupid question," Sam not intimidated by the older halfa, "how did you get in, I didn't see any marks around the ice, and the human trick doesn't apply to those four?"

Running his finger through his hair, regain his calm demeanor, "I spoke the incantation to gain entrance, it worked through the ice." Seeing the lost look on their faces, "don't tell me your five just tried to ram your way in like thugs?"

(The direct ways are sometimes the best ways,) the aliens tail swinging back and forth.

Shaking his head and looking at the creature, "and here I use to think you were the smart one, I've either overestimated you or Daniel has corrupted your talent."

(A little a both maybe, it depends on the situation.)

"Try just stupid," David snapped, walking up next to Vlad, his hands opening and closing, growing faster and faster before throwing a black fireball at Tobias the blast stopped by a arc of lightning from the ceiling yet again.

The blue skinned halfa sighed and held the bridge of his nose, a headache forming, "in case you haven't noticed that's not going to work. This place whatever it is, obviously designed to stop violence, it appears this entire place is nothing but one large trap for anyone seeking the power of the king."

(What better prison for those that would seek power in battle than to lock them up in a place where they can't even throw a punch,) Tobias understanding what was going on, possessing a unique perspective of the world. (You should feel at home David it's the island all over again but this time we're stuck together for all eternity.)

"YOU SONE OF A," lunging at him only to be stopped by Vlad, "YOU STOLE MY LIFE YOU PATHETIC FREAK! YOU KILLED ME I'LL SEE YOU, AND EVERYONE AROUND YOU DEAD YOU MISERABLE SACK OF CRAP!"

Keeping his thoughts private in Vlad he case he didn't know any of this, but letting his friends hear. (I'm not proud of what I did David, but it was necessary, you were out of control, you were abusing your powers, you were putting Earth in danger, not to mention my friends, you were making deals with the Devil, someone had to stop you. If I could've stopped you without trapping you or killing you, and known for certain that would be the end of it, I would've done it, but that wasn't an option, we didn't have that ability. You knew that, powers like ours couldn't be stopped, and even after the trap we couldn't keep you quiet, it was a war and we didn't have a lot of options.)

"YOU. STOLE. MY. LIFE. EVERYTHING I WAS, EVERYTHING I SHOULD'VE BEEN YOU STOLE FROM ME!"

(You were raping women and framing innocent people for it,) keeping his thought controlled, (you were a serial killer in the making, excuse me if I'm not losing a lot of sleepover it. You know what the truly scary part is, somewhere deep down inside the human part of my being, I regret killing you, I wish there had really been a better way, that I could've taken the high road, been the nice guy, but it just wasn't an option David. I was bad before, you made me a murderer, and I can't forgive you for that….ever."

"YOU HEARD HIM, HE SAID IT, THIS IS HIS FAULT, THEY KNOW NOW, THEY'RE GOING TO REJECT YOU NOW!"

When he said it Jazz moved over, demorphing back to human holding his hand in hears, being careful not to cut her skin on his claws and blades. "We already know everything," grabbing under and chin and making him look her in the eyes, "we accept that part of him and love him in spite of it. Humans forgive, humans redeem themselves, he's done that a hundred times over," looking over at David, "but you wouldn't know anything about that would you, even when you were alive you were never human."

"YOU LITTLE SLU…," stopping is Vlad pulled him back again, Danny and Tobias bolting in front of the redhead to protect her.

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT," Danny's eyes flaring green, barely controlling the desire to fire a blast of ectoplasm at him.

(Your not in control here David.)

"I'M GOING TO KILL EVERYONE OF YOU, I'M GOING TO TURN YOU ALL INSIDE OUT, AND I'M GOING TO START WITH THE GIRLS AND MAKE YOU WATCH, AND I'M GOING TO START WITH THE GOTH BIT…," not finishing his thoughts as the Fright Knight hit him in the back of the head with the hilt of his blade, knocking him out his fire going out. An arc of lightning cam down and struck the knight in the chest, knocking him to the ground.

After a moment he stood up, the others looking at him, "shutting him up was well worth it," he growled, the fire around his head dimming.

"That is one seriously disturbed cat you have there, what kind of messed up fruit loop has someone like that around?"

"I am not a fruit loop," his eyes flaring, calming down, "I realize he is a despicable creature, but he has his uses, and at least while he is under my control he's kept away from other creatures, kept from harming them."

(Yeah you just let him loose on humanity,) Tobias reverting to his bird form.

Looking back at him, "we all have things we regret, but for better or worse, from what I've learned of him in his time with me, I believe everyone is safer as long as I keep him on my leash."

(Then make it a short one,) flapping up onto Jazz's shoulder and looking down at the ghost.

In the wake of the tension Danny started laughing uncontrollably, getting glares from the others, "what's so funny," Sam finally asked after he dropped to his knees, near hysterical, tears running down his face.

"Vlad," sucking air, "he has," laughing hard, "David," trying to hold back the laughter.

Sam looked at Tucker who shrugged, "I don't know why this is funny either."

Finally calming down, Danny pointed at David, "Vlad. Has. A. Cat." trying not to start laughing again. "All the jokes I made, everything I said to him, he's now forcing himself to keep a cat, it's a psychotic ghost cat thing, but it's still a cat." Pointing over at Vlad, "he's a cat person now!"

Tobias looked over at Jazz who looked at him in turn, (you don't get this either do you?)

"Not a word of it birdie."

Vlad looked back at David then to Danny, and hit himself in the forehead, "O for the love of," before devolving into a series of growls and grunts.

"We're trapped and he's taking cheap shots at Vlad," Tucker shaking his head, "it was a funny cheap shot, but it's still kinda useless at the moment."

"Let him making his jokes," the Fright Knight sitting on the ground next to David, watching him, "a warrior can deal with stress in many ways, I prefer training myself, if humor focuses his mind let him continue, we may need that clarity to escape."

Nodding over to him, (I'd listen to him, he's many tings but he knows the mind,) Tobias flapping off and morphing his German Shepherd form and sniffing around the room, carefully scanning the walls, looking for anything that might be a way out.

Watching Tobias, "he deals with stress through activity, through focus, he's meticulous when he gets going, he also puts his skills to better use than this," taping near David with his sword, "creature, all he did was attack the wall." Laughing lightly, "as you can tell that did little good, they merely repaired themselves in the blink of an eye."

(David never did understand what he was given,) looking up at the Knight, (he saw what he was given in shades of raw power, not subtly. Sometimes alight touch of a mouse can do more than the fury of any predator.)

'_Then why are you a dog if mice are so superior?' _holding a card up and moving next to him so he could see it.

(I need a good nose for this, this is one of the best,) stopping and actually looking at both of them, (why am I having a conversation with the two of you?)

Chuckling, "warriors have a tendency to seek each other out, it's not surprising I've seen enemies on the battlefield unite in times of greater need. Ally and enemy are easily defined, but those with a warriors heart will often turn to others with the same regardless of what side they're on."

(And sometimes they when they fight back to back, one is just waiting for the chance to stab his or her new friend in the back.)

"And which would you be, the stabber of the stabee?"

Looking at David, (it depends who's back is next to mine.)

His fire lowering, "a good answer, a warriors answer, you intrigue me more and more bird."

(You're a little surprising yourself, for a torturing demon.)

Looking over at Vlad, "a warrior does as his leader asks, even if he sometimes does not agree with the actions or the methods required." At the words Vlad's eyes flared red, but let the Knight speak unsure where the conversation was going, the possibility of turning it to his aid on his mind.

Tobias looked at him for a second, the words striking a cord in him, for a second thinking he was talking to Ax, the ghost having a similar outlook as his uncle. (Even so,) speaking slowly, carefully, (the warrior does the deed, if he of she believes it is wrong they should rise up against them and do what they know to be right.)

"A dangerous philosophy, for ones definition of right is rarely the same as another, often times your enemy justifies what they are doing as the right thing as well."

Cocking his head, his ears shifting as he thought it over, (touché,) bowing to him as best he could in canine form, (you didn't strike me as an intellectual.)

"Nor you me, the form often hides what is inside, something I'm sure you know well."

Walking a few steps over to him, (better than most, but I've found you can see bey….,) not getting the rest out as Danny shot between them.

"I'm sure you two are having fun in a weird kinda way," looking at the birddog, "but can you please try to find a way out of here."

Pulling his ears back, (on it, lets not let me have any fun,) turning around he went back to sniffing.

"Do you not trust me that much child," the spirit in dark armor watching him.

"I don't need some ghost trying to turn my friends brain inside out with psychological mumbo jumbo," nodding his head over, "that's why I have my sister."

"HEY," glaring at him.

Shrugging, "You know what I mean."

"I meant no harm by it, but one must take opportunities presented, and we may be here a long time, so it's best to come to terms with each other now and establish who can be an ally here, and who can't be trusted," looking down at David.

"All the same," Vlad looking at his minion, "I would prefer not to spend eternity with him, Zephyr," looking at the mouse, "help him."

"I'll give him a claw to," the redhead morphing her own German Shepherd body and sniffing around with the other two, looking for anything that might lead them out.

"Your sister is full of surprises," the blue skinned half ghost watching her work, at the sound Tobias growled involuntarily, "and I see she has a guard dog."

Pointing her gun at him, "more than one," Sam staying cool and calm while she threatened him.

"You do know that's not going to work don't you, I thought you had fairly good grades."

Smiling, "I do but pointing the gun isn't actually firing, therefore whatever it is isn't not going to discharge and it makes me feel good."

"And that's why I hang with her," Danny putting his arm around the black clad girl.

While the others were talking Tucker pulled out his PDA and tried to interface with the Eclipse, the ship not responding. When that failed he moved on to just trying to get and outside signal only to find nothing beyond the walls and again not failing. He tried a few more things but no matter what he did it was as though nothing existed beyond the walls of the tower, however inside he did pick something up, "there's something here," looking up, the others taking notice.

"Find something," Danny floating over to his friends.

"I think 'there's something here' implied that," tapping on the screen, "I don't know what I'm finding but there's some kind of power source here, maybe more give me a few."

Vlad floated over, "give it to me child," before he could get close Danny got between the other halfa and his friend.

"Try it and we'll both be lightning rods," crossing his arms, his eyes glowing green.

"Your friends not smart enough to do this Daniel I'll be able to find out what's going in in a matter of…"

"Found it," tapping on the PDA, "this is weird but I think I understand it, I just have to do this," tapping on the screen initiating a chain reaction in the energy as it fluctuated and altered the space above them filling with a glow that took form after a moment and drew the attention of the nine still conscious creatures in the room.

Sam whistled at the sight, "that's impressive," the image quickly taking the shape of a thin green man with a long white beard dressed in medieval armor and a familiar amulet around his neck.

"Please don't let this one turn into a dragon too," Danny bracing himself for an attack.

"If you are seeing this you have passed the first test," the image speaking with a slight birthing accent, "congratulate you, you must be skilled in the arts of magic to make it this far."

"Any clue what that is," Danny looking at his friend.

Vlad answered, "it's a message written in magic, think of it like a fancy recording."

"Great an ancient ghost answering machine."

"This tower," the image of King Gadron still speaking, "was never meant to be entered by anyone but myself or possibly my children if they prove worthy. But now that you are here things must be rectified, if you have found this place you are either lucky, skilled or perhaps something has occurred to remove us from this place. To see this message makes you cleaver in magic but to hold what is with in you must be far more, and this place will test that." Pausing slightly, the image faltering and breaking up for a second then restarting, "you entered as two groups of five, good, within this tower will be five levels, in each is a challenge. Both groups must compete in the challenges, a member from each on every level and they may serve only once. The losers will be removed from the challenge, only to be seen at the end, held in stasis till the conclusion of the tests, whatever group passes the most challenges will decide what happens to the defeated group."

"This is weird," Tucker looking up.

"It's how things were done back in the old days," the Vulture watching the image.

"If you survive and if you are good enough, worthy enough you might be able to obtain the artifact in this tower, if you are not however you will simply be sent on your way, that is if you prove yourself, if not you will never leave, and be held forever, frozen as part of this structure for all time."

(A test of character, I'm screwed,) looking over at Jazz.

Nuzzling him, (you'll be fine birdie.)

(You don't know that,) looking away from her

(Yes,) shifting her head to the other side of his, (I do know that, and I know everything about you remember, you're an idiot, but you're an idiot who always has good intentions, and I'm not losing you to some stupid ghost tower.)

"The choice is now yours, live here forever never to know more or risk your lives and see if you are worthy to obtain the power you desire," waving his hand to a wall, a passage way appearing as the wall simply faded away.

"Well this isn't creepy or anything," Danny floating over and looking down the dark hall.

"I'm up for going in," the goth walking over to him, "risking my life is better than sitting here going insane with nothing to do and eventually starving to death."

(I'm with you bro,) padding up next to him, demorphing as he did so, Tobias following reluctantly.

(If you want to run the risk of me I'll come, but I offer no promises my sins won't taint us all.)

Kneeing next to him, "bird we've been over this, you're a rat eating wacko but your our wacko, besides my sister would sulk for who knows how long if you stayed here and I'm not living with that," getting the back of his head slapped by said girl. "I deserved that," looking over at Tucker, "your call, last one."

Looking over the other five, "yeah I'm not staying with them," running over them, "I'm sure your great people and all when your not being evil but I'm not staying here with ya."

"In that case, we're going down the creepy tunnel, if you want to stay fine, if you want to come well, do me a favor and choose to stay here, everyone named Fenton will be happier."

"You'd like that wouldn't you little badger, well your not getting that," looking down at David, "pick him up we'll need him later, we're going in."

"Yippie yippie," Danny spinning his finger around in little circles, the energy in it leaving a trail and walked in, the others following him, those with a pulse on foot the others hovering.

After a moment the door behind them vanished and with it the light that entered the room, only the Fright Knights head and back giving off any light, though very little. "Crap," Tucker jumping forward in the darkness, and grabbing who he hoped was Sam. After a second the torches flared to life high along the wall giving the hall an eerie glow.

Jazz looked down at Tucker hugger her around the waist, "you can get off or he can tear you off," nodding back at Tobias who lifted his lips and showed his fangs.

"So sue me for being a little afraid of the dark when I'm in the middle of who knows what," pulling away from her.

(I'd be more afraid or her than them, for that matter I'd be more afraid of her brother.)

"Excellent team you've assembled for yourself Daniel, a coward, an insane killer, an antisocial gun toting vigilante and whatever it is your sister is."

"I stand by my friends Vlad, they're a little quirky, even a little hostile at the moment, but I trust them with my life, can you say the same about those four," looking back at them. Vlad never got to answer as a door opened up in front of them, the room on the other side seemingly jumping towards them before they knew what was happening, the ten now standing in it.

"Gotta love the physics of the Ghost Zone," pushing his glasses up.

Trying to make his fur go down, (speak for yourself, only time I want the ground shooting under my feet is when I'm flying.)

'_Little bird has a few issues doesn't he,' _tossing him the card and running up in front of the group.

(Bite me lunch meat.)

Running over and flipping the card, _'bite me, bite you,' _smiling up at him.

Looking from the card to the rodent, (you are one creepy powered ghost.)

Pulling another card, _'I know.'_

"Have fun with your lunch some other time birdie, we need to find out what's going on."

At the words King Gadron's image appeared above them, the rooms high ceiling seeming even bigger now. "the first test is one of knowledge, pick your representative then we will proceed," the image hovering in the air above them, seemingly paused.

(Don't look at me, never got out of high school.)

"You all know my grades I'm out," Danny throwing his hands up.

"That leaves the three of us," Jazz looking from Sam to Tucker, "anyone want to volunteer to be the first guinea pig?"

Tucker moved forward, "I'll do it, it's a matter of information this is my domain, besides you might need you two later, and if I fail no big deal."

"Yes big deal," Sam putting a hand on his shoulder, "Tucker we've been friend longer than I can remember."

"I'm also the one without powers or physical skill, this is where I belong."

"You're an idiot Tuck, but you're a brave idiot be careful man," the half ghost patting him on the shoulder.

On the other side Vlad had assigned the vulture to do the job, his years giving him the best chance of knowing whatever they were asked. "Fine fine, better this than fighting one of the those whiper snappers, good luck to the rest of you," the last part full of venom and sarcasm.

Coming back to life, "the choices have been made, and only they may answer, the question is simple and only one, who are you? And to ensure no help," snapping his fingers, "when you are ready make it known, I will listen."

Danny looked from the other to Tucker and opened his mouth but nothing came out. Panic quickly set in as he lost the ability to make any noise at all the others have the same problem, even Zephyr couldn't pull any cards out from behind her back. It didn't take long for them all to figure out what had happened, the tower, or the message from King Gadron, or whatever was in charge stealing that ability.

"So I guess it really is just us," Tucker shrugging and looking around.

"So it appears," blowing a little out his beak and trying to figure out what to say, he had a long life, he'd been a lot of things in them, it could take days to get through his life story, and by that time the humans would probably be dead from starvation provided they didn't eat someone.

"I have no idea what to say here," walking back and forth, wishing he could ask one of the others, "if this was anything else I might have something, oh," pulling his beret off and ringing it in his hands, "I really should've left this to Jazz, the mind is her thing, not mine."

"Well one for my side then," flying around trying to organize his thoughts, "alright," looking at the ghost image. "This is who I am, I'm a ghost older than most here, I've seen empires rise and fall, served many masters, and always I have been a servant, it's my place in life, it's who I am. I serve, it's all I've ever known all I hope to know, I live to serve it's who I am, it's all I am."

Tucker just looked at him, "that's it, that's all your going to say?"

Scoffing, "you don't get it and I'm not going to help you, that's my answer and I've won, it doesn't matter what you say your not going to beat that."

Tucker looked up at the image, thinking everything over, trying to figure out what the thing wanted, he could tell him stories, let him know what his life was like. Looking over at the bird, he thought about what he'd said his answer was simple blunt, truthful, or he assumed it was, he pondered what to say for almost an hour, not wanting to rush in to it till he found what he hoped were the right words.

With a sigh he looked up at the image, "I'm ready."

"About time, I was turning to dust over here."

"I'm the tech guy, I know that, Danny's the fighter, the leader, Tobias is the hunter, the guys that been everywhere and done everything twice. Jazz is the sage, the wise one, the one that keeps us balanced and focused and Sam is the seer, she looks beyond the truth and sees what is and what should be. Then there's me, I'm the guy that does machines, I look on the net, I rewire things, I figure out how they work and how to make them work for us."

Chuckling lightly, "so off kid."

Ignoring him, "I'm not big, I'm not strong, truth be told I'm a little bit of a coward when things come right down to it, but I know this, they need me, they're counting on me, and in the end what more is there, they're my friends I'm theirs. We don't get along all the time, we make each other nuts, but that's part of what we do, all that is part of me, to each of them I'm sure I'm a different guy. Danny probably sesames his friend, the one he'll tells things to, at least when he can't turn to Sam or his sister and for Sam, I'm probably the same. To Jazz, I don't know, the informant I guess, the one that keeps an eye on her brother, the one she can manipulate to find out about him. What I am to Tobias I can't even guess, but I bet pain in the butt is probably one of the first things he'd say."

"Knowing all that, I don't know what to tell you other than to say I'm Tucker Foley, I'm human, I hunt ghosts, and I'm probably insane for going along with everything Danny talks me into."

"Not even in the ball park kid, so far gone it's not even funny."

"I stand by what I said, right or wrong, I stand by it."

The image snapped his fingers, the vulture disappearing, "knowledge comes come knowing yourself, and knowing that there are many selves. To limit yourself to one idea is the action of the short sighed, you are not such a person, knowledge has been served, but do you posses the other attributes necessary to prove your worth."

Sighing and sitting down in shock, "I was winging it there."

"You know who you are and who you might be, you are far from the tech guy you claim to be, in their eyes," waving at the four, "your skill you technology may be your key asset, but that alone is not what binds you to them or they to you."

"Um….ok, can you let them talk now?"

Waving his hand at the eight they regained their voice and the wall on the other side of the opened into a passage as the one earlier had done, "when you are ready to continue you may move on," disappearing from their sight.

"ALL RIGHT TUCK," Danny flying over and picking his friend up and spinning around in the air, "YOU ARE THE MAN!"

"Testosterone over load," Sam sighed watching the pair make fools of themselves.

Looking up, (this is why I use to live alone in the woods far away from everyone else.)

"Let 'um be happy," Jazz smiling and watching them, "he got through it, not quite the thing I would've said but it had more than a few notes of truth. The human mind is a curious beast, and perception is relative, all things considered it was fair but complicated question and his answer rose to the challenge."

(I'm sensing a but here,) looking up at her.

"But it raises the question, just what are the other tests going to be, if this is any indication of the future these aren't going to be straight forward."

Sam watched them and sighed, "when has anything in our life ever been easy, let it come, we'll get through."

Vlad as expected was far from a gracious loser, his eyes blazing his filling with ectoplasm ready to lash out at everyone in the room, "IDIOT," snarling blasting the energy up into the ceiling, the stone shattering and beginning to fall only to suddenly reverse and fix themselves.

Staying clam the Knight stayed away from Vlad, "a single loss means nothing, three is all we need and now we know what to expect, victory is in our grasp." The words were a calculated move on the Knights part, he needed to calm Vlad down without putting himself at risk, and that seemed like the best way.

'_He's right, if nothing else we three will win our challenges, we didn't need the others,' _tossing the elder half ghost the card.

Reading it and considering the council of the pair, "then I leave it to you, but do not fail me," looking down at David, "keep him ready in case we need him."

Tobias padded up to the hall and sniffed it, (I don't want to cut the party short, but I'd rather get on with this and see where it leads. When we get out of this we can party till the cows come home, I'll even be the cow if you want.)

"I wanted to say that," dropping to the ground as Danny dropped him and the five walked over to the birddog.

(I know that's why I said it first,) moving down the hall, Vlad and his associates following them a moment later.

"Anyone else find it a little weird that there were five of us, and there are five levels," the group hitting a spiral staircase and following it up.

"It's not a coincidence Samantha," Vlad floating well behind her, Danny, Jazz and Zephyr between her and the half ghost. Tobias was in the lead, his nose on alert just in case, while the Fight Knight holding David made up the rear. "This place was forged by mystics, it's reconfiguring itself to fit us, the questions based on those chosen if I was here alone the tower would configure itself to test myself alone."

"And how exactly does it know what to ask?"

"Because it is King Gadron, or at least a shadow of who is was at the time it was made, the recording is all measurable ways reacting and see things the way the king did. It's not a simple ghost we're answering to here, it's the greatest ghost to arise in the history of the Ghost Zone."

"A ghost that trapped your butt."

"As he did your own," hissing at the human, his eyes lighting up with red energy, his fists likewise igniting at the indignity he was being shown. "And I would've discovered a way out at some point, that I can garreteer you, if you could it would be no challenge for me."

"I problem with that," Danny looking back, "without Tuck you'd still be stuck in that little room unable to go and do anything."

"I would've found a way Daniel, I always do," following him, attempting to keep his anger in check.

"Sure you would've," humoring him, a passage opening up in front of them and the floor suddenly shooting them forward into the room.

(I'm getting really tired of that.)

"It's only happened twice birdie."

(Which probably means it's happen three more times so I'm just getting it out of the way now.)

Tossing a large print card out to the middle of the group, _'he has a point.'_

(Great rodents are agreeing with me, the end of the world as we know it is at hand.)

Before he could get anything else out the image of Gadron appeared in the sky above them again, "the first task is done, four more remain, the test of self is this domain."

"Why is he rhyming," Tucker looking up.

"He holds our fate in his hands Tuck, I think he can do whatever he wants."

"Still it's annoying."

If the image acknowledged them, it didn't give any indication, "chose your champions for this test, but choose wisely."

Putting his hands behind his head, "well I'm out, who wants to deal with this now."

Sam punched him in the shoulder, "don't get smug."

"Can't help it, I feel untouchable now."

(This might be the only one we win,) looking up at the image, (let him enjoy it, we have the rest of eternity to make him miserable if we fail.)

"Way to look on the bright side bird," also looking up at the image.

(Calling it like I see it,) growling softly, (anyone else want this besides me?)

That got there attention, "you want this birdie?"

(Test of self, I might not be the ideal choice but I have a feeling I need to do this one, if for no other reason than to prove something to myself.)

"You sure about this," Sam leaning down next to him, "I can do this one, I know myself this shouldn't be much of a problem."

His ears held down against his head, (that's half the reason I want to do it, there are times when I don't know myself, I think I do but I'm not sure, I think this might answer a few questions for me. Beside if I screw up I know you guy will pull it out and I'll be back before you know it.)

Danny looked at his sister who nodded, a sad look in his eyes, "alright birdman it's your game, but make sure you come out of it in one piece."

(Don't worry I don't plan on dieing here,) demorphing, (alright I'm taking it for this side.)

Running up next to him and holding up a card, _'and I'm for this side.'_

"A mouse and a hawk, what are you playing at Vlad," Danny giving him an accusing look.

"Zephyr's had a short existence, she doesn't have that much to worry about in terms of self, your bird on the other hand , well, I wouldn't put money on him surviving if David's been even a fraction honest with me about his former life."

Jazz kept her eyes on Tobias, "then your underestimating him, his experience gives him focus, can your mouse say the same thing about her existence."

"The choices have been made, and your challenge is simple, survive a test against yourself."

(Don't like the sound of this at all.)

'_I don't even know what that means'_

They both got their answers a moment later as twins of themselves appeared across from them and stared at them with empty black eyes, neither moving towards them, "your test," the image continuing, "will be one in battle."

(And I really don't like the sound of that.)

"And to unsure no outside interference," waving his hand the others rising hovering over to the wall a moment later glowing green walls appeared around them. Thos inside could see out, but the pair couldn't see in.

(Better and better and better,) lowering his head, his beak wavering slightly.

(Always the complainer aren't you bird brain,) his clone using thought speech on him, (don't you ever shut up?)

(Great I'm arguing with myself.)

(Then maybe you are really insane, just like you've always thought.)

(Bite me,) taking wing and flying up, his twin following, moving with him in unison.

On the ground Zephyr was watching her own other self and not wasting time, standing up on her hind legs and reaching behind her back and pulling out three ghost guns, one in each hand, her twin doing the same. Pulling her ears back she started to fire blasts of pink, gold and black energy, from each of the respective guns, the blasts missing there targets as both dodged to the sides, like the birds moving in unison as they fought.

(Not so easy to fly with dead air is it,) the clone flying above Tobias, trying to come in for the killing dive, (all that supposed intelligence and you still make stupid mistakes.)

(Don't know what you have till you try,) snapping back, shifting his wings and turning his body, the other birds strike missing him, continuing the turn, pulling his wings in and shot down after him, talons open, like his twin missing as the clone moved out of the way.

(So close at yet so far, story of your life isn't it, happiness is always in reach and you blow it by doing something stupid,) flaying to the other side of the room.

(Shut up,) not liking where the conversation was going and chasing after the mock bird.

Flapping up over Tobias as he passed under him, (oooo did I hit a soft spot, which one is it this time?)

(Bite me,) diving down and morphing his tiger his twin coming down and doing the same, the few second lead Tobias had on him was enough for him to slam his twin into a wall before it could do anything else.

(Lashing out in anger, that always works so well doesn't it, how man people have you killed that way now, a few hundred?)

Roaring in rage, his brought his paw down across the clones head, leaving long bloody trails along it. Something that didn't go unnoticed, the sound making both mice freeze, the noise touching something primal in both of them. They didn't stay that way for long, the real Zephyr darting forward and diving along the wall firing her weapons at her twin disarming her with three well placed shots and landing in a roll she hoped to her feet.

Glaring at her twin and shaking her paws, real pain running through the clone as the weapons were knocked away from her. Snapping her jaws she reached behind her back and pulled out a mouse sized missile launcher and fired it at the real Zephyr, the ghost mouse losing her weapons as she jumped to the side the impact from the blast carrying her into a wall and knocking her loopy for a few seconds, her extra leg landing under her.

Putting the weapon back behind her back the clone ran forward and pulled a sword in it's place, holding it in her extra leg, using the others to run in a more natural way. It only took a few moments to get over to her, dancing around the legs of the fighting cats, the tigers locked in mortal combat. As soon as she was over the other rodent she spun her sword, grabbing the hilt with all three hands and stabbing it down into her, the weapon not connecting as Zephyr jerked her additional leg out a glowing shield in her wrist and holding off the attack.

While rodents fought the cat's slashed at each other, blood freely flowing from their bodies, (so many people dead because of your actions, it's a wonder that you sleep at night, you really must be a monster to be able to live with it.)

Growling, a slightly limp in his right leg he wanted to attack but finally saw through the actions of his twin, (that's the name of the game isn't it,) moving around him. (You just want to stab at my heart, make me crazy and doubt myself, the way I've done for years.)

(OOOOOOOOOO he has a brain it there, I'm impressed, what you couldn't figure that out sooner, honestly could I make it any more obvious.)

(I'm past that, all that anger, all that guilt, it's in the past, I've made piece with it,) stepping lightly, keeping his eyes trained on the twin.

Snarling, (well that's total crap, we both know it gnaws at the back of your head all the time, always on your mind, you might tell the jail bait your past it but we both know your not. It's always back there, always making you wonder if you could've done something better, been better, been stronger,) jumping forward and lashing out with his claws, fangs flashing in the light.

The strike didn't hit as he jumped back, his tail swishing as he chose to be defensive rather than offensive, (that the best you got,) his anger subsiding, his mind focusing on the here and now. (Yeah I think about the past all the time, it's human, and it's true I wonder if I could've done something more, been better, I wish I could've been, but every move, every step has lead me to the here and now.)

(To being a coward hiding from a fight, and releasing a monster into the world,) looking up at the box. (Several actually everything you've done has made things worse, because of you Danny is stronger, less restrained in the use of his power, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Jazz is a less a person and now more a beast than anything else, you stole her humanity, Sam is now just as messed up, a hunter as bad as Valerie on the way to being a zealot. And then there's David a real monster, a twisted demon with more power than he ever did in life, you've doomed the world when you let him out.)

(That one isn't going to work,) maintaining his distance, (I might've helped to release Danny's potential, but he has the ability to keep it check, Sam will never be like Valerie, she has enough sense to know the difference between doing what is needed and straight vengeance. As for Jazz, I taught her everything I know, the good and the bad, she knows the touch of the wild and she's resisted, I have no worries that she'll always walk the line of human and animal and never falter.)

(And what about David?)

Baring his fangs, (I do regret him, but there was nothing to do for him, he was lost long before I met him, maybe if I'd known then what I know now I wouldn't have agreed to give him the power to morph. But he had it, and he abused it, I didn't know there was a after life like this, and even if I had I would do the same thing, he threatened my friends at the time, so I did what I had to.)

(And those in the present our paying the price for you short sighed stupidity,) jumping at him again, still missing as Tobias side stepped him and darted back.

(Which leaves David to me again, I'll find a way to stop him, to contain him and get ride of him once and for all, something's holding Visser Three and Pariah Dark, and from what I understand both are tougher than David, if that can be done, then something can hold this monster.)

(And you'll never find it.)

(Maybe so, it doesn't mean I won't look.)

(And you fail, you do at everything.)

(Maybe so, doesn't mean I'm going to stop, that's not who I am, not what I am.)

(The funny part you believe that, you've constructed a fantasy world around you, convinced yourself your not who you really are that your some great man when in reality you're a barely controlled monster on the prowl to kill and hurt. The only reason your on this side is because of an accident, your dad, the man who ran because he couldn't stand to be around you, just happened to be there and pick you. He gave a killer who hadn't presented the signs yet, worse than David the power to do anything and pointed him at a target to let all the psychosis at.)

(If you're trying to use my dad's memory against me, that's not going to work,) lowering his ears in a threat, (I don't listen to that, I didn't know but I trust Ax when he said he'd be proud of me. And as for me being a weapon, you are so off, I use to think that, but I'm past it, that's was never me, it may creep into my thoughts now and then but that's all it does, that's not me and it never was.)

Away from them the mice continued to dance of battle, sword continuing to meet shield, neither one making more progress at beating the other. Snarling Zephyr threw the shield at her twin, doing little more than distracting the mouse and pulled her own missile launcher and fired it at the copy, the shot missing as she dodged but managing to connect with Tobias back leg making him drop to the ground and howl in pain. While Zephyr wasn't happy with the outcome she couldn't help but enjoy that she might have found a short cut to the win.

(SON OF A…,) not finishing the thought as his twin jumped on top of him and knocked him over and bit down into his throat, tearing it open, blood freely flowing down his neck now, the world around him fading to blackness.

(Stupid bird with stupid beliefs, you're nothing and I'm going to prove it, you never were anything and after this no ones going to remember you but those you failed, those that will forever be trapped, those that will curse your name to the end of time all because of your stupidity and arrogance.

Laying back, the words seemingly coming from far away, the idea of morphing no longer in his grasp, mentally laughing, (but I'm you, your me, we're each other, you like killing yourself?)

(Yeah I do, I like the idea of you dieing at the hands of your own regrets your own darkness.)

(Except I didn't die by your hand, I died by hers) his head dropping to look at the mice, (I have things I wish I could do differently, I acknowledge that, but that doesn't mean I let it control me. If anything I need to thank you for helping me realize that, I'm not you anymore, regret doesn't rule me, I don't know who I am or who I'll be but I won't go back to being you again.) When he said in the clone started to shift and grow less tangible then seemed to flow into the other tiger, Tobias neck healing in the process.

Before he could get up Zephyr ran over to her shield and threw it at the clone again, the weapon knocking the guns from her hands, one flying up, the real ghost mouse jumping up and grabbing it in the air and spinning around laying down a stream of pink fire on the copy, the mouse shrieking in pain as she ran in pain before finally stopping as the real Zephyr fired another shot at her, punching a giant hole in her body and dropping her to the ground.

At that the image came to life again, "to know yourself is hard, for many it's an impossible journey that can never end, each step shaping a new you." Looking at Tobias, "you faced the darkness in you being, your fears, your wishes, your regrets, few can do so and still live, you saw through the challenge, to what was beyond, an impressive feet." Snapping his fingers the tiger vanishing, "but the test was to beat your opponent not acknowledge it and integrate it, to choose words over actions is a noble skill but not the one needed to win. The mouse ghost is victorious the sides are now tied, when you are ready you can continue," waving his hand a new passageway appearing, the others dropping from inside the chamber as it vanished.

When the others hit each in their own way turned their attention to Jazz, expecting the girl to go crazy over the loss of her friend. Moving calmly to the spot he'd been standing in before he vanished, kneeling down she ran her hand over the spot, letting the tiger blood coat her hand. After a moment she stood and looked at her brother, "we're going to win and I'm going to see him again, if you don't make that happen little brother, the last thing I'll do before they do whatever to us is rip your face off and eat it, got me?"

Visibly shook up, taking a step back from her, "right, on it, number one priority now."

"Good," walking over to the darkened hall.

"She took that better than I thought she would," Sam walking over to the half ghost.

Tucker nodded, "yeah I expected her to totally los…..," whatever he said the other didn't here as Jazz let loose with a stream of curses for several minutes at the top of her lungs.

"I didn't know my sister could say those kinds of things."

Sam looked over at him, inching towards him, "I'm not even sure what some of those mean."

"At least you've heard of them Sam, I wasn't sure they were words."

"She must get that from her fathers side of the family," a large grin on Vlad's face, it's obvious your mother could never say anything like that.

The Fright Knights fire dimmer slightly as he listened, "she has a warriors passion, but I'm not going near her till she calms down."

Sounding far away, "shut up lady I'm not done with you yet," David kicking lost in a dream, the sounds blending into it.

'_I'm not sure if I'm more afraid of her or him right now,' _pulling a card out then flipping it, a large arrow pointing down at David.

"I'd say our forced comrade is the more frightening right now."

'_Thought so too'_

After a few moments Jazz calmed down, her screams lowering to light whimpers as she took control of herself, trying not to let her emotions completely run away with her. "OK I'm going to go check on her now," Danny floating over to his sister, Sam and Tucker following him a few minutes later.

Meanwhile Zephyr had moved over to Vlad's arm and was getting a light pat on the head, "you did well my agent, my faith in you was better place than some others I could name." At that the Knight growled but didn't answer, preferring to listen and bid his time.

'_I live to serve master but I can't help but feel,' _flipping the card, _'that this wasn't fair, mine didn't talk to me,'_ cocking her head to the side.

"It was a calculated risk, but one I hoped would play out."

Not believing what he was hearing, "you anticipated that."

Looking back at the Knight, "not in so many words, but I had a feeling her lack of diction might be important at some point, and putting her against him seemed wise enough. The tests are more than likely going to get harder the higher up we go, better to hold the three of us in reserve for the bigger challenges."

"A dangerous gambit, especially when he wakes up," lugging David over his shoulder, "he won't be happy when he sees his rival missing."

"I don't care what he wants," not looking back, "I just keep him around to kill, nothing more."

'_Not the best idea sir, keep a wild dog on to short a leash and he will escape it at some point.'_

"I have that planned for little one," dropping her on the ground for questioning him, the ghost landing face first and bouncing on the stone, "now rest I may need you later, this day is far from over."

Inside the corridor Danny had his arm around his sisters shoulder, the redhead now calm and pushing the tears off her face, "I'm good now," pushing him away, "I just…"

"I know," not needing her to finish the thought and putting arm back around her, "we'll get him back, I promise, have some faith in me, in us."

Taking a deep, raged breath, she leaned into her brothers arms, "I'll be ok, I'm just worried about him."

"He's been in worse situations sis, I don't think this'll phase him for long."

"Worry less for you comrade," the black armored ghosts voice carrying through the hall, "worry more for yourself."

Turning to where she thought he was, "I don't need to take advice from you," pure venom in her voice.

"Your fathers been an ugly influence on you dear," Vlad floating high above her, "you use to be so cultured and refined, so much like your mother, or was it your mongrel boyfriend that gave you such ideas?"

It took all herself control to keep from ripping his through out his her own fingers, a streak of white shooting through her hair. "Let it go sis," Danny holding her down, "let him talk but put it out of your mind, focus on finishing this."

Shrugging him off again, her hands balling into fists for a few moments before finally going slack, "alright, but I want a piece of him Danny."

"Of course you do, every Fenton but our father wants his head on a plate."

Her hair returning to normal, "who said I even want the plate."

Leaning over to Sam, "the whole me having a crush on her thing, I think it's done, she's scaring me right now."

"I'm not sure she isn't scaring everyone Tuck," following them, the Fright Knight and David behind them, "so how are we getting to the next level, I haven't seen a staircase or an elevator anywhere?"

At her words a hole opened up in the ceiling, "had to open your big mouth didn't you," Tucker glaring at her as they were suddenly propelled up into the room, landing gently on the ground as the hole vanished from sight.

"That was like something out of a scifi movie," looking around making sure the others were all there, or at least the three she cared about.

"I'd say it was a little more like magic to me, science fiction would've been cooler."

"Get over yourself Tuck," looking over at her friend.

"GIVE US THE NEXT ONE," Jazz barked up at the ceiling, impatient to get Tobias back.


	20. The Third Artifact part2

**Authors note**

Fair warning this chapter delves into David's psyche, as you can guess it's a rather scary place and a little intense. I tried to keep things into the pg-13 range but I'm not use I pulled it off, in any case I know it's not R but all the same I wanted to warn you because it still seems a little to dark even by my standards

Additionally, I'm having a hard time getting things uploaded and for some reason Notepad's the only thing that will work, then I had to try and fix part of the styles (bold/Italics)in editing so I may have missed some things, sorry

* * *

**DP Style**

After a second the king reappeared above them, "knowledge and self are twin forces but they are far from alone, in battle one must have courage as well, choose those you feel are best suited, and speak to me then, I'll wait."

"This ones mine," Jazz moving forward.

Danny put a hand on her shoulder, "I don't think so sis, your not thinking straight right now, Sam or I will do this one."

"Danny she growled."

"Jazz. Your. Not. Doing. This. One."

For a second she considered hitting him but let his anger pass, "fine," the word so dark it made Danny's blood run cold.

"Rock, Paper, Scissor?" Sam offered.

Nodding a and putting his hand in a fist, "one, two," the pair pumping in time with the words, "shoot," both throwing rock. "One, two, shoot," the pair again throwing rock, "one, two, shoot," this time both ending up with paper.

"Figures they'd be in sync on this one too," Tucker sighed.

While the pair dueled, Vlad was looking over his team, the Knight stepping forward, "this one should be mine, of the three of us, I have the most experience in matters of courage."

Looking over at the ghost still unaware slung over the ghosts armored shoulder, "the options for this challenge are limited," looking over at the others, "and I want to maintain our lead as long as possible."

"Then I'll go," looking up at the floating image and dropping David on the ground.

"Not yet," his voice low and commanding, looking through the purple flames to the back of the ghosts helmet, "I want to see who they choose first and choose from there, our next move must be calculated and anticipated long before they make their moves."

Looking back at the half ghost, "very well," then down at David, "he's been out a long time hasn't he?"

"I don't really care, I want him out of the picture as long as possible."

"Shoot," both throwing rock, "one, two, shoot," both getting scissors.

"How long are you two going to do this," Tucker sitting on the ground, getting tired of them not making any progress.

"He's right odds evens?" Danny asked running his fingers through his hair.

"I got odd."

"All right, three two, one," throwing two fingers to Sam's one.

Pulling her gun and checking the power levels, "let's see how this goes," walking over to the ghostly image.

Vlad watched nodding his head, then looking over to Danny and Jazz, calculating the various moves till he was happy and figuring out who was the best match for who. "Alright, I'll deal with the girl, in case I don't win," not believing that was a possibility but saying it just in case, "when Jasmine fights sends David, I want you to deal with Daniel yourself."

"Are you sure," looking over at the younger half ghost.

"It's a calculated risk and these are match up for those remain, David will put the girl on edge, make her sloppy, I trust you to deal with Daniel, and my time with Samantha will throw him off, make him question his own moves, especially when I win. With them running and afraid we have the best chance of winning, even if one of us should lose the coming fights."

"Alright," bowing and moving away from him.

_'I hope the master knows what he's doing,'_ only showing the card to the Fright Knight.

Nodding, "as do I, but it is a good plan but it requires many unknowns to succeed, to many for my taste."

_'Sometimes you get the prey, sometimes the prey gets you.'_

"Indeed."

"I'll take the next test," Vlad moving over to the image.

"Crap," Danny hissed, expecting Vlad to hold back till the end, to let the others do all the work and only come in at the last minute.

The image came to life as the two stood before him, "to have courage in battle is easy, to be brave in the face of your own fear is hard, face yourself and you can move on."

"Isn't this is what the mouse and Tobias just did right?" the goth looking back at the others, or trying to, the six disappearing from her sight, only blackness where they had been. "Not funny," looking at Vlad only to find the halfa missing as well, "well this isn't creepy in the slightest."

Walking forward, more than a little cautious, holding her board tighter under her arm, "come out come out wherever you are," looking around, starting to move faster before breaking into a dead run, the darkness not changing then suddenly finding herself in the middle of a Casper High hall, "what the heck," looking around not sue what had just happened. Reaching for her gun she was in for a rude shock, her equipment gone, "oh you have got to be kidding me looking down."

Her shock didn't last long, in fact it was replaced by a new one as her dark clothing began to change, the cloth mutating into bright colors. Her form fitting suit suddenly becoming something else entirely, her tight boots became bright pink high heeled lace up sandals, white laces coming up to her knees, her pants disappearing leaving her legs bare. Her top mutated into a pink, white and purple dress, like something her mother might out her in but shorter and tighter. The skirt was beyond mini barely covering anything, the top was sleeveless and backless except for a strip around her neck that kept it up. On her wrists were several bracelets, twins forming around her ankles, jingling as she moved. Around her neck was a gold chocker, that felt nothing like her old black one. In her hair were pink and white ribbons and to her horror her hair was now honey blond. While she couldn't see it her lips were now bright pink, hot pink mascara on her eyes.

"Tazer me now," looking at her reflection in the trophy case glass, "I say kill me, but I'm afraid I'd look like this when I died. OK focus," slapping herself, this has to be part of the test, so lets find out where this is going," taking a step forward and falling flat on her face. "Right," looking down at the shoes, "first I'm getting rid of these interments torture," tearing them off and hurling them down the halls, "can't do anything if I can't even walk." By the time she got to her feet were incased in pink shoes again, but this time they were flats to her horror and thanks, "ok don't get a say in the matter, but at least I can walk in these."

Moving down the hall nothing seemed odd to her, everything being where it was the last time she was there, but still wondering what was going on and what kind of horror she might find down the halls. "Come on guys, I'm not getting younger here," finally spotting some one down the hall, "finally thank you," running up to them.

After a few steps she recognized him but wasn't sure she believed her eyes it was Paulina dressed in a black long sleeved midriff, black skirt, black lace up knee high boots, black fingerless gloves up to her elbows, silver skulls shinning here and there on her body. Her now black hair done up high on her head, hanging down in a loose ponytail. "Now I've seen everything," slowing her pace, beginning to put things together, she was basically Paulina and the girl was her now, where that left her she wasn't sure, but it was a start.

She only managed a few steps before Valerie showed up, or at least a version of the ghost hunter, like Paulina she was decked out in goth gear. Dark purple tank top, black leather pants, combat boots, purple fingerless gloves, and a black trench coat. "Figures she can wear that," the former goth sighed, the jacket similar to the one in her closet that the school and her family forbid her to wear thinking she was going to carry weapons in it. "If they only knew I already was," laughing a little in spite of the situation, trying to look on the bright side.

With every sep she took the situation seemed to grow stranger as the pair stared talking, due to the distance she couldn't hear them, but it didn't change that things were just getting weirder and weirder. Just before she got to them Danny showed up, compared to the others he was totally normal. Or was till he got near them, both girls dropping their conversation as he approached and made way for him to join them, both pulling him forward and kissing him on the lips in turn, a sight that broke Sam's heart.

After a second she shook it off, reminding herself that this wasn't real, couldn't be real and ran up to them, the girls growing defensive as she approached. "Need something princess," Paulina between Sam and Danny, for the first time Sam could see the tattoo on top of her hand, the same place she'd thought about getting one.

"Not here to talk to you two."

"Well no one here's ready to talk to you rich girl, so why don't you have fun with the cheerleaders or one of the football players I hear they love laying around with you," Val going cattyer than usual on Sam.

The no longer goth girl barely had enough control to keep from punching the other girl in the face, and if she was right about where she was hitting, through the wall as well. "Keep talking see where it gets you," pushing her aside, "Danny we need to talk."

"No Sam we don't," folding his arms, "I told you before it's not happening."

"What's not happening," more than a little lost.

"Don't play stupid, you never did it well, us, Sam it's not happening, so just stop it, I've held off on the restraining order due to our past friendship but that won't stop me forever."

Stepping back, "what did I get dropped into?"

Thinking he was talking to him, "I told you don't play stupid with me, you know full well what's going on, you got this weird idea in your head I loved you then you started turning into what I wanted, or at least what you thought I wanted. You don't get it Sam, I don't think of you like that, I never have, you were a friend, now your just an obsessive nut, I flat out don't feel that way about you." At that Paulina and Valerie moved to either side of him, the teen slipping his arms around both of them and pulled them in close to him. "Besides I have these two, they know what I want, and I've always wanted them," the trio sharing a three way hiss in front of the girl. After over a minute they broke it off and smiled evilly at the girl, "As you can see happy I'm more than happy, and truth be told even if I did feel something for you, other than pity that is, one girl just isn't enough for me anymore, I'm not even sure these two are enough." Looking over at Paulina, "you have any luck convincing Star to join us," the three walking away from her, the girls laying there heads on his shoulders.

After a few moments she turned to watch them leave, "I'm going to kill him, I know it's not him, I know he'd never do that to me, but I'm still going to kill him."

She didn't get more than three steps as someone grabbed her by the hand and turned her around, "how's my girl been, not play rough with those two skanks are you?"

"Oh boy," staring in the eyes of Dash, his other hand slipping around her waist and grabbing her butt, before she could do anything he pulled her forwards and kissed her hard on the lips, dipping her slightly, and the scariest part from her perspective was that she found herself enjoying it. When that thought hit her she screamed as loud as she could and fought against him forcing him away from her with all her strength, a great deal of power she'd worked so hard to give herself gone, erased from her body in this dream world where she was nothing more than a money flaunting heiress.

Vlad meanwhile was lost in his own nightmare, one far worse than Sam as he held Maddie is his arms, or what was left of her, everything from between her thighs up to her right shoulder completely gone, blood poring out of her. She'd died in her arms, his own hands having done the deed, and worst of all he had no one to blame but himself. They'd been walking along the beach hand in hand then from no where his power raged and tore her in half, this was the eighth time he'd been forced to experience it and each time hurt as much as the first.

Every time it had been his fault alone, the pair in the middle of a deep romantic moment, then out of no where his powers would lose control and he'd kill her in a brutal accident. One he'd dropped her from the sky, another time a shield had manifested inside her body and made her explode, and many times were like this, his strength simply going out of control and tearing the love of his life limb from limb without even realizing her was doing it.

"I'm so sorry Madelyn I didn't mean it," repeating the words over and over again, holding her close to the world around him shifted again and she was alive again. This time they were on his balcony, the redhead in a ball gown looking up into the night sky.

"It's a beautiful night dear," beckoning him closer with her eyes, "come and see this."

Involuntarily he walked over to her, unable to stop himself, "it's nothing compared to you," taking her head in one hand, the woman leaning into it.

"Flatterer," leaning in for a quick kiss, the kiss wasn't so quick as Vlad's ghost sense went off, sending the gas into the woman's lips, not stopping and forcing it's way into her lungs, for some reason neither could mover away. After a few moments Maddie stopped moving, her lungs overflowing with the gas then finally bursting inside her chest her body going limp in Vlad's arms while he once more cradled the woman's lifeless body.

"No," pulling her close to him, "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME," crying softly.

He didn't need to ask that, despite the pain of the vision he understood the meaning of what he was seeing, he'd dreamt of things like this for years, nightmares really, the visions never going away. He loved this woman but he fears what would happen if they were together, that his powers would somehow hurt her. He'd never had a physical relationship with anyone since getting his powers, not just because he was waiting for her, but because he was afraid of what his powers might do to a partner if he were to lose control of them in a moment of passion.

This was his greatest fear, more than anything else, he was terrified of this eventuality of this moment, it was why he'd willingly back off Maddie from time to time and why he had yet to kill Jack out right. He hated the man, but he kept Maddie occupied. When he died, and Vlad knew that was inevitable, Maddie would run to him and when that happened he wanted to be there for her in all ways, and that was something he wasn't sure he could do.

"Just get this over with," he snarled, the image around him changing again, Maddie swimming in the pool in a bikini.

"Coming in," leaning on the lip of the pool, her hair matted against her hair and smiling at him seductively, a free hand moving behind her back and playing with the knot of her top.

"In a moment," leaning down and kissing her, begging to fly and pulling her out of the water, spinning around as they embraced further, deepening the embrace. After a few moments feeling his power start to rage again, the energy leaping from his finger tips but this time rather than trying to stop it he simply released it into her, frying the woman in his arms, watching smoke rise from her corpse.

"No matter how much control I have this could always happen, and just as easily I could let it, this isn't something I can help or stop. My power is a double edged sword, it grants me all the power I currently hold but it robs me of what I really want as well. The best thing to do is to loose my powers, to simply be human, to be with Maddie as nothing more than a normal man. If I knew how, I'd do it, I'd stop being this bloody abomination and just be with the woman I love, but I don't know how to do that, and till I have power all I can have are my nightmares, at least they give me to her, even if they are fleeting and tragic, at least they're mine, and they let me be with her."

With those words the test ended Sam and Vlad both waking up, each still standing where they had been when all this started. "The courageous accept their fear and do not run from it, they acknowledge it and how it makes them and strong. You both saw what you fear the most, but only one of you accepted it as truth and moved past it, seeing both the positive and negative of it."

"Please say Sam, please say Sam, please say Sam," Danny chanted against the wall, for him only a few seconds having passed.

Bringing his hands together, "you have proved your courage Vladimir."

"CRAP," the other half ghost snarling.

If he heard Danny it didn't stop the image, "it is now two to one," snapping his fingers Sam disappearing, "next round could win it all, enter the portal when your ready," a passageway appearing on the other side of the room.

Tucker reached for his friend but never managed to touch him as his hands ignited and he punched the wall, making a large hole in it, the cracks running along it in all directions forming a spider web on the wall, the rumble brining the attention of everyone in the room to him. "I am so staying out of this one," the boy in glasses backing away from his friends.

"Don't be a sore loser Daniel," trying to sound, in truth more than a little afraid, I'd known Danny was growing stronger but he'd never thought he was progressing that far that fast.

"Now you know how I felt," looking at her brothers fire go out and watching the wall try and fix itself from the attack he'd inflicted.

Walking up to the other half ghost, "I don't know what you did," his eyes blazing green, "I don't care but I know you cheated and when I get her back I'm going to let her stab her sword through your throat and I just wish Tucker coule record it."

There were several things Vlad wanted to say to Danny but chose to remain silent as he moved away from Vlad to the next chamber his team on his heals, seeming all the smaller now and far less threatening. When he was gone he sighed, "I know how you feel little badger, I know what it's like to lose someone you love," ideas forming in his head how he could use this to his advantage in the future, the raw rage exhibited by Danny enough to ignite his imagination. "I may have to hold back on eliminating you Daniel, I might have another use for you depending on how things play out."

_'That must've been an easy test,'_ Zephyr running up to him,_ 'it didn't last very long.'_

"It lasted longer than you think rodent," following Danny not in the mood for her flattery, the images lingering in his mind, still feeling her blood on his hands and face.

Running up his body onto his shoulder, _'do you wish to speak of it master?'_

"No," the word holding enough weight to hold off all future conversation from the others, Danny and Jazz doing the same for their group. Tucker was actually thinking hanging back and going with Vlad, the Fenton siblings doing far more than scaring him as they stormed through the halls, raw carnage on their minds, ready to spring at the first thing that gave them an outlet.

He was grateful that it didn't last long, the floor on a step incline, a door appearing in front of them, and again they found themselves shooting towards it suddenly, yet seemingly without any kind of force. "You'd think they could just put in a moving sidewalk and be done with it, I'd be so much easer and less panic inducing."

The two Fenton's spoke in unison, "SHUT UP TUCKER."

Doing a little locking motion on his lips he saluted and moved against the wall, well away from them, Zephyr running up next to him when Vlad's team arrived, the smell coming off them enough to let her know the safest place to be was where they wouldn't attack, and that was him.

Above them the ghost king reformed, "you have each lost someone in this fight, and many are hurting, but when things seem the darkest that is when hope must come. Chose the best from those that remain and we will see who is worthy to move on."

The sibling looked at each other, both putting their hands up in a fist, neither really wanting to go, at this point both afraid of losing and neither trusting the other to pull out a victory. Tobias and Sam had two they'd sworn would win as soon at they entered, with them gone they weren't sure of anything. "Speaking as one, "one two, shoot," Jazz throwing paper her brother rock.

"Best two out of three," he growled at her.

"Not a chance," walking up, "this ones mine end of discussion, you can have the last one."

"No pressure or anything," then under his breath, "assuming there is a next one."

Looking up at the image, "I'm going," folding her arms and looking up.

"Wake him up," the blue skinned half ghost looking at the passed out David.

Looking from his passenger to the girl, are you sure that's wise, this could be the last round, it would be best it I took it and simply ended it here and now."

"Wake him up, his presence alone will be enough to distract her from whatever the challenge is."

Looking up at the floating image, or more exactly through him to the ceiling the knight drew the Soul Shredder and cut across the ghost arm, a blast of lighting shooting at him, the bolt missing as he dove to the side, David bouncing on the ground, waking up equal parts from the impact and the cut from the sword. "WHO'S THE WISE GUY," David jumping up, his body flaring up to his lion form, his words mixed with a primal roar.

"That would be me," the halfa now backing down from him, "now get over there, by the girl and sand say your ready to go to that creature," pointing up to King Gadron's image.

"You really think I'm going to do anything you say after you trapped me in here," snapping his jaws at the man, a growl mixed into his words.

Not letting it phase him, "if you want to leave that's the way out," pointing at Jazz.

Looking from the girl, licking his lips in the process, then over to the others, "where's the bird I wanted to gloat about what I was about to do to his girl."

"Win and I'll tell you, now get over there."

"This might be fun after all," stalking over to her, lunging and biting at her with a small roar when was close enough trying to making her jump.

"You don't want to do that right now," her hair going white, a streak of purple running down it as she began to morph quickly into combat mode, "you really don't"

"Hope springs eternal, but not all hope is the same, victory will not come from power, or realization but simply being."

Growling and looking back at Vlad, "what kind of bull sh…..," his words stopping as he collapsed to the ground his fire going out. Next to Jazz did the same, but where David hit the ground with his full force the redhead was caught but her brother and lowered gently to the ground.

"Good luck sis," stroking her hair, anger and rage gone as the prospect of losing his sister hit him in the gut.

Inside her head Jazz looked around, screams of pain emanating from those attached to the walls, "this I could get to like." On the walls was every person she'd fought thus far and even a few normal teens and celebrities she hated, each chained up, long gashes running along their bodies. Walking over to a wall that held David, Vlad and Skulker, all screaming in pain, trying to get off, jerking their bodies this way and that. "I bet that hurts," looking at them and smiling.

"YOU STUPID BIT…," David not finishing his thoughts as she punched him in the face.

Waving a finger at him, "remember who your talking to," walking away from him, liking the idea of them all chained unable to hurt her or anyone else. She walked through the hall for several minutes, there seeming to be no end to the dungeon, people just hanging there and screaming, the more she walked the less comfortable in the surrounding she felt.

"This is wrong," looking around, "this can't be what I want, what I hope for, I'm not like this, I'm not, I'M NOT LIKE THIS!" yelling at the top of her lungs, the world shattering around her, falling away like the shards of mirror till nothing but darkness remained.

"But you are like that," her voice told her, seemingly coming from everywhere.

Looking around, "who's there," not sure what to do.

"I'm here," a bird appearing in front of her.

"What the," looking at the bird recognizing it, "your me, or something close to it."

"I know," the bird her hobby form, speaking from her beak in Jasmine's voice.

"So am I," making her turn around her german shepherd standing there.

"Ditto," a giraffe on her right this continued as everyone of her forms appeared around her, her komodo dragon on her left, the spider she now knew as a wolf spider above her with her gorilla, below her was her brother also speaking in her voice, and an arctic fox, a form she'd acquired the day before for the cold weather environment, thinking it a nice compliment for Tobias large polar bear.

"What's going on here," looking at all the animals with her voice.

Weaver flew up to her, "you called us, you were in distress so we came."

"So you want to explain what that was all about, that couldn't be what I wanted."

"It was," the fox flying up, "you wanted revenge, to cause pain to all that had caused you pain, it's normal, of course that was taken to the extremes."

Stepping back or trying to in the nothingness, "no I'm not like that."

The gorilla touched her arms, "yes dear you are, you know humans have a dark side, everything does, that was what you want now, more than anything else, to hurt them and get Tobias back, right now that's all you hope for, all you want."

"But he wasn't there."

"Bingo," the version of her that looked like her brother flying up, "you didn't want him, even a version of him to see that nightmare side of you, so he, so none of them were there."

The spider moving to her, "hope is everything, but not all hopes are inclusive, some things are kept away from others, you hope for your enemy to be gone but not for anyone you love to have to see it, or be a party to the deed."

"Then where are they?"

The dragon snapped it's jaws the shifting from darkness to a forest, her clothing shifting from her morphing clothing to a pair of shorts and a light blue tank top. "How did you do that," looking around.

"This is your head, you make the rules.," the green beast grinning as best it could.

"And what are all of you exactly, if I'm seeing my hopes how do you fit in."

Sally speaking up, "we're what you hope for at night, to be completely in touch with the wilds sides of your being, to be one with your inner animals."

"And him," looking at her brothers body.

"I'm part of you too, and I'm something you hope you never become."

"Oh thank you, I thought I had a real complex there for a few seconds," the additional hers fading away, "what wait, don't go."

The sitting on Sally's back, "you don't need us right now, don't worry if you do we'll be around, now go explore the better sides of your hopes."

Looking around as they vanished completely, "after what I just say I'm not sure I want to know what those might be," walking forward, barefoot through the soft grass under her feet, the sun streaming in through the trees warming her body, feeling far more at piece here than she had in the other rooms despite her fear of what she might find.

Where Jazz was nervous David was reveling in his hopes, like Jazz had been originally he was in a dungeon, and like her had Vlad chained to the wall but that was where the similarities ended. Along with Vlad was Danny, Tobias, Jake, Marco, Ax, the Fright Knight, the Vultures, and many he'd known for years and hated for any number of different reasons, each with body parts missing, blood running down al their bodies, the liquid never ending it's flow from their bodies. Each one had his own unique punishment, buzz saws, whips, flame thrower, nails, and thousands of others attacking their bodies, rotating in and out, hitting different body parts in an endless cycle, but their faces were left free to watch David on the wall opposite them.

Where the men in his life were being beaten and tortured to no end, the women had a very different fate in his hopes. Both a teen and adult Cassie, Sam, Jazz, Maddie a still human Rachel as well as her ghostly counterpart and dozens of other women he'd known in one capacity or another, many of which were celebrities. They had different looks, different demeanors but one thing was the same for all, each had a large dog collar around their necks, complete with rings to attack leashes to. Aside from that they were dressed in many different types of clothing, normal cloth, torn and ripped shirts, skirts, shirts, leather, PVC, chain mail. The ranges in their looks ranged from everything to school girls to slaves to prostitutes and a dozen others sometimes combination of the choices.

All these girls hung around David in a large bed, in some cases literally, be suspended from the ceiling and walls by various methods. Some where just there to pleases him like Sam and Cassie, others he beat mercilessly with various interments like knives, shovels, whips, cattle prods, those named Jazz and Rachel got this treatment. Others were just chained like Maddie and many other women.

He'd been there for what seemed like years, reveling in his perversions, beating the girls into submission time and again, killing those that had dared to defy him, the recipients always healing for him to do all over again. He'd killed Tobias over a thousand ways, some times with his own two hands cutting him apart with a knife, others times tear him apart with his claws, other times making Jazz or Rachel literally eat him alive. Some times he just sat back and forced the bird to watch the two girls speed days pleasuring him, making him watch everything knowing it made him insane.

He'd done the same to the other's, making each watch as he beat and abused those they loved, forcing them to kill them, in any number of reasons. For him it was the ultimate life, he had everything he wanted, he could do anything he wished and no one dared to defy him.

"This is the life," leaning back into some woman who's name he didn't know and didn't care about, Rachel laying across his stomach trying not to scream, her body littered with bloody tic tac toe boards David stabbing into her with a knife playing game after game with the adult Cassie, the being forced to use a rusty burning hot fire place poker, tears streaming down the other girls face as well. No matter how many times he made them do something like this it was as though it was the first time, and he loved it all the more knowing no matter what he did they'd always scream the same, that they'd never grow accustomed to it, never stop begging him to let them go, never stop trying to fight him only to inevitably accept him as their undisputed god till he was done and they healed then they'd go right back to trying to stop him, going back to being all high ad mighty so he could start all over again.

"I win again," stabbing the blade into Rachel and scribbling out the game making the blond shriek and jump, being held down by two women in black leather hoods.

"WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" the blond snarled, not totally blind, her eyes ripped out by David.

Cutting himself a new game board, her screams a song to him, her curses making him feel warm inside as he looked at Cassie, "make the first move," his look one of a predator looking at prey about to die by his hands.

Trying to hold back tears, "all right," stabbing her friend in the high right corner, doing her best to hold back the tears not wanting to give him the satisfaction.

While David's nightmare hope raged uncontrollably Jazz continued to explore her new realm, the world far more gentle than her pervious location. The trees kept the sun off her directly most of the time, keeping the temperature at what she thought was prefect, a little breeze picking up even now and then and tossing her hair about. The grass tickled her uncovered feet, the terrain never to ruff for her, letting her move freely around the forest, for now the idea of morphing in the back of her mind. After what felt like over ah hour in the peaceful surroundings the sound of rustling branches behind her caught her attention and made her turn in time for something to jump on her and drove her to the ground.

Her first reaction was to morph, to strike and crush whatever might've attacked her, the though pushed back as she picked up the sound of laughter. It wasn't the dark, brooding laughter of someone trying to hurt her though, it was soft and gentle and a little above and behind her. "They tagged you too huh?"

The voice made her do a double take on everything around her, the thing on top of her looked like a large cat without a tail and large feet, giving her what she could only assume was a looked mixed with shock and joy. Above her now leaning over her, slightly worried about her was her brother, sorta, he was in his ghost mode, but older by several years, his white hair cut down short, his suit largely the same.

"You ok sis?"

"No I'm not alright my son killed me again," looking up at the cat and rubbing him behind the ears, "mind getting off mommy Jacob?" The words felt natural in her mouth, like she'd always said them, even if she wasn't sure why.

"Sore loser," speaking with his mouth and sticking his tongue out at her and ran back into the woods.

Pulling herself up, letting him get a good distance away before welling, "keep talking like that and you'll be eating eggplant and liver tartar for the next week."

Backing up in mach horror, "low blow sis, you wouldn't make my nephew do that would you?"

"You have your ways of parenting and I have mine," giving him a sly grin, "beside you know what it's like disciplining kids with powers, they don't listen to anyone unless you have some sort of control over them."

"Still that's disgusting," nodding his head, the pair starting to walk back.

"Which is why it works," looking herself over quickly now looking a few years older herself, but more importantly, at least to her, was the addition of a wedding ring, seeming both strange and totally normal at the same time. "They get anyone else?"

"I think mom's running around, Al tagged Sam a while back, not sure where dad it, then there my psycho brother in law," getting him a slap on the shoulder from her.

"Would you stop calling him that."

"No, he eats mice, as long as I known him he's eaten mice, he's nuts, I love him but he is a total fruit loop and I don't care how you justify it."

Glaring at him, "you talk to dead people."

Throwing his arms up, "well we already know I'm crazy what's your point."

Shrugging, "I don't know, I had one and now I don't."

"Wow with answers like that how do you not get asked for refunds all the time," getting him another slap to the arm.

"I run a respectable practice, more than I can say for you mister ghost hunter."

"Ghost hunter slash private investigator, and remember your husbands lumped in with me so don't take the high road on me."

Opening and closing her hand, "blah blah blah," walking away from him and into a clearing.

"And all these years and you two still can't get along," and older Sam in a black and dark blue sundress reclining on a table, soaking up the sun, black glasses on her face.

"Then tell you husband to grow up," walking over to her.

Lifting the sunglasses, "I'd love to, but you have to say the same to yours."

"Saying's not a problem, getting him to listen is another matter."

"YES," the words making her spin, her father, all his hair save a streak down the middle now white, his orange jumpsuit done, replaces by him camping attire, having lost none of his weight over the years, "finally I'm not the first you out."

Sam leaned over, "you tell yours to go easy on him?"

Smiling innocently, "who me, what about you?"

"Of course I did."

"Ah man," a new younger voice joining the as a boy with black hair floated out of the tree line, a girl nearly identical following him, both dressed in silver long sleeve shirts, black pants and black shoes.

"Oh someone got the twins," Jazz feeling shocked as they held their heads in shame, "Al, Emily who got you Grandma or your uncle?"

"Uncle Tobias," the two speaking as one, "he has to be cheating, humans are not that good, he has to be using his powers."

Several yards away Jacob walked out, "then explain why I'm here," the boy in his human form about five, a year years older than the twins.

"Grandma?" Danny watching his nephew.

"No one that old should be that good."

"Watch it young man," his mother warned as he walked up, "your walking a thin line."

"She's still to good."

"And that's why I love her," Jack puffing himself up.

"Three left," Sam looking at the woods, "any one want to place a bet?"

"Your really starting to sound like Tuck sweetheart," Danny leaning in and kissing his wife, "and that's really creepy," Al sticking a finger down his throat at his parents display, his sister giggling.

Jazz looking over at the woods, "how is he doing anyway I haven't gotten a call from him in a few weeks."

"Hip deep in a new software company."

"New what happened to his old one?"

"Sold it, made a small fortune, invested part of it in us, traveled around the world, got back, got bored so he started up a new one."

"What'd Val say about all that," a little afraid she'd left him.

Shrugging, "she was ticked, but she went along with him, he hasn't driven their partnership into the ground yet and I think that's all she cares about."

"So she's co owner of the new company?"

"Of course, he's a wiz with machines but horrible with finance, thankfully she picks that up for him, other wise he'd be in the poor house three times over."

Reaching behind her and grabbing a soda, "he find a girlfriend yet?"

"Several," grabbing a drink himself, "every time I talk to him he has a new one."

"I meant a serious one, one that isn't in it for the money."

"Not that I know of, honestly I think they'd be better off if they just forgot about the 'we're not dating each over' stuff and just did it, I see the chemistry every time I see them together, but no they just can't admit it to themselves."

Nudging him, "that doesn't sound familiar or anything does it."

"Not at all," nudging her back.

"Well I beat out part of you," Maddie walking out of the woods, despite her years she looked largely the same, only a few more wrinkles showing her age, "so those two are the only ones left."

"Yep," Danny nodding at his mom.

"Figures it would come down to those two," she sighed looking back from where'd she come.

"She takes after her grandmother, and he has way to much of his dad in him," a smiling on Jazz's lips.

"Going to be an ugly fight alright," her brother tapping his sisters can with his.

"Not really," an older Tobias walking out, dressed in a shirt and shorts, like Jazz he was barefoot, "the sky dancer bit me on the butt."

Patting him on the back, her blond hair blowing in the breeze as she followed him out, "face it dad you taught me to well."

Pulling her up to him and kissing her on top of her head, "obviously not well enough, you still don't understand humility."

"No it took, I just don't like it," running away from him, the girl two months from being seven, and nearly the spitting image of her mother at that age with the exception of the hair which she'd gotten from her father, along with his attitude.

"When it gets you in trouble don't run to me," walking over to Jazz and kissing her in the lips gently and whispering, "I heard her coming, I just let her take it, another year maybe two and she'll be beating me for real." Laughing lightly and pulling him in closer while she deepened the kiss as it turn passionate and hot, behind them the four kids making various kissing noses and disgusting gestures.

Maddie walked up behind them, not making a sound, and touched them all on the shoulders making the four jump, "why don't you help grandma get dinner ready and leave those two be."

"Yes grandma Ma-Ma," speaking as one and following her away from the others.

"I love your mother," he got out between kisses, trying to breath through his wife's assault.

"You just love her giving us time for this," pulling him into her lips again.

Danny and Sam started moving away from them, "I know they're married, I know they have kids, I know they love each other but that still creeps me out."

Leaning into him, their fingers intertwining, "it doesn't creep you out when we do it," kissing him deeply as well.

All to soon the reality intersected on both, their worlds vanishing as they woke up, David with a huff and a primal snarl, Jazz with a whimper as he looked up into her brothers eyes, a tear running down her face as she realized once more what she had seen wasn't real.

"You ok sis," Danny asked her head in his lap.

Burying her face in his lap, "I have no idea."

"SEND ME BACK," David roared, his flame flaring around him, the licks jumping off him uncontrollable, "I WANT TO BE BACK THERE NOW!"

"The hopes and dreams are a mirror to the being of the people they come from," looking down at David and Jazz, "the good and the bad exist together, part of the same thing, each needing the other. In one the balance is set, questioned, unsure of but there, dark potential mix with an abundance of light and potential for what may be. The other has no real balance, both sides becoming seamlessly intertwined, dark and light mixed as one, unable to discern either, just lashing out."

"QUITE THE MUMBO JUMBO I WANT TO GO BACK!"

"It is that desire that makes this decision easy," snapping his fingers David disappearing from the room. "Good or bad it does now matter, it is the nature of hope to inspire, to lift one up when they need it, he no longer has hope for anything, a creature with a single desire that is motivated by nothing but anger and rage, unable to see where it will lead him."

"Then what about me," pulling away from her brother looking up at the image.

"You have hope, unending hope for what may be, even if he were not as he was it is doubtful he would've passed to the next chamber."

"I guess that's good," Danny helping her up.

"When you are ready," waving his hand once more a door appearing, "you know what to do."

Pulling Jazz over to Tucker, "so are you really ok?"

"I don't know," trying to fight back the tears, "I saw things, things I don't understand, things I'm not sure I want to understand."

"That bad?"

"Part of it, I didn't know I could think those things, another part was a little disturbing, and the rest," hugging herself, "we have to get them back, I don't know if that was a potential, from my mind, or the future but we have to get them back so I can know."

"What are you talking about sis?"

"I saw my children, I think, I'm not sure."

"You have kids," Tucker stepping back, "why am I always the last to know."

Exhaling loudly, "what might be mine, mine and Tobias, they were so beautiful."

Pushing his sister back, "ok don't need to hear about this."

"I wonder if he's that good a kisser in real life."

Walking away, "I'm going to going to the next room to shoot myself."

"I also saw what yours and Sam's kids will look like," the words making Danny freeze, a jolt running up his spine.

"I didn't hear that," jumping up and flying away form her as fast as he could move.

"You saw his kids," Tucker moving back over, the older girl growing happier, the memories lifting her spirit, inspiring her visibly for anyone that cared to look.

"Twins, quite but kinda creepy," waving her hand.

"You see my future?"

Deciding to have a little fun with it, "you were on the run from the mob, something about testifying against them, you had to join the witness relocation program, had a full makeover, I think Danny said you were going by Tiffany now." Without letting him say anything she walked away from him, the boys jaw open, more than a little shook up.

"He lost to her," Vlad growling as the redhead walked away, "and no you can't say it," holding a hand up at the Fright Knight.

Folding his arms, Zephyr now sitting on his shoulder, grateful to have someone lighter on him, "I won't dream of it."

'I would but I can't talk,' only showing the Knight the card making him laugh lightly and patted her on the head, enjoying the rodent more than most of the others in Vlad's employ.

Looking at his Knight, "it all rests on you now, don't fail me."

"I don't intend to," looking at the others vanishing into the darkness, "I've waited for a chance to test my skills against him again."

"Then live up to the chance, I don't want to be stuck here for the rest of eternity," despite the confidence he exuded Vlad was more than a little scared of what the outcome might be, recognizing the very real possibility he might lose here.

Taking a deep breath the half ghost moved forward, the other two following him, the Knight deep in thought about the next test, and his next move. If he lost, his fate was unknown, and after everything that had happened he wasn't sure how the five would react to having their fates in their hands. If nothing else the chance to get rid of David and Vlad had to high on their minds, looking forward the white haired boy, knowing he would most likely have little reservation about sealing himself away as well. Then there was what would happen in he won, aside from moving on to the weapon, he couldn't be sure what Vlad would want done with them.

All these thoughts swirled in his mind as he walked up a seemingly endless staircase till a doorway appeared high above them, unlike the others times they were able to ascend to the top naturally, at they're own pace rather than being flung to it as the world changed around them. The room like the others was simple, a high ceiling and smooth stone walls, the ghost kings image appearing after a few moments and looking down at them.

"The challengers are already known, four challengers have now passed, knowledge, self, courage, and hope, the hallmarks of a leader and warrior. From each of these something has been proven, something gained, leading to a single truth, a single ideal, look to those that have passed and failed, and tell me what that is."

"Aw man I was hoping for a dream challenge like my Jazz," Danny moaned walking over to her, "ok what did you lean?"

"Understanding comes from within," snapping his fingers the others once more loosing the ability to communicate with the challengers.

"Of course, this can't easy by any means," dropping down on his butt and looking at them, trying to figure out what the test was looking for.

The black clad warrior tapped his sword on the ground impatiently, he's had more than a few ideas what the challenge might be, something like this among them, but he'd wished for one that included battle. "Four tests, four disciplines, four victors, four vanquished," speaking more to himself than Danny, his eyes closing, the fire dropping around his head, unsure if there was something more than what he was seeing to the question.

Whispering to himself Danny looked at each one, trying to figure out anything that would help, his sister had gone from utter rage to a quiet serenity after her experience, but at the same time was poised for a fight. Tucker had been nervous to begin with, and now seemed more at ease, not only with the situation, but with the others, more confident. The mouse he couldn't begin to figure out, he didn't know her well enough to see any kind of difference in her actions. Then there was Vlad, the half become far more quiet after the fight, seemingly deep in thought after his experience even if he wasn't sure what he'd seen.

The Knight however was looking at it from the perspective of those that had lost, a difficult maneuver since he'd only seen two of the four tests. The Vulture had been quick, not thinking his answer through, looking for the quick answer rather than the right one. Tobias he wasn't as sure about, given how he moved, it was obvious his other self had been speaking to him with his mind, his loss coming from his lack of awareness in his surroundings. The others he could only guess at, the girl more than likely not facing her fears and David becoming to enraptured by them to want to leave. Try as he might he couldn't understand the idea that David was absent of hope, or perhaps the images definition of hope was different from his own.

"So what does all this mean," the half ghost laying down on the ground and looking up at the image, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders. Of course there was a good reason for that, whatever he said would decided the fates of his friends lives, if he failed, they're lives might be forfeit. Looking over at the Knight he wondered what the black armored ghost was thinking, what his answer was, the older ghosts body not telling him anything, he just stood there seemingly ready to speak at a moments notice, at least to Danny.

Seeing this he knew it was pointless, beating this guy wasn't a possibility, he was older, more experienced, more aware, more everything, he'd been up against things like this and a thousand times worse more times than he could conceive. For him to win would be pure, raw luck and he believed that with his very being, "good thing we all run on luck anyway."

When he said it it drew the Fright Knights attention unsure what his opponent was babbling about, but the light in his eyes made the older ghost nervous, he'd seen that look on many others in his life time and it usually meant he was up against someone who didn't care about the future. People like that were dangerous, people that were bereft of hope did insane things, simply because they lacked hope. "A lack of hope," thinking back to David, the beginnings of an idea forming in his mind.

Danny heard it and the gears in his head started turning, he wasn't sure if the Knight wasn't trying to psych him out but it gave him something hope for. "Courage, hope, self, knowledge," speaking the words aloud hoping that would somehow help him unravel the knot in front of him. "Courage to move past your own fears, hope that….," stopping suddenly and looking up, pieces falling together, thinking back to what he knew of this guy assuming he was who Danny thought him to be. The book and Dracus had painted similar pictures of him, and could what he wanted really be so simple.

The Fright Kinght growled quietly to himself and looked over at Danny, the half ghost knowing something, his eyes shifting, his eyes growing softer, losing the edge that came from not having a future. "This can't be good," gripping the hilt of his sword.

"I'm ready," Danny floating up to look the image in the eyes, or as best he could given how big the mystical creation was. "Courage is easy, anyone can be brave in the face of others, to look into yourself and see the fear within is never easy. But in that darkness you have to have hope that you'll make it out, that what you see can be over come, and you can become more. To do that you have to know yourself, to see those darkest parts and know they're part of you, they can't be escaped but they can be controlled and focused into other areas, they can make you stronger. But all that does nothing without knowledge, of the world, of those around you, and of yourself."

"Is that your answer?"

"Not all of it, Alone each is important, but it's when they are put together that the key truth is revealed, is understood."

"And that is?"

"Each piece is part of the whole, together they make a human, or any sentience creature for that matter, complete, it lets them know who they are, what they can do, or at least give then an idea. If gives them something they can aspire to pass or fall short of meeting depending on who they're up against. It lets them know who they are, and what they can be, granted that not essential to life, but it helps especially if you plan of heading off to war or want to lead someone into battle. That is why we're here isn't it, to gain the power that you held, a power that made you a king, or at the least kept you in power for so long. Wisdom, power, they're important, they allow us to live and help guide us, but it's the threat of violence that keeps the demons at bay. What we're here to do is prove that to you that we're worthy of that power or at the least worthy enough to be able to leave and continue to live."

"An interesting interpretation but…"

"I wasn't done," Danny hissed, "this is power for war, but it's not what we're here for, and that's not what they mean. Those four ideas are important to war, but they're even more important to peace, to have power is easy but you have to know how you'll handle it, and have those around you that can do so as well. Knowledge, self, courage and hope these four help you when you need to know when not to use force, how to avoid war and preserve peace. The point of power is to maintain peace for everyone, whether you think those involved deserve it or not, it's used as a deterrent for actual fighting to preserve life as best we can."

The knight listened to everything Danny said with a mix of aww and confusion, he understood the words, these were things he'd tried to inspire into others. These were idea he himself could never use, he was a warrior, that was his lot in existence, to not fight was unthinkable for him. The importance to power, for many, was to not use it in most cases and he could understand where the half ghost had to such conclusion but it was something he would never have said.

"He is right," looking at Danny, "the four let you know yourself, how you will react and how you will function when such events occur. This leads to a single truth, to understand yourself is all that matters, to know how you'll handle a situation regardless of what it is and to strive to beat down whatever challenges come to you."

"Oh come on," Danny snapped looking at the ghost with the purple fire, "your just going to leech off what I said and then make it shorter!"

"I only make things complicated when I want to embarrass my opponents, I respect you and what your trying to do so I will save you that humiliation."

His eyes lighting up, "thanks a lot," his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You have your code and I have mine."

"Interesting answers both of you," the image looking down at them, "different aspects of the same idea and in their own ways both right. But in the end only one is right, you over though half ghost, trying to see to deeply and apply the situation around you to that answer in that regard you were wrong," Danny heart sunk when he said it, "but he is right, the four at a stepping stone to measure yourself against, it's not to beat anyone else but yourself."

"YES," Danny jumping up and doing little flips in the sky and pumping his arms in the air.

"WWHHHHHHHOOOOOOAAAAAAAA," Jazz dropping to her knees.

"NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT," Danny flying down and grabbing Tucker and spinning his friend around in the sky.

"DANNY I'M GOING TO BE SICK IF YOU DON'T STOP THAT," afraid if his friend just dropped him he'd fall to the ground below an splatter on the stone.

"YOU LOST TO HIM, HE'S NOT EVEN OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL," the older half ghosts eyes and hands blazing red.

The Fright Knight didn't bother looking at his employer, "such is the nature of conflict, no one ever knows what will happen and it is better to look at defeat with dignity than anger."

"That is the biggest load I've ever heard," he snapped moving on the ghost, not making it very far as the six shot up through the sky without control till they stopped in the floor, the other four waiting for them. Sam and Tobias were free and looking around, David and the vulture on the other hand where held to the wall with ghostly gold energy, Vlad, the Fright Knight and Zephyr soon flying up under the towers control and adhering to the wall as well.

"BIRDIE," Jazz running over to the redtail and hugging him as best she could in his smaller bird form.

Enjoying the closeness, even the hawk for some reason liking her touching him in that moment, (I'm going to go out on a limb and guess you won."

"You're here, I'm here, I'd say that's a big yes."

Danny on the other hand didn't say anything he just dropped Tucker a foot from the ground and picked Sam up in his stead and flew her up hugging the goth tightly to him, the dark haired girl returning the action as pulled him close. "I thought I'd never see you again."

Leaning into the hug, "nice to know you have that much faith in the others," despite the words there was a gentleness to her words that threw Danny off.

"You ok Sam?" trying not to let the concern creep into it.

Leaning her head onto his shoulder, "you like me the way I am right."

The words freaked him out slightly, making his body go rigged under her till he figured out it probably had something to do with the test. Keeping his voice warm, enjoying the feel of her even if it was weird, "of course I do, I wouldn't want you to change."

"And if I do, would you still like me," that one catching him off guard.

"Sam," leaning into her, "I don't care who you are, I don't care what you are or what you become you know how I feel about you and that's never going to change." Putting his hand under her chin he moved her head so he could look he in the eyes, "nothing will ever change that," leaning in.

"WELL FINALLY," Tucker yelled watching them, causing them to pull away from each other suddenly, Sam dropping the few feet to the ground, both their faces were bright red and showed no signs of growing lighter in the near future, neither willing to make eye contact with each other.

The ghost king appeared before them a few moments later, "I congratulate you, you have proven your skill and passed my challenges, even those that had failed can learn from there defeats, the question now become what do you wish done with those that failed?"

(Likes giving us a lot of time doesn't he.)

Kissing him on the top of the head, "quiet birdie," looking over to the captured five, "your call what to do guys, I don't really care," forcing the idea of the nightmare prison from her mind, wanting a better wat of dealing with them.

Focusing his thoughts to the image, (this has to be all or nothing right, we can't just leave one here right?)

"Their fate must be as one," nodding at the bird, "use that accordingly."

(This is probably a bad idea but I'm throwing it out, let's leave them here, I know the others don't deserve it but if it keeps David out of our hairs I'm all up for it.)

Sam looked over at the ghost in question when Danny out her down, the warmth in her body fading when she saw him. "I'm all for that, but he's also right they don't deserve it."

"What about a situation that's out of our hands, having him not let the others go till he thinks each is ready, that way they're not our problem for a while but can still go free at some point."

"That's my sister the smart one of the group."

"That is not an option," the image informing them, "the decision must be made now and the results must be done now as well."

"Don't you love when people make things up as they go along?"

"Yes I do Tuck, but you going to yell at him?"

Looking up, "good point Danny, so anyone else think we should let them go?"

The idea struck them all by surprise but Danny was the first to talk, "why would we want to let them go, Vlad makes our lives miserable, the Knights not much better, And I don't want David within a thousand miles of any creature period."

"But it's not exactly right to lock them up, that's something they'd do, where better than them, besides they have the psycho on a short leash and they know they can't beat us so with any luck they'll keep they're distance. We're better than them, lets prove it by not sinking to they're level."

(I prefer mindless violence.)

"We know you do," running his fingers down his feathers, "but Tucker is right, we're better than them, I want that monster locked away but this isn't the way."

(I know,) looking up at her and sighing mentally, (I know what has to be done but it doesn't mean I like it. I let him loose on the world once, I did that myself, without consulting anyone else. If this is something you want to do so be it, I know it's the right thing to do but that doesn't mean I have to like it in any way shape or form.)

"No arguments from any of us," Sam doing her best to keep her voice neutral, "but they're right, we're us not them, we don't do things unless we're back ed into a wall, as much as I want them to rot here we can't do it."

"My one chance to make a big chunk of my problems go away and you guy won't let me do, this bites."

"Yes it does little brother, and we're not guys."

"I thought I was," looking himself over.

(I am when I want to be,) fluffing himself up.

"This is ridiculous," rolling his eyes, "fine," looking up at the image, "let them go but do it some place where they can't come after us for a few days, maybe a few weeks," flashing Vlad a smile and giving him a small wave, "have fun wherever you end up."

"Done," snapping his finger the five falling to the ground but not disappearing from the tower.

Danny did a double take, "ok what just happened?"

The elder halfa brushed himself off, "oh come now Daniel did you really think I wouldn't be ready for this eventuality? The hallmark of a good chess player is to have planed three moves ahead with contingence plans for every eventuality." Pulling a leather bag out of his cape, the container spinning on a leather string from his finger, "once activated it makes me immune and invisible from any mystical source."

Danny's eyes lit up with green energy, Sam pulled her gun and tossed her board, the machine unfolding in the air, Jazz morphed her gorilla and Tobias his Hork-Bajir, Tucker moving back from them, using the four as a wall. "Stupid question time why not use it sooner?"

"To put it simply, it's a, matter of timing and positioning and that's all you need to know," his hands glowing red, while the Fright Knight pulled his sword, David ignited in purple-black energy forming into his lion form, Zephyr reached behind her back and pulled her guns, the Vulture flying up ready for the fight to begin.

"Great I really needed this right now," the fire running up his arms and spiraling.

(I don't know I'm up for this right now, I need to let out some rage,) snapping his alien beak and cracking his knuckles.

(Keep it in check birdie, we need you clear headed.)

(Since when are you lecturing me?)

(I'm just saying,) putting more weight on her arms as she changed her stance.

Tucker looked around to the ghosts, "you do know I'm a little defenseless here right," keeping his voice low, hoping only the other four could hear him.

Tossing her gun behind her head, the boy fumbling it, the black and red metal bouncing from hand to hand before finally grabbing on to it. "Everything's set on it, just pull the trigger, and be careful you don't shot yourself with it."

"Right," turning it over in his hand, the slightly different configuration feeling odd in his grip, the weapon meant for a slightly smaller hand, "thanks."

"Not like I don't have others," her hand snaking down to her hips and her other weapons. The exchange only took a few seconds, many occurring simultaneously, their eyes not deviating from the others, ready in case they came at them.

"I have watched each of you," the image of the ghost king began, not caring for the exchange below him, "each of you is different, but yet each fundamentally the same. You each have a violent streak in you and questionable judgment, but these come with youth but your beliefs are in the right place. You understand the nature of power, and how it should and should not be used, I cannot be sure of the people you will become but I trust together you will keep each other in check and ensure the power I now bestow on you is not abused. I wish you luck with this object, and I warn you now, be careful with it, it is a weapon of war and if used carelessly it will destroy you as well as your enemies."

Tucker sighed and pushed his glasses up, "well you always want to hear things like that," taking a deep breath he tried to stay calm, knowing what would soon come.

"Not the time Tuck," the green energy around Danny continuing to spiral up around his arms, watching Vlad more than anyone else, knowing the first strike would come from the elder halfa.

The image waved his hand to the right, and a corner that none remembered being dark lit up as if illuminated by an overhead light none could see. With the light a large pyramid like stair case appeared, as the top sat a platform, a slim silver broad sword, it's ghost glow apparent to the others even from the distance they were at. "Behold the Triged Bhaner, the Fang of the Void, the Lightning Blade."

"At last," Vlad's eyes lighting up with ghostly energy.

Tobias tail twitched slightly, like Danny he'd been in more than enough fights to know where this was going, but unlike Danny he was a tiny bit calmer, ready for the rush and the insanity of a life and death struggle. (Pick a dance partner folks and keep them away from the sword, it's not a shock but I want David and I'm guessing Danny wants Vlad.)

(I'll take the mouse if Sam wants the Knight,) the goth humming a quick agreement to the morphed girl, (looks like you have the bird Tucker.)

Trying to sound brave but casual, "better and better," squeezing the grip of the gun again, his palms slick with sweat, the fight seeming just a little bigger than him right now.

After the sword appeared the image before them all vanished, but neither side moved to try and get it, both knowing the others would be on them after a few seconds, and then everything would devolve. Vlad was calculating every move in his head, trying to discern how best to move his pieces, the Knight was doing like wise but saw the coming fight in broader strokes and less individual moves, anticipating how each fighter would acts. Danny was thinking less about the five before and more about the four around him, he knew what they'd do and it worried him, wishing they stop being brave and run to safety. Tobias just waited, looking for that moment to strike, the instant that everything feel into place that only came from instinct cultivated from years of hunting.

For many it seemed like an eternity, it truth it was only a few seconds, David's fury throwing them all for a loop as he dove at the others, his body blazing into his lion form. "You took my paradise now I'm taking your skull skan…," his threat not finished as Danny flew between them, catching the cat in the nose as he threw a right hook, the green ecto energy jumping off his fist and sending the cat to the side and away from his sister.

"Lay off the big sister you," not finishing the thought as the vulture tried to grab Danny's head in his talons, missing as Sam meet his beak with the bottom of her hover board. That was in turn answered as Zephyr pulled two of her pistols and a rocket launcher from her back and fired at Tucker the boy diving behind Jazz as the artillery fire barely missed him. She remained a shield for only a moment as she ran into the middle of the fight, heading right for Vlad. The half ghost simply hovered up away from the morphed girl as the white gorilla jumped under him.

While all this was gong on Tobias has wheeled off after David after Danny hit him, ready to sink his claws into the ghost. Anger and hate mixed with concern and loyalty, the world fading away as his world simply became the ghost in front of him, a costly mistake as the Fight Knight plowed into him, driving the alien body against the wall, the only thing that stopped their momentum. "I thought you were smarter than to let your anger cloud your awareness," the armored ghost pulling away from Tobias and lifting him up by the neck and slamming him into the ground, making small cracks in it, that like the wall were healing.

(So I made a mistake, it happens,) his tail shooting out and stabbing the ghost in the neck, hitting the weak unarmored point between the helmet and breast plate. Or so he thought, on a human it would've sliced through the soft skin, the ghost had no such problem, however the ferocity of the strike combined with the close quarters and utter shock the Knight felt at being attacked was enough to knock him back off the bird-alien. When the ghost staggered back Tobias through about tearing into him with his blades but held back, the momentary loss of control as the raptors instincts surged had died down, his human mind in control. (Sam,) keeping his thought tight, not looking at the ghost hunter, (can you spare a second I'm not armed for this?)

"ONLY IF YOU GET THE MOUSE OF ME," zooming over head on her hover board, clawing at her head as Zephyr ran over her body, not staying long enough to do damage, but preventing Sam from doing any in return.

Shifting his eyes without moving his head, the choice was obvious as ran the Fright Knight, the ghost more than a little taken aback that is chosen foe would abandon his friend in favor of a battle. For others it wouldn't have been a shock, but he though he understood the workings of the boys mind better. That momentary surprise was what Tobias was counting on as jumped, his legs meant for climbing and jumping through strange alien trees more than up to the task, his foot impacting the top of the helmet surrounded in purple flame, burning the bottom slightly, but enough to give him additional height and the proper angle to land on Sam's board as she flew over head.

(Somebody call for a rat catcher,) shooting his head forward, his arms wrapping around Sam for balance, keeping his blades away from her. The bird like beak hit home, snagging the mouse off Sam and tossing Zephyr back down Tobias throat.

With the female mouse gone, Sam felt better, though the blades around her replaced that fear after a second. "Thanks Tobias, not use to things that small coming after me."

He made a sound between a growl and cough that she guessed was the closest thing the Hork-Bajir body had to a laugh, (no sweat I specialize in this kind of removal.) His bravado did last long as Zephyr phased out of his long serpent like neck into space, becoming solid on the way down and firing her weapons, impacting his back. With a mental groan he added, (of course ghost rodents are a little harder than normal than their living counter parts,) jumping down after her.

"Then how about a little help to even things out," pulling a small capsule out of her belt and tossing it at the bird and hitting him in the back. A cloud of light green smoke encasing him before he hit the ground, the ghost repellant adding a layer of invisible armor to him letting him tear into the ghosts as easily as if they were flesh and blood.

(Here mousy mousy,) charging after the ghost rodent, not making it more than three steps as the Fright Knight slashed his right side with his sword, cutting deeply into the body, his strength throwing Tobias into the wall. The only thing that kept the strike from being fatal was that he heard the Knight coming and turning into the strike and jumping back, most of the impact forcing him back rather than cutting into him.

Keeping his distance, "good, not that's what I hoped you'd be doing," the Knight determined to keep Tobias focused on him alone.

Sam snarled having seen the whole thing and pulled her saber, the blade forming from orange ecto energy, "time to return the favor." Diving down to the Knight she was intercepted as David tackled her in his eagle form, knocking her off her hover board and crushing her to the ground, pinning her with his weight.

"I wanted the bird or the redhead, but you'll do," a black flame tongue slipping out of his beak and tried to lick her face, only to stop and jerk his head back and scream in pain, the other end out her saber having ignited and stabbed through his left shoulder.

"Got news for ya, not all girls are helpless and we don't all surrender," laying a knee into his groin, even in his flame form he felt the pain from the strike, "you want a fight, you got it." With his reared back she punched him across the face with her other hand knocking him off her, her suit having had a thin lay of the repellant applied to it several weeks ago after they'd refined it so she could go hand to hand with the ghosts incase her weapons were out of reach.

"You little slu…," finishing the though as she round kicked him across the face and knocked him to the ground, her weapon spinning in her hand, whatever fear she'd had of him disappearing as she looked at him laying on the ground, looking up at her with hate and shock in his eyes.

Across the room the vulture was no longer a treat to Danny, having been knocked away from him as Danny threw and erratic punch to get the green feathers away from him and let him see again. The bird was now diving and darting away from the shots Tucker leveled at him, the blasts of red energy, never quite hitting the bird, equal parts Tuckers aim and the configuration Sam had put the weapon on. Just the same it was keeping them both busy, and helping Danny as he went after Vlad, the half ghosts involved in a fight to keep the other from the Lighting Blade.

A red energy shield blocked Danny's green energy blast, "your powers increasing, but not enough to make this a fight you can win," a second Vlad spoke from behind Danny watching the fight with some amusement as Danny released a simultaneous blast at the pair, both being absorbed by energy shields.

"I don't have to win I just have to make sure you lose," bring his hands to his chest, energy orbs growing in each hand and throwing them out at the Vlads a moment later, the orbs impacting the shields and exploding in arcs of green slime, splashing over the shields and partially into the faces of the other ghost.

One Vlad shook his hand flicking slime across the room, "was that really necessary Daniel," running his hand through his hair attempting to remove it only to discover his hand soon became stuck to the black locks.

A grin on his face, "to see that yeah."

"Idiot," the other Vlad going intangible the green slime falling through from him.

"As I've been told use what you got," blasting forward through the sky, green energy launching him from his feet and punching the half ghost in the face, the green energy spiraling around his arms casting an eerie light on the blue skin of the other halfa.

Vlad only fell back a few feet, not from surprise but from the hit, a mix of the energy and the speed of the hit. Rubbing his chin and pushing it from side to side, "Daniel maybe I was wrong about you, there is a degree of improvement in you but not enough," two more Vlad's jumping out of him and flying at Danny, ready to bring him to the ground.

Clapping his hands together he pulled them apart, a ball of green energy forming between them. Lifting them over his head it orb started to glow and pulsate, the light growing brighter quickly and flashing on and off in a strobe and blinding the two attacking clones, the one he'd just hit, Tucker, David and Jazz. "So what were you saying about not having enough in me," diving down and kicking one clone in the face then spring boarding into the other and punching him in the neck then bouncing off again and slipping into a spinning heel kick and laying it across the nose of the other Vlad before jumping back and shooting the final blue skinned man in the chest, knocking him into the wall, his hand tearing out a large chunk of his hair as he fell.

The Vlad he'd hit in the nose stopped his fall and brought his hand to the impact sight seeing if it were broken, glad to see it wasn't then glared up at Danny as best he could, his vision still fuzzy from the bright light, little dots moving in front of his eyes. "Enough of this," snapping his fingers the clones trying to fly to him, but doing so on a shaky course, unable to do so with their damaged eyesight. As they entered him he used them to heal himself, his vision quickly returning, "well it appears I've been underestimating you little badger, I knew you'd gotten stronger, but I wasn't aware it was going this quickly. Well then as they say, the gloves are now off," his own hands lighting up with red energy and flying at him, ready to drive Danny through the wall, thoughts of the sword now pushed to the side.

Down below Jazz was blinking and trying to rub her eyes with her larger fingers, the gorilla body not meant to do things like that. That was made all the harder as Zephyr attacked her, climbing up her body and stabbing her in the back of the neck with a pair of rodent sized swords, the blades just missing her spine. (Get off me you micro assassin,) grabbing at her like Sam had, but her fingers were two big to properly grip the small mouse, letting her easily slip through without having to rely on her powers.

Growing frustrated by the small attacker Jazz snarled, the purpleback's anger starting to become her own and slammed her back against the wall, knowing she could drive the blades deep into her body but also knowing it might be enough to get the rodent off her and into a position she could be dealt with. Three quick hits and it became clear to Jazz this wasn't going to work, still feeling the small feet rustling her fur, (I'm beginning to understand the women hate mice stereotype.)

Blinking his eyes Tucker's vision was closer to normal, the vulture now diving much closer to him, making it easier to aim at the bird, even hitting him once in the foot by accident. "Figures the one times everything's working is the one time I don't get to stay in my baby," running and shooting wildly trying to hit the fast moving bird.

"Bah you think you have trouble I'm the one missing my shows, I'm to old to be doing this kinda stuff," diving under a shot, the boy's weapon just to slow to hit him, easily diving around the shot. Moving in fast, he opened the talons on his good foot and tried to bite down into the boys head, missing as he ducked down, but the ghost bird managed to snag the hat off his head as he flew up, flicking the clothing away and going back after the boy in glasses.

"Hey that was my favorite beret," firing up at the bird, again the shots missing at he easily dipped and dodged out of the way, his speed surpassing what Tucker could do with the small gun.

Sam moved left, David's claws just missing her as the girl ducked, her whip snaking out around his leg and being pulled out from under him as she stood up, the flaming bird landing hard on his back. With a flick the coil retracted back into the grip, "having fun down there?" She knew it was dangerous mocking him, that if she pushed him to far he'd grow more perilous, but she also knew if he could keep him mentally off balance, more so than he already was, she had a better chance of beating him.

"WOULD YOU SHUT UP," slashing at her again, missing at she darted back and watched him embed his claws into the stone floor.

"Wow all that strength, all that power, and you can't even take one little girl, why it is Tobias considered you a threat," moving back again as he kicked at her, attempting to crush her head in his talons. "So close, a few more like that and you might actually scratch me," smiling at him, both out of enjoyment of the moment and as an attempt to enrage him.

Flaring his wings he let out a scream and lunged at her going high, his wing wrapping around him at the apex of his jump, encasing him in a cocoon that vanish as he dropped out of the black fire in his thinner snake form, his longer arms lashing out at her. Her former speed was useless now, his rattlesnake-human form far faster than she was. His longer neck let him strike out at her, just missing as she darted back avoiding his poisonous fangs but not avoiding the arms as one wrapped around her leg and jerked her up and hung her upside down and pulled her over to him so he could look her in the eyes. "Well that's better, right where you belong," his other arm shooting out and wrapping around her, squeezing her tightly to keep her from pulling her weapons and enjoying the feeling of her body pressing against his own.

"Bite me," struggling in his grasp, feeling it becoming hard to breath.

"Not yet but soon little girl."

"In your dreams," her voice now smaller, fainter, her breathing the only thing keeping her from becoming more dangerous.

Looking around, "more like in yours, they aint going to help you little girl, it's just you and me and what I can think of, and believe me I can think of a lot right now." Pulling her closer he licked her face with his forked tongue, enjoying the smell-taste of her that the snake form provided, only to get bit by the goth girls teeth as he got to close to her mouth. Snapping his head back, his tail rattling in anger, "not smart."

"Don't care," the last of her air used in the remark as his coils tightened around her.

Tobias could feel his tail coil and shift, ready to strike at a moments notice, light glinting off his claws and blades. After pushing off the Knight he'd stayed just out of reach, the ghost not making a move to make up the distance between them. (I'm enjoying this,) speaking only to the ghost, (of course this would be better with out the others.)

"I agree," keeping his voice low, but power remaining in it, "while I enjoy the sounds of battle, some confrontations are best left private."

(Couldn't agree more, so what do you say we end this now, take those that came with us and go and you and I pick this up later, maybe when I'm dead,) snapping his beak at the ghost.

Laughing lightly, enjoying the boys sense of humor, "you know I don't have the ability to do that and this is something I don't want to wait on."

(Figures you couldn't be reasonable about this,) lunging forward, slashing it him with a wrist blade, the strike missing as it was blocked by the knights sword, the blade cutting right through the natural weapon. Anticipating the move he struck with his tail, driving it into his leg, or trying to, the ghosts free hand catching the blade before it made contact.

His laughter growing darker, "I've watched you, I knew what you'll do, you've already lost this confrontation."

(So your what some freaky stalker,) kicking at the ghost, with his dinosaur like foot, the blow blocked by his knee.

"I suppose that's the modern word for it, but it lack the fineness of what I'm really doing."

(What your really doing,) a little taken aback when he said it, (ok your scaring me,) trying to drive his knee blade into the gut of the Knight.

Again the strike missed as he blocked the strike with the Soul Shredder, "I'm the spirit of Halloween it's my job to scare you," the purple fire around his head leaping up.

"IF ANYONE HAS ANY IDEAS HERE I'D LOVE TO HEAR THEM," Tucker yelled out to the others just missing the ghost bird hitting him and firing wildly at the bird, missing him as he looped and dodged, something Tucker was use to.

"GOT NOTHING HERE," Danny bouncing off a wall being hurtled there by Vlad's ectoblast, "WISH I DID!"

"That's also going to be your final wish little badger," palm thrusting Daniel, and releasing a large wave of ectoplasm at the younger halfa, embedding him in the wall a good foot.

"Ooww," it was all Danny could think to say as he slowly began to fall away from the hole only to be hit again by the blue skinned man and forced deeper into the wall as he released a wave of energy at Danny, the green energy around his hands die away from the trama. Again and again Vlad did so, forcing Danny deeper and deeper into the crevice they were making, quickly being thrust back several yards through the stone, how none of them knew, the walls not seeming that think from the outside and they had yet to reach ice.

"This is what you get for daring to think you were my equal Daniel, never forget, just who your DEALING WITH!" A final punch and Danny was flung outside, the stone and ice giving way and hurtling him into the green vortex of the Ghost Zone.

The biting cold of the swirling vortex bright Danny back around after a moment in it, he still felt beaten but a second wind was running over him. "Ok I can work with this," looking around and glad to be out of the tower, "or not," watching the hole beginning to heal itself. "Figures this can't be easy," flying back to the hole and blasting his way in, making it larger as he went, trying to slow the healing process down enough for the others to get out.

(Out of the way bro,) his sister barreling towards him, already thinking what he had, Zephyr on her back still attacking her, (time to bright this fight into the snow.)

Going intangible as the gorilla went through him, "never getting use to that," shivering as he got a glimpse of her internal organs but kept going forward. As he enlarged the hole, he caught a glimpse of white metal held in place by the stone, "well it's nice to know where that is now." Going intangible again he dove into the Eclipse, the interior a mix of ghost stone and alien metal. Running his hand along the consul he was a little shocked that he could touch the metal instead of just phasing through it, "ok, I really wish there was just a big rule book for this place."

Sitting down at the controls he fired up the engines on the ship, the instruments on the panels lighting up, "alright, time to see what's tougher," pushing the ship forward. It shook for a few moments, but other than that didn't move an inch, glaring at the controls and PDA for a moment understanding dawned on him and he slapped himself in the forehead, "there are easier ways." Tapping on the PDA he activated the ghost shield, the indicator lights coming on and the area around the ship's exterior charging as the shield activating it and pushing the ghost stone away and shooting forward into the main chamber, the ship still full of stone, "of course this would be harder,"

"And now it is mi…WHAT IS THAT!" Vlad staring at the Eclipse a few feet from getting the Lightning Blade. Moving the ship forward and hovering it over Vlad Danny flipped off the ghost shield, that energy being the only thing keeping the ghost material inside the ship, the stone crashing down on the half ghost.

"NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT," pounding on the consul in excitement, the feeling not lasting long as Vlad phased up through the stone, his eyes and hands glowing red and looking right at Danny.

"That might very well have been your last mistake little badger," his voice deathly clam as released the largest blast of ecto energy Danny had ever seen the ghost fire. Inside the ship Danny flipped on the ghost shield saving the ship from the energy but not the force of the hit hurtling the ship against the stone wall, embedding it there.

Inside the ship Danny shook his head a little rattled but still ready to keep moving, "ok that sucked, but I'm still alive." Maneuvering the ship away from the wall and tapping on the comm link, "Tuck I'm bring it down, I want you to take it, your better with it that I am," not waiting to hear anything from his friend as he landed the ship, grabbed the PDA and his glove from the back, dropped the shield and phased through it the wall.

"MY BABY," Tucker running to the ship, firing a few more shots back but not really caring about what was happen catching the PDA as Danny dropped it to him from over head while her tossed Sam's gun. With a few quick taps the door to the ship opened up and shut behind him, the shield sealing it away from the ghosts running around him. "Alright bird brain you can deal with one gun," tapping on the PDA, weapons pods popping out of the ship, "lets see how you do against half a dozen," powering the ship forwards releasing arcs of green lighting at the bird, the ghost shooting towards the hole.

"I'M TO OLD FOR THIS CRAP," the ghost flying through the hole Tucker hot on his heals, the ghost shield making the hole ever larger, keeping their exit open for the other six still inside the tower proving ground.

"Well that makes one of us," laughing almost hysterically as he shot at the ghost, glad to be back in his element, the ship feeling right compared to being out there, weak, helpless and a little lost.

Danny's attention was divided by Vlad and Sam, still held in David's grasp, growling he tossed the gun to his other hand, the glove casting a purple glow with the gun highlighted the area in red. However he didn't get a shot off, a surge of adrenalin hit Sam as she hovered between consciousness, raw determination keeping her alive. Squeezing her hand around her weapon an orange line shot out in each direction cutting through the ghost.

"YOU F…," not getting the rest out as she hit the ground, her weapon in staff mode, a snarl belonging more to an monster than a person escaping her lips as she upper cut the ghost, swinging her body around and turning in a heal kick, the spin ending as she faced him again and slashing up with her staff hitting him from the groin up to the chin that sent him up into the air and bouncing on the ground. Before he hit she dropped to her knees and coughed, trying to regain her breath, sucking the ghostly equivalent to air deeply into her lings, the eyes regaining focus and her ability to think coming back, primal survival instinct dieing down as her rational mind came back.

"Catch," tossing her the gun, the black metal sliding over to her feet, the dark haired girl to interested in breathing to care about the gun. Danny meanwhile went after Vlad who was within feet of the sword, focusing his energy into his feet he rocketed forward tackling Vlad and forcing him right over the blade, neither touching it and forcing Vlad into the wall, "how do you like tasting rock?"

"I'm growing tired of this Daniel," the blue skinned man growled, his eyes growing brighter.

Laughing, "then go home, I won't stop you, but the sword stays here."

"Your not in a position to tell me what to do," turning around in Danny's grasp and elbowing Danny in the spine knocking him lose and down.

"In case you hadn't noticed yet, I don't care what you think," regaining his balance in the sky and firing a blast of green energy from both hands, the blasts missing as it was deflected by the half ghosts shields.

Collapsing his shield, "you should Daniel, I'm smarter, more experienced, in every measurable way I'm better than you."

"Do you ever get tired of listening to yourself talk," jolting forward and upper cutting him, his hand surrounded by green energy, sending the half ghost back, the energy jumping everywhere.

On the ground Sam staggered back to her feet, feeling stronger by the second, as far as she could tell no major damage having occurred to her body. Reaching back she put her gun back into her holster, glad to have the weapon back in her position. "Alright you sack of crap, lets get this over with, I'm hot, I'm tired and I just want to go to sleep."

David just snarled shifting back into his lion form and jumping at Sam, the goth leaning back, nearly hitting the ground as the ghost shot over her and missed her completely. Sam hopped back up and ran from the ghost, needing more room to maneuver and wanting to get David away from the sword in case he got the idea that he wanted it for himself. Darting to the hole she grabbed her whip and lashed it up, snagging a stone as it healed in the hole and pulled herself up and away from them, looking back quickly, her mind totally clear, "right should probably have taken that," flipping down, just missing David as he shot over her.

"HOLD STILL," snarling at her and jumping down, trying to land on her as she darted away form him and jumped on her board.

Doing a quick spin of the thin vehicle, interments coming back online, "sorry little absent minded right now," gunning the engines and shooting forward and over him, "come on pussy cat, or don't you like that name," laughing as he roared and jumped after her. Before she jumped to the ice and snow she felt the chill in the air and pulled her mask over her head, the suit wasn't treated for fighting in this environment but she hoped a little more cover would help in the long run.

"Folks are leaving the party right and left," Danny hovering back away from Vlad, "you want to join them?"

"Why do you insist in asking stupid questions," beams of energy firing out from Vlads eyes.

Dodging away from them, "because they're easy for one thing, and for another," dropping down as Vlad lashed out with a red cord of ecto energy materializing in his hand. Even with Danny's movement it wasn't enough, the coil finding its mark, and wrapping around Danny's wrist.

"Lets see how you think about this," sending a charge of energy out along the cord into Danny making him jump and jerk in the air.

Shaking his head, letting the pain run through him, "nice, try this," grabbing the cord, "ghost stinger," the red cord becoming green as he charged it with his own energy and double backed on the ectoplasmic cord of Vlad's creation. The speed and shock was enough the stun the ghost in white, Danny using the cord as a leash and pulling Vlad out of the tower as fast as he could without using any of his energy to give him a boost.

As they vanished from sight Tobias listened, determining he and the Fright Knight were now alone in the chamber, but for how long he couldn't be sure. (Well you wanted to do this without a crowd, looks like you got your wish.)

"You say that as is it's not what you wanted as well, they can no longer be hurt by us," positioning himself between the morphed boy and the door way.

(No they can just be hurt by each other and I don't want that either,) trying not to antagonize the ghost a part of him believing he could be reasoned with, having seen a degree of reluctance on his part when it came to Vlad's plans.

Humming to himself, "a good leader cares for those under his command, but he must also know when to let them fend for themselves and have faith in their skills."

(Two problems with that assessment, one I'm not their leader and two I'm their friends, of course I worry about them.)

"Your also young, you don't understand what you are to them yet, and that those under you can still be comrades."

(Uh-hu, while this is an interesting conversation, I don't suppose your just going to leave me be so I can check on them?)

"Your free to do as you wish, but if you do so, I will get the sword, and we both know you don't want that."

(Well then lets just get this over with then,) darting in, ignoring the pain radiating from his side and round kicking at the ghost, a black armored hand catching the strike with his free hand. Continuing the momentum of the catch he shifted his grip on his sword, turning it around, and slashed it his stomach, the wound deep but not enough to make his organs fall out. Shifting his stance and letting go of the leg he kicked Tobias driving the alien back, the morphed boy trying to hold the wound shut, (I am really getting tired of seeing my own blood.)

"I wouldn't know about that, I haven't had that problem in a long time,"

(Well trust me on this is gets annoying really quickly.)

Outside the Ghost Zones never ending blizzard continued to rage, the sounds of battle now adding to the snarl of the wind. Slamming her back on the ground Jazz tried to bury Zephyr in the snow and ice, hoping where strength and force hadn't worked, the elements would. The ghost ice bite into her, chilling her to the core as easily as ice in the real world, making her body numb quickly, the gorilla simply not designed to move in those temperatures and more than it was meant to hold a mouse.

On her back Zephyr was feeling the cold as much as Jazz, but her grip on the girls back and her blades was helping her, the warmth coming off her keeping her focused, that however didn't stop her teeth from chattering. Clawing at her back with her free hand and her feet she tried to force back the cold and the stiffness in her joints, feeling her back going numb quickly, the fast movement of the terrain due to the gorillas speed keeping her from moving. For a brief moment she felt her vision shift to black, her ability to focus slipping away and in the moment she let go, hitting the ground without a sound, Jazz not noticing from several moments due to the numbness in her body.

That knowledge came when she turned on her back and saw the green rodent laying on the snow, highlighting by the white around her. (Oh thank you,) rolling over to her feet, her teeth chattering and feeling the ice chill her to the bone and ran over to a chunk of ice, and hiding behind it, getting out of sight of everyone else who was fighting not wanting to give them a target.

Before she could get there however a rocket embedded into the ice cliff, a note attacked to it, _'where do you think your going big girl?'_ Jazz didn't have to look back to know Zephyr was now on her tail, ready to renew the fight.

(Who would've thought a mouse, even a ghost mouse would be out classing one of the more powerful apes on Earth?) Darting in behind the ice, al she could do was wait and hope things turned around for her.

Zephyr meanwhile stayed as close to Jazz as she could, her shorter legs making it hard to keep up with her, the ice still effecting her, but movement was fighting back part of the chill. Reaching behind her back with each hand in turn pulling out a small pistol, a glove with twin claws and a large gauntlet that glowed dark blue. She reached the ice cliff a few moments after the white and purple furred ape disappeared, but where she expected to find the girl she found nothing. Looking around she turned from her eyes to her others senses, her ears and nose coming alive, seeking out any trace of the girl, the scents around her growing strange, she understood ape and human scents, but the other smells, they were alien to her, yet just on the verge of familiarity. She didn't have to follow the aroma, she heard it before that happened and jumped back while turning, slashing with glove and gauntlet at what she intended to be a human leg, missing and being proven wrong in one move.

(Lets try this again with a different species,) her ears and lips pulled back, the white fox moving on the mouse, a trail of light green smoke trailing from her body, (one built for you and this world.)

In the sky above them Sam was trying to stay just out of David's way, using her gun to keep him at bay while she released blasts of scattered energy, while they weren't enough stop him, it was clear they were hurting him. "The more you run the more time I have to think of what I want to do to you," clawing at her with his finger talons.

"The more I move the less the chances are of you getting to me," killing the hover boards momentum and dropping out of the sky, David flying over head, a flash of black-purple ectoplasm just missing her, the beam arcing out from his hand. As she dropped her hands flew over the controls and altered the settings and fired upwards catching him dead in the chest and knocking him up.

For a moment David lost his ability to fly and plummeted to the ground, something that didn't last long as he regained his senses with a spread of his wings and a call to the abyss that made Sam cringe. In many ways it was like the call Tobias made when he was excited or happy, or just caught up in the moment, but on David it sounded like pure death, that was the only way she could think of it, pure death. "Your going to regret that you skank," thrusting his arms out releasing towers of fire at her, intending to burn her alive.

"Hey," darting forward, propelled by the boards engines, pulling her saber, "I'm a goth not a skank get your clichés right," swiping at him, wanting to carve him up like a turkey, missing as he shifted his wings and easily flew over the strike.

"It doesn't matter what you call yourself your all the same and your only good for one thing," diving at her, flaring his wings to get n close and avoid her saber, even as she tried to maneuver away from him on her hover board. With a quick motion he found her neck with one hand, the other hands grabbed in succession by his free hand and a foot, her balance on her board now lost. Flapping his wings using a combination of the power they held, his ghost flight and the boards engines he slammed her into the frozen tower, "so or later you all have to learn your place is at my feet begging me…," his voice trailing off as a strong breeze blew against him.

"Need help Sam?" Tucker's voice ringing through the girls headset as the Eclipse flew next to the pair, it's weapons trained on the ghost.

The momentary shock was all Sam needed, the boys attention divided between her as Tucker, even with her arms pinned her feet were still free. Throwing her legs and with them her board free she pulled them back under her so the engines rested at an angle near her back and powered them to full, melting the ice on her back and shooting her forward. A quick shift in her stance and she began spinning in small circles, David coming with her, neither actually moving away from the ice, the bird ghost's head, beak, back, wings, tail and his legs continually slamming into the frozen wall for six revolutions before shooting away from it and throwing him away from her and to the ground with a crash that shattered the ice where he hit.

"So I guess you didn't need me," a slight nervous laugh in his voice having been more than a little afraid for his friends safety.

A slight shiver, both from the cold and his touch shot through her but she pushed it aside, "lets just say you made it a lot easier for me and leave it at that Tuck." Looking around the fight, not sure what was going on at the moment, "how are the others?"

Tapping on his PDA and bring up a 3D map of the area, "I think Jazz has the rat problem under wraps, Danny's holding down Vlad but could use some help and Tobias," tapping a few more buttons, for the first time realizing he couldn't find the bird or the Fright Knight, "I don't know where he is."

Shaking her head, and looking to where they'd come out of, the hole now healed, "if he doesn't come out of there they're be no living with Jazz."

"Ghost Zone, living, I don't know if that's a pun but if it is it's a bad one," spinning the ship around to aim it at Danny.

"Save the commentary till it's over," powering her board forward, going for Danny, "so where's the bird," shooting ahead of her friend on her more maneuverable board.

"Don't know he disappeared on me, one less threats all I care about."

"Can't argue with that logic," looking back, "I'll help Danny, try and keep David out of the picture, if nothing else warn us when he gets up."

"On it," tapping the controls, "I'm also going to be scanning the area, I wouldn't put it past Vlad to have something else around here."

"Good call Tuck, but I hope your wrong."

"So do I," moving the ship higher up and away from the fight.

Pouring on more speed Sam caught sight of the Danny and Vlad, not that it was hard, red and green energy flying in every direction as they tore into each other, "merry Christmas to me," noting the traditional colors of the season and igniting her saber.

"This is foolish Daniel, you can't win this," a sheen of sweat covering his face, despite his words he was growing tired both mentally and physically.

Purple sparks jumped off the red energy shield that Vlad continued to move with one hand, "seriously fruit loop you need to get some new material because it's getting old," pulling his gloved hand back and trying to hit him with his other hand the green energy spiral again only making contact with the shield.

"I AM NOT A FRUIT LOOP," another shield forming on his other hand and hitting Danny in the face with it knocking the younger half ghost back.

"No your road kill," Sam snarled coming in from behind him and using the bottom of her board to collide with the back of the dark haired ghosts head knocking him from the sky a few feet. Without stopping she shoot towards Danny while pulling her gun with her other hand and letting lose a few shots in Vlad's direction, more to distract and disorient than to hurt him while she grabbed her friend, catching him on her board, her hands occupied.

It only took Danny a moment to get his head straightened out as he looked at Sam, "I owe one," floating up and giving her a quick hug, a little shocked that he did that, not to mention not blushing.

"You owe me several but who's counting at this point," turning the board around, the front staying in place while the back moved, bring her weapons to bear at the blue skinned half ghost.

"Actually I have a running record at home, you should see how many times I've saved Tucker," flying at Vlad, his legs shifting into his ghost tail for more speed and maneuverability.

"This is getting into a weird area," taking a shot at Vlad, the red blast missing as the man in white formed a full energy shield around him and sending the shoot ricocheting away from him.

From within the sphere her dusted himself off, trying to let the anger go and let rational thought take over, "so it seems things are not going as planned, this is why one has contingency plans." Pulling a small video phone out of his belt, "commence operation firestorm."

"Dat may be a problem," one of the vultures voices coming out of the phone, "da kid isn't in the best of conditions right now."

Growling to himself and to them, "I don't care, he's nothing but a tool so get him up any way you have to, I won't lose this, not to that pup!"

"On it boss," taking into a gray metal communication device around his leg the one in dark glasses appearing form the sky and diving down to David, "come on kid, rise and shine." When the ghost didn't do anything the bird sunk his talons into his body, biting into his shoulder, that action enough to bring him around.

For David it was like waking up from a nightmare, the moment of his death flashing before his eyes, the sting of the a claw stabbing into him and making him scream in pain and terror, grabbing at it as best he could claw out of instincts to stop the attack of the raptor. When his eyes opened all he saw was the bird attacking him, only this one was green rather than brown, but in his rat controlled mind he didn't care he had to attack, had to kill it before it killed him. From his mouth came a threatening snarl, the warning of a rat backed against a wall.

"WHAT….HEY…WIAT…STOP," the bird trying to escape the assault of the boy, flapping his wings, scratching and snapping his beak.

Blinking his eyes a few times, David's human mind came back to the surface, the vulture held to the ground, his glasses knocked aside, where his eyes should've been were swirling voids of darkness. A shiver ran threw his body, the rats mind haunting him, laughing at him, with a mental roar he forced it back into the darkest corners of his mind, never wanting to deal with it. "What the hell do you want," getting off the bird and looking to the sound of fighting, Sam and Danny's shots bouncing off Vlad's shield.

"The boss wants you up and ready, he has a little treat for you."

"I don't care," getting up, his flames erupting around him giving him his lion form.

Looking up at, the other two birds coming down next to him, after they became visible something in their talons took forma as well. "You were saying about not caring," the Ecto-Skeleton forming under them, two birds having brought it and keeping it unseen by all in case a moment like this arose.

"What am I going to do with that," flying up to it and tapping it with a knuckle.

Flapping over and grabbing his glasses in his beak and tossing them up and catching them on his face in the right place, "well you get in, and you bake muffins, yeesh, what do you think you do with it, you become a pain in their backside."

"Huh?"

Shaking his head, "how do I say this in words understand, you tear off their skulls and flame broil their brains with it."

Running a claw down the metal, "now that I understood," putting both of his palms on it.

"Not like that you idiot," flying up in front of his face, David's reflecting showing in the birds glasses, a talon hitting a button on the suit, the cockpit opening up.

Up in the Eclipse Tucker was seeing everything and not liking it, flipping the communication array so he could talk to everyone. "Guys we have problems out here, I'm going to try and slow things down, but Vlad brought the Ecto-Skeleton and I think he wants David in it for some reason." Shifting the ship in the sky he started to lay down suppression fire, trying to keep the ghost away from the machine.

"LOSE THE FLAMES AND GET IN," the birds grabbing David and tossing him inside the machine, the one with bushy eyebrows hitting a button in the outside sealing the machine from the rest of the Ghost Zone.

"WHAT WAS THAT F..," whatever else he said was missed as the suit was bombarded by energy blasts, the shots knocking the Ecto-Skeleton back, but not penetrating the armor, Vlad's upgrades of it making it far stronger than when it belonged to the Fenton's.

The birds scattered away from the fire, the normal one gaining enough courage to fly up to David and risk getting shot. "Don't worry so much," landing on the boys metal back, "this thing can take just about anything, you can't get hurt."

"I also can't move," hitting buttons in the interior consul.

Rolling his eyes, "sit in the chair I gotta turn it on from the outside, little safety precaution."

"Who puts an 'on' switch on the outside," sitting down, putting his arms and legs in the holes, "I don't even know how to make this thing run any way."

Laughing in a way that made David nervous, "don't worry you don't really need to," flipping a panel down and hitting the red button there, the neural receptor jumping up his spine and locking into place.

"HEY….WHAT IS THIS," clawing at it and trying to get it off him.

"Don't worry that's how you control it," the bird looking on as all around David a new compartment open up, forming a complete circle, a darkness with in that snapped around his neck the second the walls were out of the way. For a moment he tried to move to pull at the material around her neck but froze after a moment, his eyes losing their focus. "And that's how we control you," looking at the gold charm hanging on the cord.

Nodding over to his partner in glasses, the bird talking into his communication ring, "everything ready boss, he's all yours now."

"Excellent," looking away from the attacking two, it had taken a large amount of his reserve energy to keep his shield up and the attention of the two, but it was now worth it. "Slave can you hear me," switching the phone to speak with the inside of the Ecto-Skeleton.

"Yes," his voice having a vague far away sound to it as he looked at the video image of Vlad.

Smiling good, "transform into your lion body and kill those that are daring to harm me, the suit has been equipped with considerable weaponry, just think what you wish done and it will do so."

"I understand," igniting into his cat form, the neural link translating the action as it had when Danny had used it, the outside of the Ecto-Skeleton doing likewise igniting in purple-black flame, quickly becoming a twelve foot high lion.

"Excellent," watching from where he was.

Tucker was also watching an not liking what he was seeing, having already relayed what was going on Danny and Sam, Jazz in her current body not in a position to respond or hear. "You know what I said about being in big trouble be fore, ignore that, NOW we're in big trouble, big, flaming, clawed, metal, psychotic trouble, all named David!"

Sam did a quick glance back, glad her mask was on to hide just how shocked she was at the sight, "we are in so much trouble right now aren't we?"

"That may be the understatement of the century Sammy," leaning backing in his chair and firing off a blast of ecto lightning, the blast just bouncing off the flaming metal ghost.

See that, "I was going to say don't call me Sammy now I'm just saying RRRUUNNNN," turning her board and flying away from Vlad, Danny on her heals, not having seen David yet but knowing if those two were freaking out it had to have been for a good reason.

Looking back he wish he hadn't, "oh crap, that's not what I looked like was it?"

"Different color scheme, no fire but yeah pretty much," Tucker looking on no longer shooting turningr more attention to the scanning equipment in the ship trying to find a weak point to the cat and reviewing the footage he'd taken of it before it came online. "Remember that thing had a lot of fire power before so who know what it has now."

"Maybe if we're lucky it'll eat him before he kills us," Sam barked shooting back at the ghost.

Looking at the footage, "oh crap."

Danny grew panicked, "no oh crap, I don't want to hear crap right now!"

"To bad," enlarging the image, "looks like that control charm thing is on him now."

"Well that's not to bad," Danny hissed, "he was already working for Vlad to begin with and it's not like he can become more dangerous now, he's not like Tobias he doesn't hold anything back."

"AND IF HE DOES," Sam looking over at her friend, very much concerned for their future.


	21. The Third Artifact part3

Below them Jazz heard everything but was wasn't in a position to do anything about it having moved well away from them now locked in a hunt with Zephyr, the age old hunt between fox and mouse renewing in the icy waste land. Shifting her ears, and checking the air she moved silently knowing the mouse was near by but unsure where, the scent just mixed up enough to confuse her. (Come out come out wherever you are lunchmeat.)

The ice and slush under her feet felt like home to the fox, the instincts in full swing, not bothering to repress them, they were the only things keeping her alive, like now. Her nose finally picked her up and she jumped back missing the pink blasts from the tiny gun, (don't you know it's not hunting season.) The blasts where enough, nose, ears and eyes coming together to tell her where the ghost rodent was, but instead of attacking she run, letting the snow and ice around her being kicked up by the wild allow her to blend into the surroundings, her white fur making her disappear.

Zephyr grew cautious when Jazz vanished from her sight, not use to an opponent like this, if she were larger the mouse knew she could win, any creature larger she knew how to deal with, her size becoming her greatest strength. However against a creature like this, against a fox or any smaller predator she felt very inadequate, old instincts coming up in her telling her to run, to hide, screaming in her mind that she could never win in a fight, voices she was trying to crush unsuccessfully.

Moving as quietly as she could in the uncertain terrain she knew she wasn't going to get far, her whole body feeling numb, even after she had pulled an off white coat from behind her back and wrapped in around herself. The cold was simply a big a threat to her as the fox, even as a ghost she knew she could freeze and be stopped for a length of time in such a manner. Picking her ears up she picked up a sound, no longer caring what she turned and fired, the pink blasts jumping forward into the white.

(So close,) Jazz pouncing from the right side of the shots, Zephyr having just missed her by a foot, closer than Jazz had intended the rodent to get, (but not close enough.) Slamming her paws down she just missed the rodent, Zephyr darting back then shooting forward again and laying her gauntlet on her leg sending a arc of energy through her body then followed it up by slashing deeply with her claws trying to cut into muscle and bone. She didn't get a chance to use her gun as Jazz brought her maw down over the arm of the rodent and threw her back, as soon as Zephyr was free she wanted to hit herself, (right should've bit down there,) spitting out the rodents gun which had remained behind.

_'Not cool,' _throwing the card out with her free hand unsure if the fox could even read it then reach back and pulled out another missile launcher and fired it at Jazz.

Dodging the shot she looking at the mouse, (I feel like I'm in a cartoon here.)

Pulling a card with the clawed glove hand, _'that's all folks,' _and fired again, this rocket exploding while Jazz moved, throwing rubber balls everywhere, hitting her in eight places at once and shattering a few ribs in the process. _'What's wrong puppy, don't like this game, how about fetch?'_

(Not liking where this is going,) trying to run at her while Zephyr fired again, this time the rocker exploding into a bolo that Jazz was able to avoid, her nose picking up the scent that signaled it was going to explode, that alone keeping her safe. (Nice try, now it's my turn,) biting at the female, missing her but spinning around in the snow and biting again, Zephyr staying away, but just barely, Jazz keeping up with the rodent as she moved, the fox guiding her now, every move was counted, every strike sensed, through not all avoided. The rodent wore down quickly, in part from the ferocity of the attack, in part for the pheromones hitting her and trying to calm the scream in her mind.

With a slash Jazz knocked the rocket launcher from the hand of Zephyr and snapped at her again, once more just missing the rodent but coming closer and hitting her with the next snap of her jaws, the fox in her screaming as she felt the weight of the rodent in her jaws once more. With her instincts now raging she bit down, the vulpine now demanding to be feed, chewing and knowing on the ghost, or trying to, the ghost slamming her gauntlet down on Jazz's tongue making her yip and cough, but not enough to get the rodent out. Zephyr now on the attack pulled her longest sword from her back and stabbed upward, piercing the mouth of the canine, the blade rising till it came out of her muzzle, seeing it with her right eye, the pain more than anything letting her know it was there.

(This is not cool,) trying to keep the fox side of her down now, the pain driving the human mind back to the surface, more than a little embarrassed that she'd lost it for a moment. Thinking fast she realized the futility of the situation, she could bite down but it would do little to the ghost in the long run just as it was do little to her after she demorphed, which didn't leave her many choice off the top of her head. Then from no where an idea hit her, she doubted it was a good one but it was all she could think of at the time. Jumping forward, her mouth still wedged open she ran her mouth over the slow filling her jaw with it, the frozen water searing her tongue, which was a nice change from the burning and giving her brain freeze. The ice also effected Zephyr as she'd hoped, the mouse trembling in her mouth letting her know it was working. Doing so for a few more moments she finally felt the rodent start to grow numb from the cold and was able to spit her out without further damaging her mouth.

With a growl filling the air she watched the mouse bounce on the slow but didn't give her time to attack or recover jumping up and head butting the ghost slamming her deeper into the ice. Pulling back she was more or less satisfied that the mouse was no longer a threat to her but not enough to simply walk away. Turning around she followed the smell back to the long sword that had pierced her mouth and picked it up with her teeth and padded back to Zephyr and pinned the rodent down to the ground with it then did the same with the missile launcher, the twin weapons hopefully buying her some time.

Looking up at the fight, she didn't like what she saw, a rocket powered David going after her brother and Sam, (hang on guys, we'll make it out of this,) and running to them trying to figure out a way to help them from the forms she had.

High above her the pair had big problems, David having figured out how to work the weapons in the suit and opening fire on them. A mix of ectoplasm, energy blasts, normal flames and low yield dracon beams flew at them, from one arm, the blue energy blast that came naturally form the suit was emitted by the other arm. From his mouth came a primal roar of a lion, a sound that made it hard for them to think, the sound rattling them mentally and physically.

"Remind me to thank Tobias for bringing this psycho into our lives," Danny snapped turning in mid air and firing off a volley of etcobursts at the enhanced ghost, the green energy just bouncing off him.

"He was coming regardless it's not his fault," the goth grabbing onto the front of her board and arcing up and firing back at David, tired of running and slashing her saber across his back. The move brought her close to the ghost, to close for his now single-minded mind to pass up, twisting and grabbing her in his large claws. Holding her there he brought his multi weapons arm to her ready to turn her inside out with the energy discharge from the weapons.

Danny wanted to scream, but kept his mouth shut, not wanting to give the ghost any warning at all and shot up at him, propelled by a discharge of energy from his feet, an ectoshield held in front of his body, using it as a ram and slamming into the arm of the ghost, the impact enough to shake him up so Sam could once more fire her board, hitting him in the face with the back end of the vehicle as she arced back and away from him.

With Sam free Danny moved back as well not wanting to get caught in those large metal arms, "ok we really need a plan B here," tapping on his head set, "Tucker if you have anything I'd love to here it right now, and I mean anything at all, tell me to hit him with a banana cream pie for all I care."

The comment caught him by surprise, "you have a banana cream pie?" Shaking it off and tapping on his PDA, looking at the readouts, "I still got nothing, well nothing good anyway, last time you were in that thing I could read the power loss it was suffering."

"And now," almost afraid of where this was going.

"I'm not picking up the energy signatures, I'm not sure if that's because of the new pilot in the suit or…"

"…or because Vlad fixed that problem, great, this is the last thing I need right now."

"Look on the bright side at least he can't get the sword any more, that things sealed up tight now."

"And with it Tobias," Sam growled firing off a few more shots at David, the red energy bouncing off the fire of his body's covering.

Growling, "thanks for adding that Sam like I really needed to hear that agai…YIKES," diving down as David opened fire at Danny with his multi arm and started through the little blue orbs with the others, the balls erupting before they hit anything throwing everything in the vicinity back as they detonated.

Sam bounced off the hull of the Eclipse with the first strike, "of course it couldn't be a nice soft snow bank I landed in," pushing off the cold metal.

"When have you ever jumped in a snow bank," a rattled Tucker rasped, unaware he was still transmitting as he tried to get back into his chair.

"Shut up Tuck," she hissed looking back at the fight, "how about you actually start helping instead of just sitting there."

Rolling his eyes, "help comes in all forms Samantha, not my fault you can't recognize it, and yes I called you Samantha and you can't do anything about it right now."

She wanted to respond to that but didn't get the chance as David continued to fire, but tracking Danny rather than shooting at them, seeing the half ghost as the real threat in the environment. Danny was dodging left and right, up and down on the ghost, but that was all he could do, most of his range attacks doing nothing, against the mechanically enhanced killing machine. He knew if he was going to do anything he had to get David out of the suit, a prospect that wasn't encouraging since that meant getting up close, something he didn't want to do given the size of the ghosts claws.

Firing up his jets David shot forward at Danny, taking it out of the half ghosts concern as he suddenly came up next to Danny and backhanded him to the ground, or near the ground as David shot forward again, the jets giving him incredible speed. Suddenly appearing under him he swiped at Danny, his claws sinking into his flesh, slightly burning it from the naturally produced heat, and sending him back up, that was flowed as she shot above Danny again and hit him once more, this time with the blue energy forming around his hand and punched Danny, the blue energy going everywhere, to the ice below, forming huge fissures in the ground, and making the others think Danny might truly be dead given the speed with which he hit.

"That hurt," Danny groaned, trying to sit to but doing so badly, the invisible shield he'd managed to construct from the last hit took the burnt of the abuse, but the force from the third, combined with the first two were enough to take him out of the fight. Raw determination was the only thing keeping him moving at the moment, and he wasn't sure how long that was going to keep him in the fight.

Not far away David floated to the ground, his body melting the ice and snow around him, forming a layer of steam in the air, making it hard to see him in the chilled environment. "Kill," the only word Davis snarled as he moved on Danny, both hands lighting up with energy. With Danny barely moving it wasn't hard for the mind controlled ghost to pick him up by the throat and hold him up, letting Danny see his giant burning fangs, each huge, thanks to his larger head.

"Sulfur breath," Danny coughed getting a whiff of the creatures mouth, coughing weakly, "get a breath mint."

"Kill," Bringing his other hand up and stretching out his claws, a move that took to long as Danny flexed both hands, small spheres of ectoplasm forming in them. Closing his hand around them he shifted the forms of them into knives and stabbed the blades into the flame and metal body, the forms cutting through the flam and hitting the metal and cutting into it.

Laughing lightly as the move worked, David letting him go, "bingo," keeping his voice low, talking to himself, "I really hoped that would pay off. Beams may bounce off you, but raw force, as the bird say that can bring anything down if you use it right."

Looking from his hand to Danny than back David let out a roar at close range, the force picking Danny up and throwing him across the tundra and making him crash into an ice bolder. "Kill," Snarling the word again and jetting to Danny and punching where Danny was, or trying to as he went intangible, the flame lion's fist flying through him and shattering the boulder next to him.

Whistling, "crushed ice for a thousand, if it wasn't for the melting thing you could make a mint going into the snow cone racket." Not finding it funny, or anything for that matter, David grabbed the largest chunk of ice from those that remained and tried to crush Danny's skull with it, again the strike passed through his body. "Your not that quick on the up take right now are you," phasing into the ground and coming out some distance away while the flame lion looked around.

"Danny you ok," Tucker talking to him over the headset when he came to the surface.

"Beat, hurt, and I'm amazed nothings broken, aside from that yeah, but I don't think I can do this much longer."

"Don't worry, we're here for you," Sam's voice hitting him, now sitting next to Tucker, wishing she had spent more time learning how to fire the weapons.

Not having the energy to look up, "right now I wish you were down here being me."

"Well that's creepy, if I'm you does that mean you want to be me," Sam trying not to look at Tucker, "and if you say it I will throw you out of the ship," pointing a finger at the pilot.

"How'd I get pulled into this," glaring at her, I'm just trying to get everyone out of here in one piece.

"Guys I'm in trouble her," forming twin balls in his hand and forming them into ecto blades, unable to make them any longer than knives, David now noticing him thanks to the talking.

Tapping on the controls, "we hear and obey man," pointing a finger at the girl, "give it to him."

"Lets hope I know what I'm doing here," letting lose a volley of energy blasts, lighting, ecto pulses, dracon beams, slime, and grenades started coming down between Danny and David forming a wall that neither could get across buying Danny time to breath and trying to think. That attack didn't give them much time though as David struck upward firing off a barrage at the ship forcing the pair to bolt away form the makeshift shield and turn the attention onto the ghost, laying their full power onto the attacker.

"Kill," David's only though as he released the full power at the ship, the ectoconverter inside the Eclipse working over time. As Tucker had theorized, inside the Ghost Zone the device worked even better, sucking the very foundation of the realm into and turning it into power and funneling it all into the shield generator and weapon systems, neither one losing power.

Rubbing his hand on the consul while mauve ring the ship away from the fire, and keeping the ghost trained on them and away form Danny. "That's it baby, keep it up a little longer, your doing great, that hunk of junk is no match for you right now, none at all."

"Your talking to a machine Tuck, that's not healthy," Sam not looking at her friend, trying to hit David as many times as possible and making sure Danny didn't get caught in the ricochet.

Not looking at his friend, "I'll talk to her anyway I like so long as she keeps keeping us alive."

The smart thing for Danny to do would've been to hang back and let the others take the heat for a while, but that also wasn't his style. Flying forward with the knives in his hands he shot onto his back and stabbed them into his shoulders, her wanted to go for the neck, but with the suit that wasn't an option since the burning neck was just an illusion, not actually connected to the Ecto-Skeleton. Like before the blade passed threw the flames and into the metal, what he was cutting into he wasn't sure, but it was enough that was he doing so. In response David threw him off, knocking Danny to the ground and brought his claws to bear, only to be assaulted by the Eclipse knocking him to his knees.

With a snarl he waved his hand behind him, activating the systems of the shield and forming a blue energy shield around him and Danny keeping the half ghost from going away where, not that he wanted to. "Not your best idea," closing his hand forming another knife as the shield went up and stabbed it into the arm of the Ecto-Skeleton then brought his hand back and punched it with his glove, the knuckles casting an odd light on the darker purple and forcing it deeper into the arm.

Throwing his head back in a roar he back handed Danny, his claws slashing into Danny's body, then tried to tear out the offending piece of energy out of his arm. Or at least tried to do so, the knife not there, the hit from the future tech enhanced glove caused it to shatter, sending small shards blasting through the internal workings of the arm, but what damage it did couldn't be seen from the outside of the arm.

"Well that did go to well," Danny groaned, from his point of view doing nothing to David other than making him a little bit madder.

Tearing forward, "kill," releasing blasts from his multi weapons arm, an arc of flame flying out and melting the ice around Danny as the half ghost took to the sky, something that didn't help much as David did likewise. The orange flame continued to spray in all direction, the stream never quite hitting Danny, but the heat making itself known to him, despite the coldness round him the warmth felt anything but good to his body.

"Great I'm going to die from third degree burns in the artic," he snarled forming twin balls of energy in his hands. The first began to glow and pulsate, the light growing brighter as he used the flash ball to try and blind David, the light at least slowing him down and making the ghost rear back. When he did so Danny flew up and threw the other ball at him, the ball exploding in his face covering him in green slime, the ooze bubbling and popping as it boiled on the flamed head.

"Well that worked really well didn't it man," Tucker watching from up high while Sam fired off the weapons in the Eclipse at the ghosts back. They knew it wouldn't bring them down, but at this point they were just trying to by time till they could figure something out.

Away from all of them on the opposite of the tower Vlad hovered next to the tower, running his hand over the spot in the ice that let him tough the tower itself. The red energy alone told the vultures he wasn't happy, the screaming and cursing he was doing just added to the obvious. After several moments he finally stopped, taking deep breaths and regaining his composure. "You ok boss," one of the birds asked next to him, up till now keep just far enough away incase he snapped.

"I don't understand this, I can't get in, I can't get in at all, this shouldn't be stopping me, the incantation worked before."

"It is magic boss, and that's something you can't really anticipate."

Turning around and grabbing the bird with the bushy eyebrows by the throat not caring if he had spoken or not, "I anticipate everything, I manipulated Pariah Dark himself, no structure of stone is going to keep me from my prize!"

"Don't think of it as being beaten by a tower, think of it as being outplayed by the greatest strategist and warrior in the history of the Ghost Zone, there's no shame in that," the one in glasses piped in trying to get his boss to release his friend.

"Ot..heling," the bird hacked out, his vocal cords not working in the halfa grasp.

"If he was so smart, so wise, he would still be here, still be in control, he was not even close to the greatest strategist and I will not be beaten by an answering machine.

The third bird looked from the other birds, to Vlad to those he could see, "the Fright Knights still in there and David has the others at bay, who knows this might not be lost just yet, there are a few moves left to play, a few hand still to be dealt, and the fat lady hasn't sung yet."

Vlad just looked at the bird, "did you use every metaphor you know in that sentence," growing calmer the birds words penetrating his anger.

"Just about boss," watching the half ghost release the other bird from his grasp.

Looking at the tower, "for you sakes you better be right about that, I did not come this far just to lose."

Inside the tower a very different fight was raging, blood coved the walls along with wounds and gashes that were self healing. Tobias himself was the donator of the blood, the wounds making it harder for him to think but otherwise not slowing him down much, use to the pain. The Knight had a few wounds himself, while not bleeding, his armor had small nicks and cracks running along it now, wounds that would take him hours in a forge to fix. Wounds that he loved, for the first time in years actually finding someone that was capable of hurting him when pushed hard enough.

"Your fighting well, but your slowing down," slashing at him, catching the palm of Tobias' hand in the swing.

(I've lost just about all my blood, of course I'm slowing down,) laughing, slightly light headed, (but I've fought through worse, and I'm not giving you the satisfaction of beating my,) healing kicking at the ghost, the armored ghost catching the strike, something Tobias had hoped for, figuring out the ghosts habits. With his other leg he lunged up, raking his talons up along the metal armor cutting into it and dropping to the ground due to his loss of anything on the ground.

The self sacrificing attack surprised the ghost to a point, the bird was growing more desperate as the fight went on. The move almost surprised him as much as the tail rocketing out and slashing at the ghosts wrist, the blade and the bulk of the tail knocking the Soul Shredder from the Knights hand. With a clang the swords bounce on the ground, much to the shock of the Knight for the first time truly being disarmed by an opponent in years, up till now always knowing when it might happen in a fight and letting it occur to further his own ends.

The flame around his head jumped up higher into the sky, a sign of his happiness at the fight, "an amazing move, but one miss timed," crushing his boot into Tobias back a moment after he hit the ground, the bird not able to even begin to move.

(Thanks I try,) his tail whipping out but being caught in the ghost grasp before it could do anything to hurt him.

"You use this well but you use it to often," admiring the cuts on the blade, "a warrior must use everything at their disposal.

(I know,) arcing his back and trying to stab his horns into the chest of the Knight, while simultaneously swinging his arms back and up, the elbow blades biting into his heals and the remaining wrist blade cut into his leg. The move however cost him, feeling something snap in his arms, more than likely muscle he realized after a few moments if nor bone.

The cuts made the Knight drop back when it combined with the hit from Tobias head, the metal filling the air with the sound of banging metal. A small growl escaped his lips as he hit, the excite and fun of the moment slipping away slightly, the fight growing more serious, the bird becoming more of a threat a bit wilder than the Knight had expected. While he still was enjoying the fight these self-sacrificing attacking were being to make him mad, having through Tobias was smarter then that, more skilled.

He rolled to his feet at the same time as Tobias, the alien arms hanging at his side limply, "if you continue this there will be nothing left of you soon then how will you fight?"

(One thing I've learned is that wounds heal, and pain doesn't mean you stop, I got plenty left in me, but again if you just want to leave," wincing as she felting his arms fill with pain, now knowing they were indeed totally useless in a fight, at least in the conventional sense.

"You'd make a fair berserker but when again so does David, and I know you can be more than him in your sleep," jumping up near the ceiling, his flame cape flapping in the still air. Coming down, he missing Tobias as the morphed boy rolled out of the way, his claws scratching the ground and cutting new gashes in the floor. On the ground the ghost pulled his armored hand from the ground, having embedded it up to his forearm.

(Why is it your so interested in what I could be,) getting to his feet but keeping his distance, trying to put himself between the black ghost and the sword.

Noticing the move, the seeming subtly of it and becoming a little more impressed that he wasn't that lost in the fight. "Your like a fine sword, honed and sharpened, ready to be used but wielded by a novice why no clue."

(Your calling me stupid?)

"Far from it, you just do things without thinking the consequences through, while you will win the battle, it is only through your power that you survive it. However I do applaud you, you've come further than I thought you could on your own, you simply lack refinement in the ways of battle, and you to easily sacrifice your body for the sake of a single attack."

(A single attack at the right moment can be all you need to win the war, and such an action can be all you need if it preserves the lives of others even at the cost of your own. From that moment the lines of destiny will sprawl in all directions, the future of that action never being known for what might be.)

He cocked his head at the words, "you speak deeply for someone for young, did you come that that conclusion on your own or study it?"

Swaying his head back and forth, (I learned it from my uncle, he learned it from my father,) shooting forward, lunging his head forward and snapping his beak. The knight moved back, but that didn't give him time to miss the heal kick from Tobias to his head sending the helmet spinning around on his head. Dropping down he used the momentum and his opponents blind ness to turn into a leg sweep and drop the ghost to the ground. Not letting up he jumped up and body slammed the ghost as best he could, embedding an elbow blade between the chinks in the armor then head butted him in the helmet one more time for good measure.

Jumping back, letting out a small grunt as his blade choose to stay in place and broke away, (and that I learned from three girls in my life, I know I hang out with intense people.) Turning on his heals and running, not waiting for the purple flamed ghost to get up and come after him. With the blood loss raging threw him his legs felt like they were made of solid iron, the stomping sound of his feet on the ground only helps to emphasis that feeling.

"Then again," the Fright Knight sitting up and turning his helmet around so he could see again, "it's entirely possible I've been miss reading you and you don't actually become weaker as your injured." The series of strikes had made him very happy, the raw ferocity of the assault and the precision renewing his enjoyment of the fight, the thoughts of needing to teach him slipping away.

(Yeah I get that a lot, it's the hawk side of me, the whole kill or be killed thing when something bigger decided to come after me.) As he spoke he turned to look at the Knight who was slowly rising to her feet, staring back at him half way up the stone pyramid.

"Your also resourceful," looking up at him and walking over to get his sword making no move to the bird as he slowly backed up the pyramid one step at a time.

The hawk was now alive in his mind, more so than before, he knew an attack was coming, the Knight now being perceived as a more powerful predator, knowing it was the Knight's move and all he could do was fly away or try and strike back against a more powerful opponent. (What can I say, a weapon of raw power, it may be what I need to win this fight before I finally pass out.)

The Knight was a little shocked at the boys frankness having expected him to lie through his beak, "a good plan but you don't know anything about that weapon, what it can do, what it might do to you, you did hear that it could destroy you."

(Can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, besides I adapt quickly, it comes with the territory, a byproduct of my power,) taking a feet more steps up the stairs.

Picking up his weapon and sheathing it, turning his back on Tobias, "adapting to a body is one thing if I what David told me is true, adapting to power, that's something very different, if used foolishly it can destroy everything you wish to keep safe in a heart beat and make your life a living nightmare."

Looking at the purple flames of his back, (that's something I already know, and have experienced to many times, I don't want power for myself, for that matter I don't want it period, I've seen those with power driven mad and I don't want to become them. But sometimes power is the only thing that can keep you going, the only thing that can make sure those you love never have to know the heartache that comes from the loss of the life you love. If taking a little bit more is the only thing that keeps them safe, and keeps them happy I'll take it even if it does make my life more miserable.)

Laughing lightly when he head the words, "I said something like that once long ago," his voice low, but Tobias still hearing him, "I believed them at the time as well. Power is a slippery slope the wrong move at the wrong time and it ceases being about protection and simply become a matter of power and thrill."

(Yeah well, you and I we're not the same, different paths, different people in our lives, different everything,) coming within a few steps of the sword.

Jumping up, using his flight to shoot forward in a back flip, both he and Tobias diving for the weapon, "or perhaps we're not as different as you think," both grabbing the hilt in the same instant, the Knight with his hand, Tobias with his beak.

(Somehow I really doubt that,) pulling on the weapon the Knight doing likewise, neither pulling it away.

"I hope your right," drawing the Soul Shredder and stabbing it at Tobias, the bird using his knee blade to block the strike and turn it away. "Impressive, I wouldn't have used that as such a weapon."

Kicking with the foot, the strike totally missing, (as I said I adapt fast, and I use whatever at my disposal.)

"The hallmark of a skilled fighter," slashing at the aliens neck, missing as he moved it, in the process nearly letting go of the weapon.

(Or maybe just a desperate one,) arcing his tail up and wrapping it around the razored edge of the Lightning Blade while he shot forward with his head grabbed the Soul Shredder in his beak, trying to wrestle it from his opponents grasp.

Laughing loudly, his enjoyment growing, "this is every bit amusing as I thought it's be," trying to pull the sword away and slash it across Tobias jaw and send him into the nightmare realm at his disposal. The move however never came as the bird jumped his right leg landing on the pedestal where the sword hovered, his other leg shot over the weapon and kicked down into the Knights head. The move put the sword essentially between his leg and the hit disoriented the Knight enough to weaken his grasp again Tobias wrenching the green blade from his hand and fling it across the room. With a snarl, a mix of a wolf's growl and parrots squawk, his tail pulled the sword free moving it away, the blade cutting into his tail and making him winch as it cut deeply. With the tail moving, the Lightning Blade was trust at the head of the Fright Knight, Tobias intent of embedding it into his head.

"Not today," his grip on the blades hilt not loosening, his free hand forming a multisided purple energy structure and hit Tobias in the back with it, causing the light purple energy to fire out in every direction, even into the Knight and the Lightning Blade due to the lack of distance. When the purple energy hit the sword it reflected off, glowing a brilliant white, striking back at the green back of the other would be wielder of the mythic weapon The force of the hit mixed with the energy released, shot Tobias forward, his tail running over the length of the sword, nearly being cut in half by it.

As he hit the ground Tobias became aware of the fact that the Lightning Blade was no longer in his tail, and burning pain in his back from the energy discharge. Mixed with those was the pain from a hundred other wounds he'd gotten in the short fight including feeling his organs starting to shut down, those that still worked anyway. However those were just the surface pains, below them he felt something else, something on the border of pain he didn't understand, something that just hung on the verge of a feeling, but it was growing and doing so quickly, threatening to envelope his body as it grew and seemed to coil around his body filling every inch of his body.

Watching the alien bounce down the steps caused the Knight no end of amusement, the fight over, the final outcome now known, his victory now proof rather than speculation. Beginning to walk down the steps, feeling the weight of the weapon in his hand, at first it felt heavy, odd in his hand but as he moved it felt better, light, as though it were part of him, forged for his hand, meant to be used by him alone. For a moment he let himself be intoxicated by the feel of the weapon, but only for a moment, his mind returning to the situation at hand, knowing this wasn't quite over yet, a section of a wall beginning to vanish, the claiming of the sword activating the final element of the towers enchantment allowing those within to exit at their leisure.

"You fight well Tobias, better than most I've come across in the last few years, with passion and force that comes along once in a lifetime. But you lack many thing, training in combat, both the mental and physical skills, knowledge of strategy, I can teach you these things make you far stronger than any living creature has a right to be, more so than most ghost will ever hope to be. To that end I'm offering you a choice, join me, I don't mean Vlad, I me alone, stand at my side and I will make you a true warrior, a complete warrior, one with full knowledge of the wisdom I've accumulated. If you refuse, I'll let you live, I don't want to kill you, I respect you, I want to see what you will become, but you would be better served at my side, I'll even let you stay with your friends, I think they add something to you."

Tobias heard most of it, demorphing, healing the wounds on his body, beginning to feel a coldness sweeping over his body the sign that it was shutting down. The coldness seemed to be overwhelming the other feeling he couldn't place, but he wasn't sure if that was because it was gone or if it was because it was simply going away. (No,) not looking at him, (I enjoy the offer, but I'd rather do things on my own, and frankly I don't trust you. You're a warrior, you have a code, I know that much, I know you didn't like what you did to me when Vlad had me captured, but we're just to different, and honestly I don't like the idea of you having that sword anymore than I like the idea of Vlad or even myself having it. It's to dangerous for any person to have, it has to be to put this many security measures in place.)

Looking at his reflection in the blade, "your probably right about that, but it's to late for that now," looking down at Tobias then taking to the air, not yet at the base of the pyramid and floating to the corridor than lead to freedom.

Standing up Tobias stretched his wings, they felt heavy, but that was mostly due to his exhaustion rather than a physical injury. Looking at the Knights back, he knew the sword might be safer with the spirit, but that belief wasn't enough to sustain him. Spreading his wings and flapping into the dead air making getting lift difficult, buy at the moment he needed all the energy he could get and morphing into another bird to gain height just wasn't as option.

The Knight heard what was going on behind him but didn't make a move to stop him, noting it as another thing he would have to teach Tobias, when to let a situation be and simply walk away and wait for the next confrontation. "Don't be stupid Tobias," he warned giving the bird the courtesy, "save your strength to help your friends."

(I am,) Diving down at the Knight the silver sword flashing in the low light and hitting Tobias dead in the talons. In the meeting of the two a bright white light jumped between them, lighting up everything in the room in a light so blinding it blinded them both yet nether relented in the strike. The Knight was shocked, not understand why he could cut through the bird more easily, Tobias easily shocked by that, but more so by the feeling radiating in his body, the formerly unidentifiable feeling becoming a mix of pain and exhilaration that seemed to hit every fiber of his being and made him want both to run away and experience more in the same instant.

"YOUR NO MATCH FOR ME," the Knight roared not understand what was going on.

(I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT BEFORE, THEN I TORE THEM APART,) the mental snarl a mix of many beasts at once, but in front of them all was human determination. Feeling the energy building in him, he didn't bother trying to run just letting it come not knowing what was going to happen but continued to yell, (THAT THING IS NEVER GETTING OUT OF HERE!)

Outside the others took note of the mental roar, the thoughts going everywhere, even making David pause, what little influence he still had over his body considering if Tobias was a bigger threat and needed to be dealt with first. The thoughts were ultimately ignored however as Jazz fired off a few more shots at him, having traded place with Sam some time ago, none of her forms up to the fight, at least in the sky, a few of the blasts got threw the rest being blocked as he raised his shield again. Taking a glace over at the pilot, "you heard that to right?"

Nodding numbly, "that really didn't sound good did it?"

"Not even close to it," the thoughts making her shiver, the raw rage in his thoughts making her afraid, she'd known he had a darker side, a wild side, but nothing like that.

"Are we sure we want him out," maneuvering the ship up as David let loss a blast of blue energy at them while shooting at Danny and Sam with his other arm.

"Shut up Tucker," Jazz snarled looking over at Sam and Danny who were outside trying to slow David down but not really getting anywhere with the task.

Arcing up with her board Sam avoided the shot but still came close enough to throw her far away from the fight till she managed to get the board become stable again. "If anyone has any idea what to do here to get this guy away from us I'd love to hear it because I'm getting really tired."

Glaring up at his friend, "at least you got to sit down for a while, how do you think I feel," he tried not to let the anger of the seemingly futile fight creep into his voice but her knew he failed.

"Guys focus," Jazz staying calm inside the side, and altering the weapons system on the ship, "this guy can be taken down, the suits not perfect and neither is the pilot, we just need to find the right combination to stop him so just calm down."

"People who are safe and warm don't get to talk sis," sneezing as a blast of cold air hit him in the face while he dodged another arc of laser fire. That was followed up by another one of the small blue balls that sent everyone reeling again as the shockwave picked them up and threw them different directions.

Inside the Eclipse Tucker was trying to keep the ship stable and stay in his chair, a task that he'd nearly given up on at this point. "I know what I said about this girl being tough but if we keep getting hit like that the momentum is going to shake something loose."

Tapping the firing control, "don't worry, she'll hold together," the redhead finally finding what she hoped was the right combination. Pushing the button an arc of lightning jumped from the weapons compartment on the left, striking David in the back, following it up with a blast of slime from the beam on the right, then a flash of blue, the slime freezing as it was hit by super chilled ectoplasm and following it up with a crimson beam of dracon energy shattering it and cutting right into the heart of the Ecto-Skeleton.

Turning to Tucker and putting her arm in the air the boy answering her with a high five, "of yeah on a roll now," blasting him a few more times but not hitting anything but the shield and as he flashed his hand behind him.

Next to her Tucker sighed, "well it was a good idea, it really was."

"Still is Tucker," Danny seeing the weak point of the metal incase ghost, and watching the flames try and heal around the wound.

He didn't have to say anything Sam nodding, "already know where your going with this," shooting down under David and releasing a few blasts of red energy trying to distract the ghost for Danny.

"Alright time to do something stupid again," blasting next to David, a trail of green behind him, already forming a knife in his hand and stabbing it into the metal back, trying to carve it open and get at the hardware within, enough of a Fenton to know if it destroyed that the suit might become useless depending on what was in his reach.

Reaching in he managed to pull out a few handfuls of wires and electronics out of the cavity, inside David saw warning lights flashing inside the suit, understanding them but not really caring, only concerned about killing his opposition. The warning however was enough as he activated the close quarters weapons, the body of the suit electrifying and sending Danny hurtling back, the fire taking on a lighter hue and the charge added to the ghost fire for a few moments.

Looking back at the half ghost he rocketed towards the white haired boy and punched him down to the ice below. The second Danny bounced off the frozen water David was there lacing his finger together and hammering him back down, forcing him deeper into the ice. Pulling an arm back he was ready to drive Danny further down and deliver the death blow, his hand lighting up with blue energy that highlighted his black claws as he opened them up. To make matter worse, a compartment on his wrist opened up four long claws that could double for swords, each glowing with a mix of black flame and blue energy as well.

"BACK OFF FLAME BAIT," Sam slamming the bottom of her hover board into the ghost, taking the brunt with the shield portion of the device, bouncing off the ghosts arm just below the claws and forcing him to the ground away from Danny, the claws melting the ice and snow. She ricocheted away but not before lashing out with her whip and grabbing Danny's leg and pulling him away from the fight, twin rings running over him and turning him back to normal.

Up in the ship the pair saw it all, Jazz's mouth growing dry, unsure what had just happened. Tucker tapped the communication system cutting Jazz out in fear of the next words Sam said. "Sam how is he," running his fingers over the controls trying to get a read on Danny's vital signs.

Leaning down next to him after she pulled him onto the board and checked his pulse, with a deep sigh, "he's still with us, I think he just had enough," looking up, inside the ship Tucker sighed and opened up Jazz's communication system. "I'm bringing him in to warm up, this ice can't be help him right now.

Leaning back into her chair, "oh thank you," Jazz speaking to every religion figure she could think of at once just to be on the safe side.

"Door will be open when you get here," then looking over at Jazz, "I hate to saw this, but I think we might want to leave."

Glaring at him, "we're not leaving without Tobias."

"If we knew where he was I'd be more inclined to agree with you but we're not in a position to be looking for him."

"Don't fight me on this Tuck," her hair going white, "you wouldn't win."

"All the same," watching Sam's progress, "it's not like he can't take care of himself….of crap," watching David move in on Sam and Danny fast, it wasn't his full speed but it was enough to over take her well before she got to the ship. "Hang on to your butt," turning the ship, "we're about to become a really big shield and it will hurt," trying to get between David and the pair.

"KILL," David roared, his lion scream mixing with it as he drew closer to the pair, Tucker knowing he wasn't going to be able to get between them in time to stop the ghost.

"Back off," Jazz opening fire on David, what looking like a chain gun coming out of the weapons compartment on both sides of the Eclipse forced to only use the light armaments due t the backlash of the fire possibly hitting Sam.

"That's not going to work," Tucker hissed not looking at her.

"I know but shy of miracle this it all I can do," as she said it white light streamed out of the hole in the tower that had formed but had kept anyone from entering through it. With a roar not unlike David's own, yet less dark the light shot towards them faster than could be tracked, only the after glow letting them know where it was.

Inching closer to them David opened his hand the blue energy forming ready to cut through the pair on the board, "kill," the word seemingly taking an a deeper meaning as Sam looking down at him, half expecting her life to start flashing before her eyes. Only the impact and sizzle of flesh never came, David unable to use it as the light grabbed David by the attacking arm, flipped him over and flung him away as though her were nothing at all.

Tucker jerked his hand around to look at Jazz, "do you have any idea what that was?"

"No idea but one hope," watching as the light died down slightly become easier to look at as it lost it's blinding intensity.

(Nice upgrade David, lets see how you deal with mine,) the light revealing a slightly different Tobias, a mix of human and hawk features now hovered in the sky before them. His body was modeled on a humans, but one covered with feathers, with large wings, a tail and hawks head. His arms and legs grew scaled just below his elbows and knees, his hands a feet more closely resembling those of a hawk, ending in shark talons. His coloring was that of a normal hawk, but it was hard to tell, the bright white glow seeming to come from under his feathers casting an old color from his body. Around his body was a strip of cloth connecting to a scabbard, holding the hilt of a green weapon in it.

"Ok when did he get that," Tucker keeping his eyes on the new comer to the fight.

Shrugging her shoulders, "I have no idea he didn't mention it to me before, but it does work on him."

"Yeah lets hope it works on David too," flying over to Sam so the goth could throw Danny into the ship.

"You heard Tobias voice to right," looking back out at the bright backed bird.

Jazzed nodded, "no clue what's going on either, I just hope he's not dead."

"Looking like that it's a real possibility," walking back to the lip of the door, "if things get bad I'll come back, but right now someone has to go deal with Vlad."

"We'll keep you informed," Tucker pulling the Eclipse back, having a feeling it was going to get bad very quickly out there.

Outside David and Tobias were staring each other down, the white bird making a stark contrast to the black cat, (any time your ready,) flexing his fingers.

"KILL," David rocketing forward using his jets moving at the same speed he'd used to move past Danny, his claws opening up to tear into Tobias, or trying to as his claws was caught and held in place by one of Tobias hands.

(Well,) holding the arm, feeling the power David was putting behind the strike but simply holding it back as if it were nothing at all, (this is different.) Pushing the arm back he kicked him in the chest and sent the cat flying back till it crashed into a mountain of ice causing an avalanche to fall on him, burying him in snow in a matter of seconds.

"Ok did that scare anybody else," Tucker's voice very small as he watch Tobias treat David like a rag doll.

Looking up from her spot in the back with her brother, seeing the falling snow, "that was Tobias?"

"Oh yeah," looking out but not blinking his eyes.

"Those must be some steroids birdies on."

"Lets just hope the 'roid rage isn't that bad."

In the chill of the subzero world the fight continued to rage against the two, David releasing beams of energy at Tobias, none of the attacks hitting him as shot over them at a speed to great from David to track. (Come on man, where's a little bit of the old David psychosis, kill, maim, rape, this isn't much fun of you don't put some energy into it.)

"Kill," rocketing towards the birdman missing his strike as Tobias simply side stepped him in the sky, the metallic ghost just flying past.

(For that matters where's your winning wit, you use to love the sound of your own voice,) flapping his wings and flying up and diving down, laying his feet talons into his opponents back, driving him down. From his position he could see through the flames, his eyes quite a bit better now, inside the cockpit he got all the answers he sought, David with the same charm around his neck that had once been around his own. (Well that explains the lack of you talking,) pushing off the machine and flapping away from him.

With him off his back David roared in anger and rage, a tiny bit of his old hatred creeping back into his control, the full knowledge that the bird was his largest threat now fully in place. Looking at the bird he shot forward, fingers spread, each flaming claw glinting in the light, the four blades out and his other arm charged to release the fire power in his arm, his body growing brighter as he clicked on the electric shield to fry the bird if he got to close.

Even as David moved in on him Tobias held his ground, completely calm, reading the movements of his opponents, knowing what he wanted to do, every strike he might try, every combination that would follow afterwards. Something about the power swirling through him had calmed him, changed him, not totally through, he was still himself, still in control but he now felt at ease with battle, as though this was where he belong, like the swirling rush of battle was were he was meant to be.

"KKKIIILLLLLL," David roared coming in on the bird.

(You can try,) waiting till the last second, ducking down pulling the Soul Shredder and spinning in the air, cutting off both legs at the knees. As they fell the metal legs lost their fire and became simply silver again and bounced on the tundra below. (I hope that hurt,) coming back up and watching David turn, the stumps that were his legs sparking and flaring as the electronics went nuts.

Whistling from inside the ship, "you just saw that right, tell me you saw that."

"No I didn't see it Tuck, I'm trying to get my brother up," lightly slapping her brothers face, glad he was at least getting warmer to the touch but that was all.

"Good thing I'm recording this then because your going to want to watch that," tapping his PDA making sure he actually was recording everything.

(Yeah yeah yeah, kill, I get it,) Tobias sighed mouthing along with what David was saying, the power inside him combined with the Soul Shedder easily making him a match for the technology enhanced ghost. Regardless of his lack of legs David didn't slow down, still relying on the jets to move, the only real sign they had even been there to begin with were the occasional blasts of flame and sparks that lit up the icy world and causing the falling snow to melt.

Watching the movements of his old enemy he could see something in the midst of the movements that set his mind off, recognizing a target when he saw one. His right arm was moving slower then the left, it wasn't much but it was definitely slower, from the movements he guessed it was an injury caused in the fight before he arrived. (Ok how did I know that,) looking on information just jumping into his mind, an action that frightened him, but he wasn't in a situation to really look into that facet of his change.

Clacking his beck together, (here kitty kitty, come get the nice juicy bird, plenty of white meat on me,) stretching his arms wide in part joking about the light radiating off him, taunting him to try and eat him. With a snarl David shot towards him moving a top speed, the multiple weapons unfolding from his arm ready to fire when he got in point blank range. He wasn't aware he didn't stand a chance as Tobias side stepped him again, to him David might as well have been standing still and sliced up his his arm to the metal shoulder and flapping his wings back moving a good distance back.

Turning his thought speech to the others, (your going to want to move if I'm right about this because it's going to be ugly.)

"What is he talking about," Jazz growing nervous, not sure what was going on in the fight with the exception of a few ohhs and ahhs from Tucker.

"Umm," tapping on his PDA, shifting his attention from that to the screens on the consul and a hologram in the center of the ship.

"I don't like 'Umm's' Tucker."

"I think he hit a power generator on that strike and David might be in the midst of a meltdown in the next few minutes if not seconds."

Dropping her brother and hopping into the chair, "tell me your kidding me here, this is insane, how would he even know that was there?"

Shrugging, "I have no idea but we need the shields on and we need to get as far away from here as possible," flipping a switch, "Sam you need to get back here because things are about to get very hot out there, and I mean more than normal."

"Having problems of my own here Tucker," the goth hissed bouncing off one Vlad's face with her board while shooting another clone in the leg with her gun, just missing as twin beams of ecto energy missed her from his eyes. She had one Vulture entangles in her whip but in the process of doing so she'd lost her grip on it and they were both laying on the ice, the bird screaming Yiddish obstinacies at her. The other two ghost birds were taking turns diving bombing her while a third and forth Vlad launched ectoblasts at her from a distance.

"Yeah whatever they are they can't be as bad as what's coming," the boy in glasses having no clue what her situation was.

"Trust me I don't think it can be much worse than the situation I'm currently is," deflecting one shot of energy with her sword ending it into the bird with the dark glasses, and sniped the other from the sky, a blast of red cutting through his right wings and dropping him down to his partner. Lifting her board up, she caught the blast from another Vlad and made it ricochet to the Vlad that had tried to shot her with the eyes beams.

"Just get off you pampers butt and get back here," not caring what Sam was dealing with looking at the growing power out put of the suit.

"PAMPERED BUTT, OH THAT IS IT FOLEY YOU ARE A DEAD MAN!"

"You'll be deader if you don't get back here and I mean ASAP!"

Looking to the pilot, "you do know she's going to kill you now?"

Nodding , "pretty much as soon as I said the words but at least it's getting her back here and I think that's all that matters right now," watching the power levels go off the chart.

Tobias was oblivious to this knowledge, just expecting the multi weaponed arm to be disabled from the damage, not knowing what was going on underneath the surface of the flaming metal. With a roar David tore off the unfunctioning piece of machinery, losing it's flame as it fell and bounced off the ground with a thud. (Safe to say you can't feel anything now isn't it,) staying back but keeping his eyes on the boy, not missing a thing about the fight.

"Kill," the uninjured arm letting lose a torrent of energy at the bird, the shots all missing, for Tobias each coming at a snails pace allowing him to arc up over each of them without so much as a second thought.

(This is getting old David, really really old, at least when your you this feels like a fight, but your nothing more than a zombie now, not worth my time.)

"Kill," shooting forward with his jets covering the ground between himself and the empowered bird.

(Get some new materi…what,) looking down at the sword, feeling the green blade pulsate in his hand, new understand flowing into him. (Ok this is creepy,) suddenly understanding the blade and the power held within it, every facet of the weapon now at his beak and call. Looking over at David who had barley approached on him despite the speed of his movements, Tobias revelation taking only a second though seeming longer to him, (looks like a found a place to keep you after all.)

"KKKIIILLLLLLL," rocketing at the bird, an attack that proved fruitless as Tobias wings folded against his back, dropping from the sky as David passed over him, the Soul Shredder plunging into the ghost as he flew over head. A tiny amount of sparks jumped from the wound but that was all as the ghost disappeared from sight, the power of the sword sending him into the nightmare dimension.

Inside the Eclipse Jazz watched with wide eyes, "well I don't feel stupid now."

Tucker nodded numbly, after everything they'd done to try and fight him and never so much as slowing him down Tobias had simply removed him from the fight in a matter of minutes after completely dominating him. Shaking his head, forcing the thoughts away, "have to admit this feels a little like a cop out I was expecting something big to happen in order to stop him, you know one of those life and death, movie style final fights."

Looking back at the controls trying to find where Sam was in relation to them, "except this isn't a movie Tucker."

Looking at his own set of controls, while David was gone the threat of his arm wasn't, "this things still on the critical side of exploding."

"Great," Jazz's hair going white as she morphed her gorilla body quickly, she could've used the ships speakers but she wanted to make sure she got his attention. (Tobias, I don't what's going on in side you right now, but you have to listen, David's arm is going to explode and if I understand what Tuckers talking about it's going to take this segment of the Ghost Zone with him, we have to go.)

Looking over at her, seeing her through the ships windshield, but also seeing every weapon on the ship, and how best to destroy them. (On it,) looking down at the arm and spreading his wings and flying up before turning into a dive and bolting down, leaving a trail of white light following him. Or did, (whoa,) Tobias vision going dark, a wave of exhaustion he'd never felt before hitting him all at once making him lose control of his descent, and in truth his whole body as he passed out. With his body in a free fall and muscles relaxed he lost his grip on the Soul Shredder, the ghost blade plummeting to the ground ahead of him. The second his eyes closed he flared brightly, blinding all those looking at him for a few seconds, by the time they could see again he was a normal hawk again, a normal bleeding hawk, blood streaming out of every naturally occurring hole on his body, leaving a new trail in the sky.

When they noticed Sam was only a few feet from the ship, murder on her mind for the things Tucker had said to her, not knowing what was going o behind her. "I'm not going to kill him just hurt him, I'm not going to kill him just hurt him, I'm not going to kill him just hurt him," the only things she'd been saying since she escaped the seven way assault by Vlad and the birds.

"Sam," Jazz's voice coming from the speaking in her ear, the girl having demorphed in the ship, the seats not meant to support her weight, "I know you're probably mad right now but we need you to turn around an get birdie."

"Why," her voice sounding like a demon and Jazz doubted it was due to the filter in the mask.

Not looking at the flying goth, "turn around he's the red thing that can't fly," her tone strangely calm despite the pressing need for them to leave.

"WHAT," looking back at the red blob of blood, "CRAP, I'M ON IT BUT FOLLOW ME," turning on her board and speeding to the bird, her smaller more maneuverable form letting her snag Tobias out of the sky better than the Eclipse could, at least in theory. Positioning herself under him was easy enough for the tired teen, however the act of holding him proved to be far harder, the blood making him slick as she grabbed him in her arms only to drop him, the bird bouncing off the board and continuing to fall to the ice and metal arm.

"You want to actually grab him Sam," Tucker growled a little behind her, ready to grab them and run.

"Why don't you get out of that tin can and try it yourself Tuck," following the bird down and running her hands over her body, throwing the blood off. "This borders on the most disgusting thing I've ever done," grabbing one of his feet and trying to keep a grip on him, barely holding on. Shifting to power on her board with her feet the vehicle dropped down quickly by passing the bird then jolting back up slapping the bird in the tail feathers and popping him back up into her arms.

"You want to be a little more gentle with him," Jazz snarled worried the ruff treatment on him in that condition making her made.

Sam understood why Jazz snapped but couldn't help but answer in the same dangerous tone she had earlier, "this guys like a tennis ball soaked in lubricant, your lucky I can hold him at all."

"Just get him in," the Eclipse pulling over to her, the goth flying in, Tobias falling from her grip and dropped on the ground with a thud, blood splattering everywhere.

A blob hit Tucker in the back of the head, "I really don't want to know what that was do I?"

Stepping off her board and walking over to her friend, her presence making him very nervous, "that was hawk blood and your about to see your own, Tucky."

Taking a deep breath, understanding her anger, "understandable but can we wait till we're back on Earth, beating me won't do much good if we die in an explosion."

Growling under her breath, "make it fast I have a long list of things I want to do to you."

His voice becoming very small, "yes ma'am," turning the ship away from the tower and fly forward, moving the power from the weapons to the engines to gain more speed, not sure how large the explosion might be.

Jazz turned around in her chair, Sam taking over at the weapons position, while the redhead bent down next to the boys in her life, not sure what to do. Danny wasn't moving but Jazz had faith that whatever it was that healed him was working now and that he'd be up in a few hours. Tobias was another story altogether, while she knew he could heal it only worked when he morphed and it became clear after slapping him around a few times that wasn't going to happen, whatever had knocked him out not just going away. Even doing a quick morph to gorilla and screaming into his mind didn't help as far as she could tell, the bird simply out of it.

Looking back at Tucker and getting up, "we did put a first aid kit in this thing right," trying to stay calm.

"Back corner, I think in one of the boxes we loaded," Sam replied, understand Jazz's fear having held the bird, "need help?"

"Maybe," opening up a few boxes quickly and throwing the contents around till she came across the small red box and tore it open whipping out bandages and bottles of antiseptic hoping it would be enough. "The first aid classes I took, did not cover patching up birds."

Near the tower Vlad was far from happy, pulling his clones together, attributing his inability to stop Sam due to the energy he expended fighting off Daniel. His hands glowed a dark red, indicative of his anger, David was gone, the sword lost to him, and the Fright Knight and Zephyr no where to be seen, and finally the retreat of Daniel and his friends. That action more than the others worried him, they had been winning so why simply run, what was it that he was missing.

"Um boss," the bird with the glasses and the bracelet interrupted Vlad's train of thought, but stayed just out of arms reach of the halfa.

"What is it," folding his arms, making no attempt to hide his anger.

Tapping the bracelet with his other leg, "we can't find David but the rest of the suit still sending signals."

"So."

"Remember what we told you about the suit being mostly ready to go."

"Get to the point."

Flapping away, "the power source in the arm is unstable and it's about to blow," already a good deal away from the half ghost and the other two birds. He knew his cowardice would get him in trouble later, but he wasn't sure what would happen when the part ghost, part human, part alien power source would effect him or anyone else for that matter.

Vlad didn't have to be told twice taking off after the bird, the other two following in his wake, looking back at them, "remind me to make him suffer for leaving like that."

The one with bushy eyebrows nodded, "not a problem boss, just make sure we get to watch, or at least slap him around a little bit."

"I'll consider it," keeping his speed up, his thought temporarily off anything else, simply wanting to survive to see another day.

As they ran the Fright Knight, beaten, battered, cracks running up and down his suit, walked out of the tower, from his position he had heard everything, knowing that escape was now for the best. In spite of that however he couldn't bring himself to leave, not till he had his sword back. The ancient weapon might as well have been a part of him, a third arm or extra head, he wasn't just going to let it go. Reaching out he could sense the blade and knew to it quickly, knowing time was of the essence, and that every moment could be his last.

As a warrior he was dedicated to understanding weapons, to that extent he'd watching the bird make their ultimate weapon, their war suit for Vlad. In truth he didn't really understand it, but he knew enough of it to know that being near it at the moment could very well even end his after life.

Landing next to his blade, he pulled up on the green hilt, the blade coming from the ice without difficulty, from what he could tell with a quick look it was no worse for it's time in Tobias' care. "It's good to have you back old friend," lifting into the sky but not getting very far a snow ball hit him in the face.

As the ice came apart a bright blue card dropped out and in gold lettering said, _'TAKE ME WITH YOU!'_

Looking down he found the source of the card, Zephyr with a rather large sling, even for a normal sized person it would seem overly sized. "So you survived as well," floating down next to her and scooping her up, "I would've thought he would've sent someone to save you."

'_I'm a little surprised by this situation as well,' _standing up in his hand, his cold armor hurting her already frozen feet.

Looking down at the metal arm the Knight sighed, "it appears we only have one way out of this, pity," looking at the Soul Shredder.

'_Not going to like this?'_

"More than likely not," drawing his blade above his head while below them the arm exploded in a myriad of lights and energy discharges that decimated the landscape. A wave of green tore through an ice cliff equal parts melting and shattering it. A wave of flame shot in all directions melting the landscape everywhere, the ground continuing to burn due to a mix of chemicals and energies released in the blast. Shots of purple drilled to the bottom of the hovering ice, destabilizing the ice. This continued for over an hour, the batteries and power cells on the suit possessing a long life, the maelstrom of energies released scaring the land and incinerating the area that was around it. By the time it was over nothing was left of the area, not even the tower survived only a few rouge stones signifying it was still there.

* * *

**DP Style**

As soon as the five got back threw the ghost portal they scattered, hurt feelings and barely controlled anger running wild through all of them. Jazz, pulled Danny and Tobias from the ship in the basement, Sam left as the Eclipse hit the skyline, needing to get away from Tucker before she hurt him. The pilot and tech guru was left putting the ship into the cove, not that he felt bad about that, glad to have the extra time to look over the ship's systems now that the fighting was over.

Jazz had been taken care of the two the remained of the day and into the night, keeping their parents at bay. Her brother was relatively easy for her but Tobias had proven difficult having no idea what to do for him shy of waking him up or cutting him open and trying to perform some kind of surgery that she'd read about on the internet. By the time she warded the others off and tucked her brother in and made sure Tobias was clean she was as existed as the pair she was taking care of, but still her mind wandered as she watched them sleep. She thought back to what she had seen in the tower, of the vision of what she wanted in the future, she had to admit the idea was intriguing, something she wouldn't be apposed to. Feeling the small shifting of the bird in her lap, she couldn't help but wonder if that was even still a possibility not understanding what was happening to him.

It was night fall by the time Danny woke up in his bed, still swore all over, but healing quickly thanks to his powers. He was more than a little shocked to find Jazz asleep in his room, sleeping in a chair, her feet propped up on the bed, in her arms was a heavily bandaged Tobias. However it became clear to Danny after a moment the bird was still alive despite how he looked, a soft rise and fall to the bandaged letting him know the bird was breathing. Laying in bed he wasn't sure what to make of the world or what had happened, al he knew was that he'd failed on some levels and that didn't sit well with him, that and not knowing how he'd ended up in his bed.

Sam had spent more than a few hours asleep herself, like the others, but in addition she shifted between screaming and trying to spar. The action and movement helping her release some of the tension that had built up in her, it wasn't that she minded losing she just didn't have any clue what had gone on and it made her nuts, that and the vision she'd had in the tower. She understood the meaning, but it didn't change the fact that having one of her biggest fears thrown back in her face, what she now was forced to admit could've been her greatest fear.

Tucker on the other hand was feeling far better about the fight and his time in the castle, for the first time in a long while simply feeling good about himself. He hadn't wanted to admit it to himself or to the others but he'd been feeling a little lost. His friends one by one were gaining powers or reveling secret lives he didn't know about and were systematically becoming more and more involved in the fighting while he hung back. But now things were changing, he wasn't sure why but he felt like he was where he needed to be, he wasn't a fighter he knew that much, he was a scientist, a thinker, and surrounded by the equipment on the Eclipse was where he felt most useful, most vital. It was something he felt he proved today in the fighting, acting more as the eyes and ears of the others, using things other than his fists to solve problems.

When the morning light streamed through Danny's window Tobias came around, strangely the human came out before the bird, something that was for the best when his situation hit him. When the bird's mind rolled up he kept in calm as the panic of being bound swelled up in him, letting Jazz sleep. Forcing himself to stay still like the others he thought back to the day before, both on the fight against himself, but more to the point the infusion of power that had occurred. It wasn't so much the power that had hit him that made him think but what he assumed were the after effects, the fatigue and given the look of his bandages the blood loss. (Of course it's possible someone beat the crap out of me between these two points,) keeping his thoughts private, not wanting to wake the others but not believing it himself.

Wherever they where they needed the time alone to think clearly, away from their friends. Each had things to think about and many saying things in the heat of battle they wish they hadn't, particularly Sam and Tucker, even if it was said for what they hoped was the right reasons. None doubted that things would blow over but they all knew those first few moments back together would be stressful, if not dangerous depending on the person.

The next morning after they all had woke up they met back at Sam's basement-rec room. Sam was in her usual tank top and skirt but nothing else but a black and purple fluffy bathrobe that her grandmother had given her two birthdays back that felt good on her sore skin. Jazz was back in her normal clothing, Tobias' jacket around her shoulders, somewhat adopting the clothing as her own. Danny was now in over sized version of his normal shirt, like Sam, wanting something a little lighter, while Tucker was dressed normally next to his friend, one of his extra berets on his head, the only change being a black eye Sam had given him when he'd told them they were all clear of the blast, a pay back for the things he'd said to her. Finally Tobias perched on the soda machine, glad to be rid of the bandages Jazz had covered him in, more or less looking like a cliché mummy but with the odd feather sticking out, now totally healed after a quick session of morphing.

"So did this seem like a waste of time to anyone else," Tucker finally asked picking up and ice pack and putting it on his eye, one of many around the room, being used off and on by the others, even after a night none where moving all that well and enjoyed the dulling sensation of the bags.

Danny and Sam nodded to Tobias, letting him do it, (SHUT UP TUCKER,) screaming into his mind so loud that he jumped in his chair and fell out of it.

Messing with his ears out of habit, "was that really necessary," glaring up at the bird.

(They told me to and yes, we didn't need to hear it,) closing his eyes, (we all know things didn't turn out right, it happens, for the moment we need to focus on the positive.)

Slumping back into the chair, "and where is that here?"

"We're alive," Jazz sighed, sounding very far away, "and beyond that does it really matter?"

"And we stopped Vlad from getting what he wanted, and sometimes that's more important," Sam added not totally believing it herself.

"Except we don't know that we did," Danny tried to keep his voice neutral but the others could hear the fact that he was about to lose consciousness, "and there are other questions that still haven't been answered," not hiding the accusation.

Tobias tried to keep his feathers from bristling, (I told you I can't remember what went on in there, one second I'm fighting the Fright Knight the next I'm outside looking at David and I have no clue what came between those two point in time.)

"You have admit that's kinda weird."

(Danny I'm a bird, I'm part alien, I talk to dead people, and for some reason I became whatever I became out there, not being able to remember a few minutes is not exactly high on the list of things wrong with me right now,) the feathers on his head rising.

Sam groaned a load fake moan cutting the to off, "would you two just stop, it doesn't matter right now."

"Glad someone said it," Jazz moving a pillow under her head to feel better, and moved an icepack on to it, feeling a throb at her temples form.

"I'm just saying we go to answer things and all we end up getting are more questions."

"And injuries, don't forget injuries," Tucker added, still feeling good, tapping on his PDA, looking for the video file to show Sam and Danny the fight Tobias had been in till now only hearing about the confrontation from himself and Jazz.

Rolling her eyes, "like you would know anything about that," flinching suddenly, a twinge of pain running through her shoulder.

Ignoring her, satisfied with what he'd done, "you have to know your strengths and apply them, I do my best fighting from inside that ship, maybe it's cheap, but it's where I belong just like you belong on the front lines."

(Looks like someone knows himself now,) Tobias a little impressed by the confidence in his voice.

"I had time to think ya feathered hemophiliac," giving him a small smirk, or as much of one he could with the bag on his face.

Pulling his head back, the best a hawk could do to look surprised, (big words, I'm impressed.)

"I am gifted in that area," leaning back into the chair, "and for the record, all things considered the Eclipse did pretty well. Everything that went wrong with the dragons I managed to fix and outside of not being able to get at David I think she did everything we asked of her."

Reaching out and grabbing a cold soda and slapping it on his forehead Danny leaned into his own chair, "I wouldn't think to much of that, nothing really got through that armor, nothing on our side anyway," eyeing Tobias past brightly colored metal.

Fluffing his wings, (I told you I don't know how I did that, I just knew things.)

Moving a can a little, "I find it really hard to believe that knowing had anything to do with you stopping that monster."

(It did,) keeping his thoughts calm, (I just knew things, where to hit, how he'd move, I understood the weapon in my hand completely. I don't know how I did it, I just did, I think it had something to do with whatever it is I was feeling.)

"More than likely," the others a little shocked when Tucker spoke up, "I managed to get a quick scan during your fight, not much considering I was trying to time the overload but still I managed to get a few readings."

Leaning back Danny sighed and rolled his hand around in small circles, "can you get to the point here Tuck."

Pushing his glasses up, hiding his momentary embarrassment, "right the point is, I was picking something weird off you."

(Define weird.)

"Ghost signature weird," looking away from him.

Tobias and Jazz shared a look of concern, both speaking as you, "you mean I'm dead?"

"You mean he's dead," the girl blushing as they synced, realizing how stupid that sounded. "What a minute he can't be dead, I spent all night with him, he was breathing, he had a pulse, he bleed, near as I can tell ghost don't do that."

A frustrated sigh escaped his lips, "I don't claim to understand the why, at least right now but I was picking that up, it's possible that has something to do with it."

"So he's like me," Danny growing concerned there was another half ghost running around.

Shaking his head, "I'm not sure, without the right equipment I can't even begin to make an accurate guess."

Closing her eyes Jazz tapped the bridge of her nose with the side of her knuckle, "this is just a shot in the dark but is it possible what happened to me is happening here?"

Sam was the only one in the group that understood what the redhead meant, "the Fright Knight isn't like Desiree, he doesn't grant wishes or give people power."

Shaking her head, "I don't mean him I mean the sword, Tobias said they were fighting over it when a blast of energy hit it, for the most part we don't know much about it other than it's part of a set and it gives people incredible skilled in a fight." Looking over at Tobias, "I'd say that's what happened here, maybe through some weird coincidence or accident part of the sword got shifted into Tobias, that also might explain why his powers left so suddenly, they were meant for battle, when that was taken away so was everything he'd be given."

The others looked at her while they rolled the idea around in there heads, "that's a little far fetched sis," Danny the first to speak."

Shrugging her shoulders, "I'm just going with what I have right now, I'm as lost as everyone else here."

(Ok, assuming this is true for half a second,) Tobias looking at the teen, (why did I start bleeding everywhere when it stopped?)

Again she shrugged, "shot in the dark you can't contain that much power. We don't really know much about ghost energies, honestly," jerking a thumb at her brother, "Danny surviving his experience was a one in a million shot. Mixing living tissue with undead energy isn't even a science yet, it's impossible to know what's going on in you Then again you are unique it might be a reaction to the other energies in your body, or possibly because you weren't human when the fight occurred." Leaning back into the chair, a low growl slipping past her lips, "there's no real way of knowing, even if we brought my parents in there are just to many variables, to many possibilities."

Fluffing himself, (well that's always nice to hear.)

"You actually believe that," Sam a little wary of the idea.

"Like I said I'm just guessing."

Tucker decided to cut through the coming arguments, "no real point in debating it right now, at this point we're all just guessing."

(And all for putting this aside but I do want to know what's going on with me.)

Getting up and scooping him into her arms and patting him on the head lightly, "we will birdie, whatever's going on we will fix it," giving him a small kiss on the head.

For a moment Danny could feel a little vomit slip up his throat, something he forced back, unsure why he had that reaction, believing he had come to terms with their relationship even if they hadn't yet. "Alright I'm willing to look the other way right now, but it still leaves the question of what happened to the sword, I'd feel better knowing where it was."

"If we're lucky it was destroyed in the blast," rolling her shoulders, enjoying the feeling of the robe on her shoulders.

(Luck like that we don't really have.)

* * *

**DP Style**

Pieces of the stone wall gave way as Vlad hit it with a glowing hand, anger no longer blinding him, but still a long way from regaining his composure. He'd been prepared for the possibility of losing, he'd always known it was a chance even if he hadn't wanted to admit it, but to be beaten in such a way, to Daniel of all people, it enraged him to know end. Perhaps even worse than the lose was what it had cost him, his entire elite force had been taken from him, it was true he still had his birds and the animals were coming along but they couldn't compare to the other three.

"Where did he learn all those attacks," his eye glowing again, shifting and punching the wall again a little more stone giving way and bouncing off his face. "I'm older, stronger, more experienced and didn't know any of those moves."

"It's what happens when you get to focused on one thing and stop looking at the big picture," the normal looking vulture offered staying in the back corner, the three taking turns watching over him in case he ended up hurting himself.

"Meaning," despite the rage in his voice he genuinely wished for the ghosts council, his age having given him a unique outlook on existence.

Taking a deep breath, more symbolic that functional, "you stopped trying a long time ago boss, at least as your powers are concerned. You got to the point where your powers could get you power then you abandoned them, choosing to move forward like a normal man rather than the being of raw power that you are. The kid, he's not like that, he's moving forward, constantly challenged, something you aren't any more. He forces his powers to evolve and change, to grow stronger with each passing fight and experience, you, well you just run back and think of a new plan, a new way to try and bring him down to your level. Yeah right now you might be physically stronger, but he's moving faster than you, and he's found new ways to use his skills, soon, maybe sooner than you think he's going to pass you by, and then….well, no plan in the world will be able to help you."

Rolling his hands into fists that glowed red, looking every bit like they'd kill anything they hit, even a ghost, tremors flowing up his arms to his shoulders. He stayed like that for several moments before they died down and opened his hand, the energy wafting away. "What can I do," the words small, and tasting bitter in his mouth, more so then when he had to pretend to like Jack when he was around Maddie.

"At the moment all you can do is train, try and become stronger like the kid, but that doesn't mean you should give up your plans, just make time for other things. Right now your biggest edge on him isn't your strength but your mind, that's what can maneuver you into a victory, all the same that alone won't save you at least if you continue to walk the path your on."

"Why do you insist in talking in riddles," the contradictions in those statements confounded him.

"Knowledge is only truly understood when it is wrestled to the ground and forced into submission, when it's made your, only is it truly integrated into your life and thinking."

"I know I've said this before, but I hate you," it was impossible for the bird to know if the half ghost was serious or joking.

Bowing slightly on his perch, "I exist to serve."

"Never forget that," turning from the ghost and punching the wall again, this time not bothering to use his powers, liking the rush of pain that swept through him.

"I neve...r…do," cocking his head to the side, something stirring in him, something about the situation feeling wrong all of a sudden.

Looking back at the bird, also feeling something was wrong, "I don't like this," bracing himself for an assault only to have the ceiling above him begin to swirl into a vortex of red, silver and brown. "Don't see that every day," Hovering away from it, backing against a wall incase whatever came out wanted a fight. A fight however didn't come as David, still incased in his armor, but now losing his flaming form hit the floor with a thud, behind him the Fright Knight with Zephyr sitting in his open hand, curled into a ball and shivering, the pair floating down, the vortex collapsing in on itself a moment later.

"Well how'd you like that, the kids and their babysitter came back."

A small growl escaped from the battering warrior, one of aggravation and tolerance, while neither would say the words they were both glad to see each other still moving. "I apologies for the delay in our return, I had difficulty navigating the nightmare realm," looking down at the female mouse, "she didn't fare well to her first trip of my creation."

"But you did," not knowing his Knight could travel through that realm before, the ghost never mentioning it.

Nodding, "I don't do it much, it's an action I find," pausing and looking for the right word, "distasteful, unlike the others I'm immune to the places power, but it doesn't mean I particularly enjoy being surrounded by the nightmares of others."

Vlad choose his words carefully, the situation catching him by surprise, "understandable there are things few beings wish to be surrounded by, even those hardened by battle."

Resting his hand on the hilt of his blade, "very true."

Looking from Zephyr to David, "what is there condition?"

Patting the small rodent gently, or as much as he could given his metal gauntlet, "her nightmares simply overwhelmed her, she will recover in time, she surprisingly strong for someone her size. As for him," looking down at David, "I'm not completely sure, the realm had no effect on him, though I think that may be to his addition," eyeing the Charm of Soll Thild around the ghosts neck.

"A precaution I made, I felt it might be something I would need soon rather than later."

"All the same I'm unsure of his condition, the Charm seems to be suppressing everything about him, he technically be alive, so to speak, but it's not much of an existence."

Lightly kicking the armor with the tip of his foot, "I don't really care about the nature of his way of life, I just need a warrior to carry out my wishes." Enjoying the emotionless look on his face, "besides he's much easier to control this way and I think that's more important right now. "

Looking from David to Vlad, "you do have a point there," keeping his voice even, emotionless, making it impossible to know if he approved of what the half ghost had done or not.

The coolness in the Knights tone made him uneasy but he choose not to act on it, wanting to present a strong face in front of him. Looking to the bird, "get the others, I want him moved to the lab, have a full diagnostic run on the suit, it did well for a first test but I want to know everything about how it handled."

Nodding, "on it, but I'm not sure what good that'll do," looking at the suit, "that things seen better days, it's possible the systems are to fried to get anything useful."

"I don't care just do it," keeping his eyes on the black clad warrior, twin rings running over him as he retook his human form, tugging on the lapels of his suit. Feeling a little more comfortable, "now tell me about the sword, did you get it."

"No," the word speaking volumes to Vlad even though he didn't show it.

For a moment the only sound was Vlad breathing threw his nose, "I'm going to make this simple," shifting into his board room voice, a mix of authority and cool distance, as though daring someone to give him bad news. "I want to know what happened to my sword, nothing more, if I don't like what I hear," inhaling sharply and letting the point drop.

"Tobias and I struggled over the sword, proving himself a worthy challenge and a skilled warrior."

"I don't care," looking at the points of light that made up the Knights eyes.

"During the struggle something occurred within the blade, though I've never seen this exact form I recognized it as a defense spell placed on the weapon. In the midst of the struggle the blade began to emit and energy I've never seen encountered before, an arc hitting the bird and driving him into the far wall. Even during the chaos I was bale to keep my eye on it, the blade seemingly converting into energy and vanishing into a thousand directions at once, a piece flying of it's own accord."

"Your telling me the most powerful weapon in existence is now in a thousand piece?"

"Perhaps," for a moment seeming like he was bringing his hand together before stopping when he remembered Zephyr. "I've seen like this before, though never to this degree, the weapon may have indeed scattered to all corners of the Ghost Zone, or it may have, or will soon, reform in another place."

Vlad watched the Knight during the explanation, looking for any sign of deception on his part and evaluating the plausibility of the story. "What are the odds after going through all that there's be more security," the question coming off more rhetorical than anything else.

"We are talking about a very powerful weapon and we did…cheat, as you say in this time, it's conceivable that the king anticipated this and in the events the weapon did not go to the victor of the challenge that it would flee, go to some place else to await the next that would dare claim it."

Bringing his hand to his beard and stroking it, turning the idea over and over in his mind, "the tower did seem to be overly prepared for any situation, and that would be consistent with what the legends say about him."

Nodding his head, "indeed it would, there is a reason he has the reputation that he does."

"The question is where did it go, I say nothing in the text to indicate something like this."

Pulling his hand from his blade and lightly stroking Zephyr with it, "would you write down everything you had planned for such a place or would you leave a few booby traps for your enemies."

The Knights words had a ring of truth, and it is what he'd do in such an event, "but that still doesn't say where it went."

"More than likely in a place Gadron would deem safe, in retrospect I doubt he would just leave it floating in the Ghost Zone where anyone can get to it."

Something in Vlad's mind snapped when he heard that but remained calm, "you've put a lot of though into this, more than you normally do."

At the accusation his fire grew brighter, more dangerous, "in that realm there is little to do and if one does not keep their mind occupied it can lead to insanity. The only things I had to think of was the fight with the bird, something that was purely my own, his transformation, or of the mystery of the sword, something I knew you'd want to know, and as my master I am honor bound to give. We both know that if I had come to you with nothing you would've been incensed, I wasn't going to come to you with nothing but an explanation of what I'd seen."

That took Vlad back a step, the anger he was expecting, the raw clarity of the situation, that surprised him a great deal. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, "your proving that my faith in you has proven to be well placed, that would've been the case. Very good Knight," turning from him, "and what of your belief as far as the birds new power."

"Given his proximity to the sword and the knowledge of never seeing such a change before from him, I've come to think it was a boon granted by the weapon, a momentary gift given to the victor of the challenge, one it viewed as worthy, in order to win a battle."

"Will he continue to retain this power?"

"Doubtful," moving his hand back to his sword, "power like that would burn a ghost out in a few days, I can't imagining a living creature surviving for more than a few hours."

"And if it persists?"

Gripping the hilt of his weapon tightly, "then I wouldn't be concerned, he will die very soon, of course then we will have the problem of him as a ghost but that is easier to take care of, I believe Walker could help us a great deal considering I doubt the bird would willingly work with him. They both have strong beliefs of right and wrong, those idea why'll similar are not mutually inclusive."

"True," the birds flying threw the door as he said it, looking to them, "after you have suit set up I want surveillance begun on Daniel and Tobias, I want to know about the changes that have happened to them, more to the point I want to know if the bird shows any signs of the power he displayed in the fight yesterday."

"Yeah sure give us a few more things to do, not like we don't already have a lot on our talons," neither could tell which of them said it as they pulled the scrape heap that was David up through the ceiling.

Watching them disappear, "there are time why I wonder why you put up with them."

"As I've said they have their uses, as you well know, but for now to much has happened all we all need time to relax and recuperate, nothing will be solved from rash action at the moment."

"Then I take it I can leave," being more a statement than a request, walking past him.

Watching him leave the room, "so many things have happened, so many plans have fallen apart, it does make one wonder what will happen next."

Walking threw the halls and hovering through various walls and floors he quickly came to the animal room as the birds called it. It was the habitat of the altered ghost animals, a mix of an artificial forest and a lab where they could run free and Vlad could work on them from time to time without taking them to the primary lab in the mountain cabin-compound. When he came in the other animals ran to him, while they were still ruled to a degree of their primal instincts, they had a bond to the others of there pack regardless of if they were foes in life.

The wolf cocked her head as he placed Zephyr on the ground, obviously concerned over the smallest member of their family, nuzzling her with her nose. "She is strong," he assured her, "she will survive but give her time to recover." With a small nod the wolf picked up the rodent with her mouth and padded off with her, disappearing into the woods.

"Take care little one," turning from the animals and phasing through the wall, he refused to say anything for fear of being recorded but he was worried about her. She shown a great deal of skill in the fight, till now he hadn't had much exposure to her, and to say the least he was impressed. Perhaps more than her skill in a fight it was the time in his realm that impressed him even more, she's lasted several hours, never giving up, never surrendering to the phantoms of her mind, that more than anything else amazed him, rarely seeing such determination in anyone. While she didn't strike at them like Tobias but she did endure against them and their tortures they inflicted on her.

Moving into his private chambers he made several passes looking for any sign of a recording device, finding more than a few, but that was expected and they were easy enough to remove. When he was satisfied that he was now alone he relaxed, the armor slumping all around him, suddenly feeling very heavy on his ghost form. Pulling a chair out and slumping into it, his energy gone, the trip threw his realm taking more out of him than he wanted to admit. It was the same every time he went into the realm, he could survive it, navigate it, but it took a great deal out of him when he did it

"It's day's like this I wish I were still in my pumpkin," pulling the Soul Shredder from it's sheath, "but then I wouldn't have you would I." Reaching his other hand out and running it over the blade he popped the long thin needle from it's resting place on the green weapon. To anyone looking, and understood what they were seeing it would seem like a normal weapon, but the Knight knew better, the weapon growing and changing in his hand till it was once more the Lightning Blade, complete and unaltered.

He laughed lightly as he placed the weapon on the table before him, as light as it was in his hand it still felt like carrying a world in his fatigued state. "I can't believe that fool actually bought it, that he thought the sword actually vanished into the night, or is going to appear elsewhere." Vlad had been so sure he was the only one that understood the weapon, that it's secrets had been lost to the years, but that was far from the truth. For many years he'd been the string right arms of Pariah Dark, and while the one time self proclaimed ruler of the Ghost Zone hadn't known about the sword it didn't mean he didn't have record of it hidden away in his possession, he just didn't know about it. He'd come across them long ago, and had longed to see the weapon, to hold it, to study it, and above all else to use it. He knew of it's powers and origin, how King Gadron had sacrificed a thousand warriors and strategists, had forced their combined skills into the blade allowing any who would hold it to have that same knowledge and skill. Not only that but the weapon could assume any form to best maximize that skill, thousands of weapons were now at his disposal.

"Of course there are draw backs," the pain a sharp reminder to what he had read, more proof that what he knew of the swords legend was indeed true. Not before even entering the realm of nightmares he'd be drained, drawing on the power of the sword, the down side of the weapon. The three were linked to use one without the other two was dangerous, using two in tandem was a risk but one far better than the situation he now found himself in. "I need to get the ring," he spoke quietly to himself, "but first I need to put the sword back together," the sword itself letting him know a small part of it was now inside Tobias, an accident of mixing energies.

"The power inside him is dangerous," looking at the blade, "it will make him a force that can shake the Ghost Zone to the core," the lights of his eyes vanishing for a moment, "provided he doesn't die fromit raging inside him." What he had said to Vlad wasn't a total lie, the power in the boy would indeed kill him soon if it wasn't removed, how long that was he couldn't be sure, but it would happen, the question for the Knight became you of simplicity, "how do I get it out of him without forcing a fight against both the bird, his friends, and Vlad," it was a fight he knew couldn't win, not yet, not without careful planning or more specifically the other three artifacts.

Leaning back and sighing looking at the cracking and dents in his armor, "this day did not go as I planned but as a first step it was well worth it. I managed to keep the Lightning Blade out of Vlad's hands, I've made a fair assessment of Tobias, Daniel, and even Zephyr, and David has been removed from future engagements, at least for the time being." That last thought made his fire die down a little on his head, "of course I doubt that will last long, the charm was never meant to be used indefinably." Sighing, "that aside this was a good day, new possibilities have appeared and I was right on many of my judgments and my ultimate goal is one step closer."

Reluctantly rising to his feet and pulling the scroll from it's hiding place, saying the small chant and activating the magic within it bringing Tobias' image up. Pulling the quill out and adding a few more details to his profile, "yes young one, very soon you will be ready to receive my tutelage, to become a true warrior, if you survive this perhaps sooner than even I'm prepared for." Adding the last few details, altering the profile to reflect his new powers and form before beginning to draw the new incarnation of the bird, making sure to add the proper level of detail to the image attempting to make it perfect, his mind wondering back to the last time he'd put so much work into an image, the though forcing a stab of pain to run through him as though a sword had been thrust into his body. Clutching his chest as the pain hit him, the lights of his eyes glowing dark as the pain became real, after a moment the feeling subsided but he didn't remove his hand, "I haven't felt that in a long time, I had hoped that wound would heal." After a moment he moved his hands putting them on his helmet and after a moment pulling the metal free, filling the room with bright purple light, and turned to the mirror in the room, looking at the wound inflicted from a fight long passed, the memories flooding into him.

* * *

**Authors notes**

This one took a while to finish, as I said part was from going on vacation, the other side was the major rewrites that kept occurring as the chapter went on. At the beginning I had a good idea what I wanted to do here, and that's still reflected, but at the same time things kept changing. I started realizing what I had planned would do more harm than good to the story but I still really liked the primary ideas surrounding most of the ideas. In the end that lead to a compromise with myself that would let me keep certain points in but do them in a way that would help certain lesser ideas I had. You'll understand what I'm talking about as the others chapters show up.

Yes I sorta took David out of the picture but I think I gave him a nice send off letting you see some darker sides of him, or more to the point showed you his inner desires. I really tried to present those it a way that was both really dark, but at the same time not actually saying anything so a lot was left to your imagination as to what he did for that 'year'. This probably isn't the last time you'll see 'robo- David' or normal psycho rapist David, I just want to give myself things to experiment with.

Yep I brought in the Ecto-skeleton but altered, for the most part I just really liked the part in Reign Strom when Danny changed it transforming and expanded it to the next level.

Tucker, I have to talk about Tucker, up till now I was kinda ignoring him, focusing on the others and giving them all this skills and abilities, but this is my answer to all that. As I said the others are front liners, they go into the fight head first, Tucker's not like that, he has the ability to do that but he likes sitting back and being in the ship where he can do things the others can't, he likes the protection but also the understand the Eclipse give him from the sensors. That's not say he'll always be in the ship, but that's where he feels comfortable.

In case I didn't really set it up that well Vlad has been through a major set back, and he now stands on a precipice one that makes him very dangerous as he considered his next move. As I said after he got to a certain point with his powers he just stopped no longer needing to look for more skills, yes he's stronger, but that won't last so guess where that's going to lead him.

The Fright Knight as you may have noticed has a few of his own plans in mind, mostly involving Tobias, expect those to make sense as the story goes on

And once more I bring up the idea of Tobias and Jazz's kid, granted she's a delusion in Jazz's head but I still like the idea of bringing this idea to my story.

I know I shafted Sam towards the end (giving her a very brief fight scene against Vlad and the birds) and played her out of character a little (hitting Tuck). Hitting him in my head made sense, she was under stress and so was she, as for cutting her scene so short well, I tried to write it but realized I couldn't, what I saw in my head was so face paced and violent it bordered on superhuman, which Sam isn't and more to the point I think letting you imagine the fight is better.

And yes I considered not letting you know what was going on with Tobias and having it be a secret as the stories progressed that everyone had to figure out, but I just couldn't justify it to myself, so I figured let everyone reading know what's going on but not the guy it's happening to. This way I get to play up the 'every fight could literally be his last with a pulse' angle, something we know but he doesn't which I grant you is a gamble but I like the idea.

Ok because I know someone will ask, it, yes I know I'm reusing the bird-human hybrid form but there is a reason for that. I don't know if I'm ever going to get to this in the series so I'm just going to say it, the hybrid form is Tobias 'ghost'. Yep I said it it's his ghost form, or at least his current form, this body has been used three times now, once with The Ellimist, once in the Saber future and now and this is why. In my mind, for this world, as we exist our afterlife body is formed by what we do and who we are, it changes as we change, right now this is Tobias, if he died that's how he'd look most of the time when his ghost powers aren't active. As he goes along in can change, but this is his current ghost. When he dies he can also change his ghost, but it takes longer, I don't know why it just does, that's why the 10+ year future Tobias still look like the current ghost, he hasn't been around long enough to change it since it's now a slower process. Does that mean we'll be seeing Tobias ghost full time in the near future, only time will tell, I changed ideas multiple times writing this I can do it again for the other chapters.

Oh and a weird thing, it's always funny when the source material supports fan ideas. I came up with the idea of Sam becoming a hunter it turns out in the show she's highly athletic. Now we have Reality Trip, where it we learn Tucker has a little thing for Furries, and I've been building the possibility of a Tucker Nikki relationship which is sorta furry. Creepy when stuff like that happens.

That's enough of this, I'm probably missing things but I don't care, if you have questions ask in the reviews, so of course.

**R&R**


	22. Blood in the Water p1

**Tobias POV**

I let the wind hit me in the face straight on, my eyes held shut tightly, letting the cold bite push back other thoughts and pretend for a few moments I was really flying. I tried not to linger on the frustration I was feeling but it wasn't working, the thoughts just crept creeping into my mind. (I hate tests.)

Looking up I was just reminded that I wasn't flying, the skyline not moving, the building still in front of me, the Fenton's home under my feet. For the last three days I'd been poked, prodded, scanned, and been exposed to things I couldn't even begin to understand. All those tests still led to the same conclusion, they had no clue what had happened to me.

It wasn't that they hadn't made progress, it just wasn't very fast and what they did know, they didn't really understand. All they really knew was I had a ghost signature now, aside from that it was all guess work as Jazz liked to put it. They had worked up almost a dozen theories where'd I'd gotten my powers, half dozen on the bleedings, nearly twenty on the new body, and past that I didn't really care. Between the Fenton's equipment and the modified hardware on the Eclipse I'd be happy to never have another physical as long as I lived, (and died for that matter,) mutter to myself.

(At least it hasn't happened again,) I sighed looking up at a cloud, the darkness of it was the latest sign it was might rain in the near future.

I was brought out of my thoughts, or lack there of by a creek behind me, the sound of the steps letting my know it was Sam before I looked, her combat boots making a distinctive sound on the metal. "I know you don't want to hear this," staying back, less afraid than wanting to give me some space, "but the mad scientists have a few more things they want to look at."

Mad scientists was a nick name we'd given Jazz and Tucker over the last few days as they did just about everything they could to me. (Yeah yeah,) turning to her and hop-flapping over to the small hatch, catching a glimpse at her face. Out of all the others Sam was strangely the most sympathetic to me since the tests had begun, becoming the voice of reason to the others and making sure they backed off an gave me time to rest between barrages. Something about the way she looked while this was going on made me think she'd had a little experience in this area, but exactly how I wasn't sure. I'd doubted she'd ever been sick, at least bad enough to be hit with this many procedures but it didn't mean she didn't know what I was going through in some sense.

"You sure you don't want to call it a day," her voice even, at least for a human, but I could hear the slight waver that said she wanted me to stop.

Shaking my head and looking up at her, (I have to know what's going on, I'm no stranger to things like this and I just want to be sure I'm not going to become a danger to you guys.)

"Nothing says you will," pulling th door up for me

(Nothing says I won't either,) dropping down through it to be bombarded to another round of insane tests that probably wouldn't tell me anything.

* * *

**DP Style**

"Well I can scratch veterinarian off the list of possible career paths list," unwrapping the gauze from his arm, the long cut still obvious but at least now it had stopped bleeding. "Oh sure Tucker," hissing to himself doing his best imitation of Tobias, "I have full control of the mind, I won't move at all, yeah right," wrapping his arm back up and rolling his sleeve back in place.

Then again he couldn't really blame him for losing it, in order get the right readings Jazz had to run a sensor up his butt, "who designs anything like that," running his hand over the wound again. "I am surprised he held out as long as he did though," Tobias having laid still, fully conscious for almost half an hours before the hawk finally took over and tried to tear the cable out with his beak. "And I had to be the one to try and stop him," shaking his head, one of Tobias talons cutting into his arm, all because he didn't want him to hurt himself forgetting that wasn't really a possibility, a least permanently.

Pulling off his hat and scratching his head he let the thoughts slip away, it wasn't that bad and he could hide it till it healed, just keep his sleeves rolled down. That was something he was very grateful for, his fear of hospitals flaring up, just shy of terrified of what they'd do to him if he needed stitches. Putting it aside and focusing on his work reminding himself that he had things to do. After the little incident they'd all decided to call it a night and Tobias was understandably a little touchy and headed off to do the bird thing for a while which left Tucker time to come down, catalog and run some tests on everything they'd collected during the day and add it to the rest.

He had to admit he was starting to like coming down the Eclipse alone and work, it wasn't that he minded the other coming with him, but they usually just distracted him while he did so. Laughing a little, "people kept saying how machines become my world, they probably didn't know how right they were," not for the first time looking around the interior of the ship and marveling at everything on board and just how far beyond what anyone else had it was. "Just imagine what I could do with all this stuff if I could reverse engineer it, Richest Man on Earth Tucker Foley, King of Machines Tucker Foley, Billionaire Playboy Tucker Foley," the last one bringing a smile to his face as he leaned back into his chair and enjoyed the fantasy for a moment.

Then again he was well on his way, the ship having several plans held in it for various inventions, most derived from the equipment inside the ship. He had new communication systems nearly ready to go, had cobbled together the beginning of an understanding of the fight systems and engines, even part of the cloak's mysteries were unraveling to him. Not everything was from the ship though, he had a few plans hidden away that had a more specific propose, ghost hunting, most of that came from the ghost glove Danny had brought back and parts of the other Fenton inventions. The only real problems he has was lack of resources and skill, simply not having the ability to built what he needed even if he wanted to.

Sighing, "someday, I will have those skills, that knowledge, but till then I'll wait and plan, and sooner or later I'll get it done."

His eyes snapping open he slapped the top of his head, "focus man, you can do this bed," and starting to download the information from his PDA into the ships computers. It only took a few seconds, and most of that was from Tucker finding the files, the new information quickly joining the old ones. Tapping the interments he looked at everything together, not surprised when he realized he had no idea what any of it actually meant. "I understand a lot of things this just isn't one of them," looking at the biological and ghostly data, "if this was a machine I could probably figure it out but this is just beyond me."

Leaning back he wasn't sure what to do, or that he really needed to do anything, this was Jazz's show and he made no pretence about running it. He might've known how to work all the equipment but that was as far as it went on his end, the interpretation was all hers. In spite of that he looked over the data for a few minutes, trying to find some link between everything and knowing that more or less wasn't going to happen, but he liked a mystery and this was a big one.

The speed of his finger drumming on the consul speed up as the frustration grew inside him till it quickly filled the small room and jumped out of the chair to calm down and closed his eyes tightly repressing a scream of annoyance. Shaking himself all over and pushing his glasses up and dropped back into his chair, "ok enough of this, and I'm not wasting my time anymore," bringing the engines back online he pushed it forward and dove into the water from his spot on the beach in the cloaked ship.

Moving effortlessly through the water, he started to feel better, pushing the feeling of inadequacy out of his head while watching the local fish swim by him. "Not quite as nice as flying but this is still pretty cool," watching the murky world fly by him, easily avoiding any ships or swimmer in the area. The others didn't know he did this, he told them he occasionally flew around to test the various instruments, but he never said that he sometimes just did it for the sake of doing it. "Then again it's not like the others don't do this to, only they can do it naturally or on a smaller scale."

After a few minutes he found himself well away from the little cover they kept the ship and ended up in the main harbor of Amity Park, figuring it would be a nice place to explore for a few minutes, occasionally looking for sunken treasure or sunken anything for that matter. The water was also a little choppier here, the larger ships moving in and out of the area, and while it didn't really effect the handling of the ship it made avoiding the obstacles a little harder.

Spotting something down below, "and if you look down on your left you'll see a ghost ship containing a pack of idiot ghost pirates, don't worry folks they're harmless, and they can't get out," enjoying occasionally slipping into his pilot alter ego. "I wonder how old Youngblood is doing anyway," moving closer to the ghost ship, the green aura still around it, letting Tucker know the ghost shield was still active. After a quick sweep he didn't see anything or anyone suspicious inside the ship and started pulling away, "well that's odd," flipping on the Fenton Finder installed in the ship, glad to see two energy signatures light up on the screen. "Well nice to know everybody's still in there," pulling away from the ship, not wanting to get to close.

"Ok time to take this girl out to sea and opener her up," maneuvering away from the glowing ship, a ripple hitting him as another ship passed over head, it didn't do anything to him but it did make him pause. Sighing to himself, "better hold back a little I don't want to sink anyone here," looking up and watching the ship over head move away from him relatively slowly compared to his own speeds in the harbor. Leaning back in the chair and drumming his fingers on the consul, having nothing else to do he looked back at the ghost ship, "well now I know how you feel."

"HEY YOU," the sound making Tucker jump as Youngblood looked out at him from behind the green energy barrier. "Let us out and I'll give you a share of the booty from my first heist."

The skeletal bird hovering next to his shoulder, "you mean pillage."

"Whatever," glaring at the bird, "what do you say," looking over at Tucker.

Bringing the ship close, nearly setting it on the ocean floor, giggling a little at the use of the word booty, "you could give me everything you took and I'd still leave you in there."

"What…why," pouting, "and why'd you get the sweet looking ship?"

The bird coughed loudly, "I believe the words you're looking for is where did you locate the fine seafaring vessel?"

"Considering your not going to be getting out of there I don't think it really matters," looking up at the ship now far away from him, "and that would be my signal to get going," turning the ship and powering it out into the ocean, kicking up the silt and derbies as the mock-sub moved.

Watching the ship move from sight Youngblood turned and kicked the wreckage of his ship with his peg leg, "I WANT OUT!"

"Acting in such a way is not becoming of a captain, even a pirate captain, you must set an example to the men under you command."

"WHAT MEN," barking at the bird, "WE'RE ALL ALONE HERE!"

"All the same you should," looking out at the water, "DUCK," diving down.

"I thought you were a parrot," doing a double take at him not understanding where that had come from. His answer came as he looked out seeing a chuck of spinning metal fly through the water and cut through the shield and break through the hull of the ship. "WHAT WAS THAT," flying out of the way, having followed the trail of the metal with his eyes as it passed.

"I believe our visitor disrupted the ocean currents causing a shift in the seabed and given the rubble in the vicinity caused a backlash of said unclaimed salvage."

The young ghost looked at him with a blank look on his face, "what," he finally managed to get out, the single word encompassing everything he was thinking at the moment.

"The ship made that thing move," pointing with his bony wings," not for the first time wondering what he'd done to get stuck babysitting the ghost.

That he understood and followed the path of the metal missile wondering what it was, "cool, think we can get him back here maybe make him kick up some more stuff?" Slipping through the new hole in the broken ship he stopped at what he saw, the bird joining him a moment later, the parrot growing nervous when his charge stopped speaking, that was never a good thing in his experience.

"Do I want to know what's going on in here?" almost afraid that he'd tell him.

"Um," pointing at the propeller now lodged in the ship, "I can't tell if that's a good thing or not."

The bird wasn't sure himself, a propeller now lodged in the Fenton Ghost shield control panel, something they hadn't been able to touch due to the auxiliary shield around it. Flying over through the water and examining the damage, "I'm not sure," looking at it from ever angle and reaching out with his foot, the shield still in place.

"Ah man I was hoping we were going to get out and go on a pillaging spree," hanging his head.

"No such luc..," watching something jump from the consul, then another, a bright light that the ghost could almost swear was a spark. "Then again we might get out of here," hoping he was right and the wreckage had caused enough damage to free them.

"So we are getting out of here?" floating up next to the bird.

Shrugging, "I'm not sure, this is complicated, I don't know anything about this."

"But if we are? Can we go out and pillage again, maybe get some wenches?"

"You to young for wenches," flapping his wings, "and if nothing else the ships not in the best of conditions right now for such an action, we'll have to fix it."

Waving him off with his hook hand, "forget that, we don't need this pile of lumber I want the ship the other guy was it," practically salivating over the vehicle. "Now that was a real ship, power, speed, weapons…I think, anyway it has to be better than this piece of crap.,"

"You mean to say it's a more sea worthy vessel and this ship has become derelict."

"Whatever," waving him off, "I just know I want that ship."

Flapping over and landing on his shoulder, "I hate to break this to you but I don't think he'd coming back."

Shrugging, "like I care," pointing out into the ocean, "he went that way, so the ship must be out there to, docked somewhere in the endless ocean, maybe under it. So that's where I'm going to go look then I'm coming back here and burning with place to the ground."

"Not the most pirate way of putting it, but I think that will work."

* * *

**DP Style**

Danny couldn't help but yawn it'd been a long night for him and a longer morning, between his sister going nuts trying to figure out what was wrong with Tobias, his parents latest creation, and his usual visit from Dash, who was still trying to claw his way back to his former position on the social ladder. Said visit had gotten him slammed into several lockers at once, the crunch of the metal causing a tiny commotion. While a few people had cheered for him, more than a few told him to knock it off, more and more people in school finally having a enough of him since Tobias' beating at school.

"I'm guessing you already got your morning harassment," Sam's voice from right behind him making him jump slightly not knowing she was back there.

Clutching his chest for show and turning to her, "do you have to do the ninja thing," a little extra energy in his voice but keeping the volume normal.

Leaning against the lockers, a book under one arm, "what can I say, it's a gift," her normal scowl was missing, in it's place was a look of contentment, "sorry I'm late by the way."

Waving it off, "it's ok Jazz wanted to come in early figured I'd join her get her mind on anything else."

"Still that bad huh?"

"She's always bad but now she's worse, she keeps thinking she's onto something then it just disappears in her hands. You know same old same old. Then there's my dad and his latest toy, also same old same old."

She was almost afraid to ask but did so anyway, "what now?"

"He has this thing he calls the Fenton Crammer, basically it shrinks things."

She almost didn't believe that, "your kidding, that's amazing, that could actually be useful, and I mean in ways other than ghost hunting."

Rolling his eyes, "in theory, unfortunately he can't find anything he shrinks, so we don't know where it is, let alone if it actually works or just destroys things. So far he's used it on his golf clubs, a Fenton Finder, the refrigerator, and half my CD collection."

"Ouch."

"Very much ouch."

"Can you blame them though, I mean your sister finally has something in her life that to her feels normal and now it's just been ripped away, most people would be kinda nuts after that, and since she's a Fenton, and for you that translates to her becoming obsessed, just like her mother, her dad, and just like her brother," looking him dead in the eyes, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Face it you knew this was coming, it never ends at your place. As for your dad well, that also falls into the 'it's your family it never ends' category."

Taking half a step back, this version of Sam, this early in the morning was making him a tiny bit nervous, "just to be clear here," taking the other half step back, "you are Sam right not some evil ghost clone bent on making me crazy?"

The tiny smile grew as she moved up to him, lightly pressing her body to his and bringing her arms around his neck, "what do you think," her hands shooting up just behind his head and pulling her body back giving him a double head slap.

Jumping back a little shocked and rubbing the large spot that was forming, his question answered, "I know your real, how about some answers? Why are you so happy, or whatever it is you are right now?"

Leaning back against the lockers, "good night sleep, I woke up and nothing hurt, but mostly my parents told me they're taking a seconds honeymoon and I get to stay here with my grandmother," the last past giving her a huge grin, "and I'm going to say that last part again because I love it I get to stay here with my grandmother!"

"Well that answers a lot," like Sam he really liked Ida, aside from being funny, relaxed, and genuine she actually enjoyed him being around, or at least she wasn't constantly threatening him with restraining orders.

"Oh yeah, two weeks," holding two fingers up, "count 'um two week of being with my grandmother, the only one in my family that actually gets me, this is going to be great, I love it," throwing her arms in the air.

"Oh don't tell me you just proclaimed you love for him, please tell me I didn't miss it," Tucker walking up to them only catching part of the conversation, mostly the 'love' part.

The pair glaring back at him and speaking as one, "shut up Tuck," the sync making them look at each others, their eyes meeting for a few moments and causing a blush to spread over them.

"Ah true love," laying a hand on his laced fingers, jumping back as Danny looked at him again a tiny hint of green in them, "and now I'm shutting up."

"Good idea," Sam moving over so he could get in his locker, "so short version, parents leaving, two weeks with grandma, for once the world love me."

Rolling his eyes, "yeah that'll last, watch wherever they're going burn to the ground the day before they leave."

"Well considering they're going a cruise I'd love to see that happen, if nothing else fore the irony of a boat burning while surrounded by water," a tiny shudder running through her body, something the boys didn't see.

"All the same watch something go wrong.," digging a few notebook out.

Danny cocked his head slightly, "so what's bringing all this on, generally Sam has the dark out look and you're the happy one."

Slipping things into his backpack, "basically your sister is going to want things from me I can't give her, oh and this," pointing at his arm, knowing his meant the cut on his arm. "It's itching like crazy, I thought that only happened when you had stitches."

"Different people do different things, hey be grateful if that's the worst you ever get mister don't let me near the scary doctors."

"Thank you very much Sam," the three starting to walk down the hall to their first class, midway there passing Paulina, Star and a few other cheerleaders talking up a storm, Paulina stopping for a moment as she and Tucker looked at each other a tension felling the air that Danny and Sam noticed but the other girls didn't. The feeling didn't stop even as both parties were out of sight of each other.

As the tension grew the conversation between the three stopped, Danny finally breaking the silence as they turned into the classroom, "do I want to know what's going on right now?"

"It's complicated," taking a deep breath and keeping his voice down so the few others in the room didn't hear, not wanting it to get around, something he'd promised the teen. "I found out the online thing wasn't a trick and she was trying to meet someone without them actually seeing her so that she could find out if people liked her for her personality or if they liked her because of her reputation."

"And how did that translate into you meeting after only talking, what twice," Danny a little confused.

Doing a sorta motion with his hand, "I giver her points for the plan, but she didn't have much of an idea of how to go about it. Basically she figured talking online a few times was enough and that things would go perfect from there. To put it bluntly I had to actually explain things to her so that she actually got that you had to talk to a person for a few months before you should even come close to meeting someone, she hadn't even considered the fact I might be some crazy killer."

"Wow that just doesn't sound like her."

"That's what I said when she told me the same thing, but call me crazy but I believe her, I mean think about it, all we ever see in the face and the reputation, we don't really know her that well, I guess she wanted to see if people could actually like her before they knew that side of her."

"Princess grace played you Tuck, there is no way she's like that, we've known her years and she's never shown any sign of that."

"I know," slumping down and leaning his elbows on the desk, "but you weren't there, I really do think that's what she wants, what she has wanted for years but just never knew how to go about doing it."

"I still say you got played," leaning back into her chair.

A soft growl escaped his lips, "just because you are who you are all the time it doesn't mean everyone is, some people have different personalities in different situations."

Danny just looked at him, a little shocked at the words, "your starting to sound like my sister."

Pushing his glasses up and trying not to blush, "I ran across that little bit back when I was trying to impress your sister and it just stayed with me all these years."

"I've said it before I'll say it again eewww," leaning back in his chair.

"Say what you want," leaning closer to the pair, "just do me a favor and keep a lid on this I promised not to spread it around and I'd like to actually keep that promise, I know that's rare for me but I'd like to try."

Not believing he was going this far for Paulina of all people, a girl that had made all their lives miserable in one way or another over the years. "Fine sure, not like it really matters, even if it got out it's not like anyone would believe it for a second."

"Sam," he warned other people coming into the room and sitting down, the decibel level shooting up quickly as several conversations turned into white noise.

* * *

**Jazz POV**

I knew I should've been paying attention but I just couldn't, my mind on the same thing it had been on for the last few days, what was going on with Tobias. I'd gone up and done the information, turned it over in my mind eighteen different ways and was no closer to having any clue what it meant than when I started looking.

Yawning deeply, involuntarily, the sound filling the room and bringing me to the attention of the teacher, "am I boring you Ms…." looking at the roll sheet, "Fenton," the woman's voice making me jump as she looked me in the face. "I know some people have a certain belief when it comes to substitutes but I will not tolerate it in my presence."

Looking up at her, a little startled, "no…no I'm sorry," sitting up a little straighter, my eyes snapping open, "I just didn't get much sleep last night, I was working on an independent project."

"I'll bet," her voice full of distain, and I knew full well what she was implying, as did the class as they did several little oohs and aahs.

Trying not to growl, "you realize saying things like that can get you thrown out this school, not to mention I can sue you for defamation of character."

That last one got her, apparently she wasn't use to dealing with someone like me, "I…um….that is…," the bell going off and getting her off the hook and practically running behind the desk and avoided eye contact with me as I left.

Stretching in the hall, I did another deep yawn, but I felt better now, the last of the sleep that had dogged me since getting up finally going away. "I have got to get some sleep tonight," talking to myself, "I'm not like brother, I'm not built for these all nighters."

"Sweet move," Jason, a guy from the last class coming up next to me, "you had that lady running scared."

I wasn't really in the mood for him, "you just have to know your enemy after that everything falls into place." I knew that wouldn't satisfy him but I hoped it would get him away from me as he tried to figure out what it meant.

He was trying to play it cool, but I knew that last part took him by surprise, "since when do you consider teachers the enemy?"

"Not all of them, just some of them," trying to move away from him, the boy blocking my path and getting closer to me, even without the animal instincts I knew something wasn't right here.

"You mind talking about which ones those are," between the smile and the closeness I understood what he wanted.

Making my movements back a little less subtle, "sorry I'm seeing someone right now," a little surprised that the words didn't feel like a lie.

"So am I they don't have to know," trying to recover the ground between us.

"Trust me my boyfriend would mind, and you don't want to see him mad," again I was a little shocked that the words didn't feel all that odd in my mouth.

"Oh come on," getting closer and grabbing my by the wrist.

Without even thinking I grabbed the hand, put pressure on the nerve and peeled it down and off, a look of pain on his face but to his credit he didn't yell despite the pain I was inflicting on him. "Let me rephrase that, I'm seeing someone, I really like him, and if you touch me again I'll snap this off and mail it to you."

"Yes ma'am," his voice surprisingly small.

Putting a friendly smile on my lips and acting like nothing had happened, "good, I'm glad we understand each other," and let go and walked away.

Off under his breath I heard him hiss, "freaky lesbian," I didn't have to look at know he was running down the hall after he said it, not stupid enough to be that close to me after saying something like that.

"Idiot," balling my hands into fists and repressing the desire to morph and put them through a wall. It wasn't the first time I'd been called that, and it wasn't like I was trying to cultivate the image it just kinda popped up considering my past history with men. That and the fact that my previous dates were basically glorified lab rats didn't help much.

Sighing loudly and running my fingers through my hair I pushed the thoughts away, what people thought of me wasn't my concern right now, besides they were in the monitory. Tobias and his condition needed to be my main focus, not that I was getting anywhere, "hush," speaking under my breath, not needing that specific thought running around my head again.

"Talking to yourself again sis," Danny bringing me out of the pointless internal debate.

Looking at him up ahead with Sam and Tucker, "when aren't I," the two walking with me as I approached.

"Generally when you know whatever it is your trying to find out," he offered bringing a small smile to my face, more for the effort than the actual joke.

"You need to learn how to relax Jazz," Sam's usual cynicism gone for the moment, "burning yourself out trying to answer this question won't help anyone."

"Except Tobias," Tucker pointing out the obvious before I could.

Sam glowered at her friend, "and you don't see him freaking out that much, he's the only one of us that's actually calm about all this."

"That's just the face he shows," sucking air through my mouth, "inside he's more worried than I am."

When I said it she slipped her arm around my shoulder, "and you going nuts and killing yourself isn't going to help him is it. Just relax, we all have faith in you, but if you have a panic attack or are institutionalized he's not going to get better."

"You know I'm suppose to be the calm sane one here right," the arm and her words comforting me a little.

"Then start acting like it sis," Danny bumping me slightly, something he hadn't done for a while, something left over from when we were younger.

I growled at him slightly in a playful way, getting a slight laugh from him, "want to get something to eat after school, my treat?"

"I thought you had plans."

"I did," relaxing a little, their words sinking into my head, "but I don't think birdie will mind if I leave him be for a few more hours."

I winced as Danny lightly slapped me on the back, "now that's what I'm talking about."

"Danny," keeping my voice civil, "do that again and you'll be looking for that arm, and I can promise you won't like where you find it."

"Right backing off," falling a few steps behind.

Tucker laughed lightly next to him, "and once more I'm glad I'm an only child."

I heard some kind of impact, best guess was Danny had hit him, "shut up Tuck."

"Only child or separated at birth," Sam making me giggle under my breath, "nice to know someone appreciated my biting wit."

"Thanks guys," breaking off from them, "I needed that."

Bowing slightly to me, "what we're here for sis, now relax, we need you not to be totally crazy."

"Yeah partially crazy will be just fine," Tucker running down the hall to avoid my brother slapping him in the back of the head as he usually did.

"How did I get roped into working with you three," watching him go after his friend.

Watching them go, "I've often asked myself that to," then looking at me, "but be honest Tobias isn't that far removed from those three is he?"

Thinking back and smiling, "I suppose not, but he feels like it sometimes."

"Sometimes I feel like I'm removed from them," walking after them.

"They're a little young aren't they?" April's voice coming from behind me, "I mean they're what freshmen?"

Not bothering to look at her and grabbing my chair, "my brother and his friends, they're a pain in the butt but they do help put things into perspective. That's something I need every so often."

"If you say so," her tone going hostile, not that that was weird for us, we'd had a long standing hate-hate relationship for several years now and it didn't show any sign of stopping in the near future.

Looking out the window I watched a little bird fly threw the sky that for the life of me I just couldn't identify, "I'm not going to stop looking birdie, just hang on," beginning to feel the obsession starting to creep into my thoughts again.

* * *

**DP Style**

"I think I've decided that I hate the water," looking around.

"You mean you want to be a landlubber," the bird corrected.

Shooing the skeleton ghost offer his shoulder, "no I mean I hate the water, it's wet, it's everywhere, oh yeah and it's dark, really, really dark."

Shaking his head, a groan of frustration slipping out of him, "you can't be scared of the dark, your to old to be scared of the dark."

"I'm not scared of the dark," pouting at his companion, "but this isn't dark, this is," spreading his arms and shaking them slightly sending ripple through the water, "this is insane dark!" That much was true, but then again they were in the middle of the ocean several hundred feet down, where no light but the star and the sun generally passed over. Not that they did any good, from where they were the light simply didn't travel that far sown leaving a few stray fish to light their way.

"Well it was you decision to come look for that ship after the shield finally failed, had you followed my council we'd be back in the Ghost Zone by now."

"I wasn't going to let that butt whip catch me."

Flapping his wings, "that wasn't even close to sounding pirate."

At the words his hook hand glowed and with a crack of energy and pulled it off revealing a normal hand, "well maybe I don't feel like playing pirate anymore, maybe I'm tired of it."

Sighing, watching the ghost bring his hands together in front of him with a clap, a large suitcase appearing before him. "Well then what do you feel like playing?"

"I don't know," opening the lid and tossing the hook in, along with his peg leg and other clothing, the pieces vanishing into the seemingly bottomless pit.

"Might I suggest something with a water theme," the skeleton seemingly losing cohesion as soon as Youngblood started taking things off, "preferably picking one quickly."

Opening and closing his hand quickly, his head buried into the chest, "squawk , squawk, squawk," pulling his head out with a scuba mask on, "now this I like." Diving into the case, the lid closing for a few moments till he jumped up now wearing a wet suit in black with a red strip running up the left side. Sharp looking swim fins were on his feet, a large air tank on his back, and a spear gun rested in his hands, "this I can get to like, at least while we're stuck in this stuff."

"Well I'm glad your happy," now in the form of a skeletal shark, swimming around him, "I wish I was something scientifically accurate."

Rolling his eyes, "forget that, this way we can find that sweet ship and really go on a joy ride," swimming away from his companion, actually able to see in the new set of clothing.

"I'd try and correct you but I don't know enough about diver mentality to do so," following after him his new form likewise letting him cut through the water.

Doing a quick barrel roll through the ocean, "YYYYHHHHAAAOOOOOO, FINALLY I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT ANYMORE!"

Swishing his tail and cutting in front of the other ghost and showing him his fangs, "I beg your pardon," trying to stay civil but clearly mad.

"Come on all this correcting you do, it's a real drag, it's about time I found a way to make you stop, play is not about accuracy it's about playing!" To illustrate his point the did a few figure eights in the water, "this isn't about being right, this is just about doing what feels right."

Ignoring the boy and swimming off in the same direction they'd been heading, "there's nothing that says having fun and doing it right can't be done together."

Jumping on his back and riding him like a horse, "yeah I'm pretty sure it does say that somewhere," kicking him in the side and making him speed up as he swam through the inky blackness of the ocean. They traveled like that for several hours most of that time Youngblood was asleep, laying on his companion, the bones somehow not interrupting his sleep. For a long time the shark didn't find anything other than more fish, shifting between diving straight down and moving forward before finally stopping, something glinting off the light provided by a strange glowing ocean plant. He doubted it even the organism even had a name, given how far down he was it was unlikely a human had ever, or for that matter would ever get this far done, the pressure easily crushing a living creature, something he as a ghost didn't have to worry about.

Shaking off the intellectual debate in his head and swimming closer to the source of the reflection, "get up," he barked waking him up.

"What," his voice disoriented, "I don't want to go to school today ma, the potato chips burgle me sassafras."

"Oh for the love of," knowing he was lost in a dream, "GET UP YOU IDIOT," that one waking the boy up with a start as he started firing off his harpoon gun in all directions, one of them bouncing off the source of his curiosity.

"Halt who goes there, face my wraith and you'll walk the plank," his words a sign he still wasn't up, their meaning a little grabbled in his head.

"Are you done," the looking straight ahead.

Shaking his head and getting his head straight, "what yeah," lowering the gun, "so why am I up?"

Swimming up and hitting the thing with his nose, "this is why you are up," looking at the strange thing unsure what to make of it.

"What is it," swimming over and running his hand over it, feeling a blast of energy running over it, stopping him from getting any closer than the out side.

Swimming away from the boy and around the large object, "I'm not sure, can you get a light on it, help us see a little better?"

"Um maybe," fumbling with the harpoon gun till it turned into a flashlight and light up the surrounding area, "ok what it that thing."

With the light he they were both able to make it out, the shark moving over it studying it, "I'm not sure but it's not naturally occurring."

Looking it over, "you sure, maybe it's some kind of sleeping fish."

"It's not a fish."

"Well how do you know?"

"Look at it for a second, it's not a fish."

"Well there are catfish who say's their aren't giant dogfish to?"

"You mean aside from the fact that it's made of metal and actually looks like a dog?"

* * *

**Tobias POV**

I was glad beyond words when Jazz waved me off after school, apparently wanting to spend some time with her brother and the others. In another time I might've joined them, but at the time I was glad to be alone, as much as I hated to admit it I was starting to grow resentful of Jazz and her little tests. I knew she was trying to help but that didn't stop me from wanting to tear her arm off.

Spreading my wings I headed up into the sky, riding a nice little thermal straight to the clouds and forced everything out of my mind and just enjoyed being a hawk. I dipped and dived for a while, letting the hawk's mind totally envelope my own for a few hours till it all got forced back by a flash of light on top of a building. (Well this can't be a good thing,) pushing the hawk back and diving down to the source of the light, (so what brings you here?)

The metal dog looked up at me then shifted back into her teenage girl body as the hologram snapped back into place, "I'd love to say to talk about old times but…."

(That's one of those things we don't talk about,) landing on the edge of the roof, (let me guess this has something to either do with the Eclipse or what happened to me?)

"Wrong on both accounts, but yes I have been keeping up on them for a while now, you are ok right, Jazz sent me a few of the initial details but I'm not really sure what they mean."

(We have no idea, but if your not here for me then why, I mean anything above a quick call has to be bad,) cocking my head more than a little nervous about where this might end.

Folding her arms, "that's one way of putting it," sounding more grim than I've ever heard her sound before.

(Cut to the chase Nikki what's up.)

"Something set off the shield on my ship."

(And by your ship you mean….,) really hoping she wasn't going to say what I thought she was going to say.

Leaning down next to me, "the ship I and my race came to Earth on."

(The one you put so far into the ocean that no one can possibly get to it?)

"That would be the one yes."

I thought back for a second, not wanting to insult her I had to ask the obvious, (are you sure it wasn't a fish or a rock, or someone dropping something on it?)

The look on her face could only come from a hologram, no human could ever look as mad, insulted and condescending at once. "If it was that simple do you really think I'd be here?"

I knew she couldn't hurt me but the hawk didn't like her that close to me person, hopping back and slipping off the roof then diving up around her, (right just asking,) putting some distance between her and myself.

"This is serious Tobias," sitting next to me, "something is going on next to the ship, and by extension my existence, and I need to get down there, more to the point I could use some back up in case whatever's down there wants a fight."

(Aw crap,) I'd known where this was going and I really hated it, (you know how I feel about water.)

"I know, and if I could go to someone else I would but right now your all I have and I don't really want to bring your friends into this unless I have to."

(Well we pretty much have to because we need the Eclipse to get down there,) that made me stop for a minute, (that ship can take the pressure right? I mean it was designed form space not water and that's like one atmosphere verse I don't know how many.)

Scratching her nonexistent hair, "I'm not sure I'll have to look it over in order to find out, even if it can't it should only take a few modifications to the shields to make it so they can."

(Well that's good to know, I guess,) my feathers bristling on my back, (hawks and water,) shivering, (I hate water.)

"I hate violence, we're both stuck getting involved with these things though."

(I know, I know it doesn't mean I have to like it,) hanging my head and looking out to the skyline, (alright I'll talk to the others. Well one good thing about this,) spreading my wings and jumping out into the sky, (at least it'll take my mind off my other problems.) Looking back at Nikki, (you know where we store the ship,) seeing her nod, (we'll meet you there in a few.)

It didn't take long to track them down at the Nasty Burger, (well this isn't a good sign,) thinking back, (seems like every time I go in there I end up with trouble. Well not like that's different from normal,) diving down and landing in an alley and morphing my old human body, walking out a few seconds later.

Walking into the restaurant they saw me before, I could see the look on Tuckers face and knew he had some smart-aleck to say but never got it out as Jazz spoke up, "something wrong birdie," given her tone and the look on her face it was obvious she meant physically.

As Sam and Danny moved over in the both I dropped down next to them, "yes times twenty," leaning back, "we may or may not have a problem coming, well less you than me."

"Someone actually understood that right," Danny looked around the table.

"Nikki showed up."

"Well that would do it alright," Tucker slouching into the booth, despite the weariness I could tell his interest was piqued at the mention of the alien.

Sam ran her finger through her hair and sighed loudly, "I know I'm going to regret this but what does this have to do with us?"

"She…um….," I started tapping on the table with the edge of my knuckles looking for the right way of putting it knowing people were around.

Sam got it before the others, "right lets go somewhere else with this."

"Thank you," as I moved out the others following me at there own pace so we didn't arouse anyone's suspicion not that that was really a concern as far as they knew we were normal, or at least I hoped they did catching a glimpse of Val behind the counter.

We met in the alley a few moments later, "ok what does she want," Danny shifting into business mode, holding himself a little straighter, his voice going a little firmer, a tiny light going on in his eyes that had nothing to do with his ghost powers. In a lot of ways he reminded me of Jake, well the old Jake.

I could feel a sigh slip out, more from the idea of going into the water than actually asking them to help me with this. "You all know Nikki came here on a ship right?"

"Yeah," Tucker, not surprisingly being the first to answer, partially salivating over any mention of the Chee or the Pemalites. "Didn't you also say it was buried so far in the ocean that the pressure would crush a person like beer can before they even got close to looking at it?"

"That would be the one yes," nodding, the hawk side of my mind doing flips in my head over the idea of being surround on all sides by liquid.

Sam started to growl and shake her head, a single bead of sweat suddenly running down the side of her head. "We're not going on a trip are we cause I am not leaving the planet for the next to weeks I don't care what you say."

"Hopefully you won't all I know is something set off the alarm on the ship, Nikki's not sure what but she's pretty much assured me it's not a natural occurrence."

"So why isn't she the one checking this," Danny saying what I'd thought the first time I'd heard this.

"As I said she doesn't know what's setting it off and on the off chance it's going to want a fight she wants someone that can actually do that."

Hopping up and sitting on a crash dumpster, "these people might've been really smart but the whole no violence thing is really inconvenient."

I could feel myself give him a look that was pure hawk, "you've never seen the Chee in a fight, if they weren't peaceful they could take control of this planet five hundred times over before sunrise."

"There's something else isn't there birdie," Jazz cutting through the coming argument cutting to the heart of the situation.

I could feel another sigh with a tiny hint of a growl slip out while I leaned further into the wall of the building. "Are the Chee are linked up to the ship, think of it like their central hub," feeling myself starting to talk much faster, "if someone is down there and can get past there security they can take total control of the Chee and will pretty much have an invinciblearmyattheredisposal," running the last few worlds together.

"Say that again," Sam getting it out before the others.

"If they take control of the Chee," forcing myself to slow down, "they'll have an unbeatable army at there disposal."

Sam covered her dace with her hand, Danny turned and banged his head against a wall, Jazz and Tucker just looked at me in disbelief. "Ok wait," Tucker coming out of it first, "assuming someone even is down there, and that seems to be a big if, what are the odds they could get past the security. This is a highly advanced alien race, no way someone could just crack that kinda code."

I tried not to let a smile spread over my face, "last I checked their security code was six."

"A six digit code, six level security encryption, six functional…."

I chose to just cut him off before he went in further, "no just six, like the number, that was it."

"Six," looking at me like he'd been punched in the face, "six."

"Yep."

"They were idiots."

"They were trusting," trying not to let a threat slip into my voice, "they didn't have a reason not to be, and if we don't do something that trust might doom out world, so you in?"

Sam was the first to speak, "when are we going," I didn't have to look to know she wasn't that thrilled with the prospect but if it was having another fight that soon, a wild goose chase or the prospect of Nikki being right that did it.

"Depends on when she can reinforce the ship, we're going pretty far down and she wants to make sure we're safe."

That got a smile out of Tucker, "more upgrades for my baby, sweet."

"I take it your going," Sam coming off more matter of fact than a question, running her hand over her face to remove the sweat that was starting to break out.

Getting a wild look in his eyes that send chills down my spine, "given what's down there oh yeah, no way I'm missing a trip like this."

Shrugging, "she gave us the ship what the heck we owe her."

"That and she got you into space," his sister seeing right through the cool exterior.

A goofy gin forming, "yeah that to."

"And you two," looking from one girl to the next.

Sam looked from Danny to Tucker, a forced calm that was on the boarder of emotionless, "someone has to keep these two out of trouble but I'm not sure what good I'll be the suit wasn't built for the water."

Raising a finger, "but I think the board was I'll have to check back I don't know off the top of my head."

"And while she's doing that I'll look after you," slipping up next to me and taking my hand, "I know I know back off, I'm worried birdie so sue me."

I wanted to fight her but just couldn't get the energy to do it, squeezing the hand, "you're a real pain in the tail you know that?"

"I've been told that a few times yes, although the words were slightly different."

Feeling her hand helped fight back the hawk in my head and calmed the raging instincts, "you might want to talk to Nikki while she'd here," I offered, "she might be able to help you figure out what's going on with me." I didn't have to tell her that, knowing it was what she was thinking, but the look of relief that spread across her face was worth it, feeling better that I'd basically given my blessing for her to drill Nikki for anything that might help me.

"Thank you," moving in close to me and putting her back between the other and me, keeping her voice so they couldn't here. The before I could even react she gave me a quick kiss, less than a second, but it was still a kiss.

"Whoa," it was all I could say as I looked into her eyes.

The look on her face told me more than her voice ever could, "see what happens when you give into me."

"Yes ma'am."

"And I'm going to be sick if they did what I think they did," at that moment I don't know what Danny meant and I didn't really care, I was a little lost in the moment.

Pulling away and looking at her brother, "shut up Danny."

With a few feet between us my brain came back on, "alright," hoping I wasn't blushing like a school boy, "Nikki's waiting at the beach, you now which one, get your stuff we're meeting her down there, I think she wants to go now."

"Anything to get away from the two of you for a while," twin rings running around the half ghost as he floated up in the sky. "Sam, Tuck you need a lift?"

Reaching into her backpack and tossing the compacted hover board onto the ground, "nitro burn, unlock," the black metal unfolding and hovering above the ground. Stripping off the outer layer and putting her other clothing into the backpack while stepping onto it, "what to you think?"

"One second," Jazz giving her her own backpack, "I can morph clothes, I can't morph this yet, mind taking it with you?"

Pulling her mask on, "no sweat I was planning on swinging by my place and store my things anyway, as soon as I'm done I'll meet you there," rising above them and disappearing over a wall.

"Well she might not but I do," lifting his hands up.

"So what's taking you to so long," her brother looking at us while he pulled his friend into the sky.

Jazz looked at me, I could tell by the look in her eye we were thinking the same thing, "go we'll meet you there in a few."

Putting one hand over his face, nearly dropping his friend, "don't tell me your going to make out."

"If by make out you mean get a body designed for swimming then yes," giving her one of those big sister looks I'd seen Rachel give her younger sisters many times, a mix of 'shut up and do it and you know mom loves me best'.

"Yeah right sure, see you there," flying up and disappearing from view as they went invisible.

Whistling as I watching them go, "I've seen many strange things, ben many more, but that is still something I'd love to do."

Nudging me in the ribs, "let me guess you'd sneak into the girls locker room?"

Shaking my head, "not a chance, the water would running off me and highlight my body, rookie mistake of the invisibility lot, slipping into their bedrooms however," getting a slap on the back of the head for opening my big beak.

"You've put way to much thought into this stuff."

Feathers starting to sprout all over my body, "what can I sacccwkk," my mouth turning into a beak and shifting to thought speech, (like I was trying to say I don't have much else to do so I ponder those great questions in the great daydream pantheon that should be obvious but aren't.)

Patting me on the head, feathers sprouting form her body as well, (you're a weirdo birdie, but you're my weirdo.)

Flapping and landing on the chain link fence, (yes I am, so lets go shopping even if it is kinda useless.)

(Meaning,) landing next to me.

Bristling my feathers a little shocked she he'd gotten this already, (like we told you at the depth the ships at, the pressure will crush you flat, there really isn't anything we could find near by that could take this kinda dive.)

Jumping off and heading into the sky ahead of me, (then we'll just have to make do won't we.)

Following her, catching up after only a few flaps, as good as she'd gotten in the air she was still lacked the skills of someone who flew every moment of the day. (your way to chipper you know that.)

(What can I say I've been waiting to get a body for the water, I just know how you feel and I didn't want to push it.)

If I could blush I would've, (what can I say, this bird and water aren't on the best terms, I know I won't drowned while I'm out there but it doesn't mean the bird knows that.)

(Well I wasn't trying to push you, so in a way this works out, hopefully this will turn out to be a false alarm.)

(This is Nikki remember…)

(Right she doesn't exaggerate, not in the programming.)

(No it's in the program, it's just not in her nature,) grabbing a head wind and flying higher into the sky, letting the wind bite into my face, loving the feel of it knowing I wouldn't be getting it in a few hours and determined to make the most of it.

It didn't take long to get where we were going, well long by car standard in still took a while but it was worth it, sitting on top of a light post at the zoo. (I've said it before I'll say it again, I love this zoo.)

(Nothing like having an attached aquarium and I really nice one at that,) looking at the huge tank around me that dominated about a third of the complex.

(So what do you think we should get?) looking over at me from a light post a few yards away to not arose suspicion.

(What do you mean we,) looking at the water remembering the time I'd nearly drowned while trying to acquire a dolphin. (Hey I got a dolphin, hammerhead shark, giant squid, sperm whale, killer whale and more than a few others that can swim but aren't completely ocean based.)

Snapping in my direction, (ok then what do you think I need.)

I looked around, (well they're not going to have anything to take you that far down, and for time's sake I wouldn't go with a shark, those guys a single minded, and by that I mean all they want to do is eat.)

(Enough with what you don't want, how about what you do.)

(Dolphins, if they had a whale that would be the first choice, but we'll have to go with whatever's available.) I did a quick scan seeing a few different choices, a bottle nose like I had, something black, and one that looked a little like a tiger mixed with a dolphin.

(I'll look around, see if you can find me some names or facts surrounding these guys, see which would be best for this kind mission.)

Nodding. (I can do that,) flapping off and disappearing into the bathroom through the open window and morphing. I'll say this for zoo bathrooms, they're either really really clean or disgusting beyond words, why I don't know but they are. This one was not one of the clean ones so I was grateful to get out and disappear into the crowd of people.

Blending into the crowd wasn't that hard here, although being alone I was in the minority, but that wouldn't set off to many red flags if I did draw any attention to myself. Looking around the aquarium section wasn't that hard to find what I was looking for, a bank of screens along one wall listing off information about every sea creature they had at the complex. I had to wait a few minutes before one was free, that or grab a kid and hurl him away, but I just didn't want to deal with the screaming.

As soon as one moved I dove in, and started tapping on the images on the screen picking the animals that I had seen. "Come on baby give me what I need," looking and reading as fast as I could, identifying the black thing as a false killer whale, a warm water animal that was gong to be useless.

A after a few second someone started stomping their foot behind me, "DO YOU MIND," the shrill of voice of what I thought was a woman coming from behind me and making me jump, "MY SON WAS WAITING ON THAT MACHINE."

"Didn't see him," not looking back, trying to speed read and moving to next one when I read 'warm water,' again.

"WELL HE'S BEEN WAITING."

"Then he can wait a few more seconds, he can have it when I'm done," it wasn't my intention to be a jerk I just didn't have time to deal with her.

"EXCUSE ME," she was really starting to get on my nerves.

Not turning around, "life's full of disappointments, consider this a learning experience," getting to the last slide, only finding the bottlenose to be close enough.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!"

Moving away and darted to the door but not getting far as she grabbed me and made me look at her, she was the picture of trailer trash. Nearly two hundred fifty maybe three hundred pounds, a kid that couldn't have been more than ten was well on his way to becoming obese if he wasn't already and not looking happy to be here, and everything was topped up with a moomoo. The sight of that just made it slip out, "how did you get in wearing that aren't there laws to this place?"

"YOU SNOT-NOSED," taking a swing at me with a large handbag.

Ducking, the swing making her lose balance, "snot-nosed," looking at her, "where'd you come up with that," and disappeared out the door before I could hear her response. High tailing it back to the bathroom, hoping to get there before she decided to come after me, I didn't get to far before I started picking up the sound of far off yelling, something most people wouldn't hear, but I wasn't most people.

I stopped running and sealed my eyes shut, both listen and because I was hoping that wasn't what I thought it was going to be. "Please don't be Jazz, please don't be Jazz, please don't be Jazz."

"STOP HER," the words clear as a bell to me even over the white nose of the others in the park.

A growl slipped out as I ran my fingers through my hair, "of course it had to be her," running into the bathroom and demorphing quickly and jumping out the same way I'd originally gotten in. It only took a few seconds of looking to find her, or more exactly the guards looking for her, feeling the story Jake had told us of his first behind the scenes trip to the garden where a tiger had nearly killed him. (Focus,) shaking my head and landing a good deal above her to help look for a way out.

"Come on, I think I saw something over there," one of the guards yelled running near Jazz who was hunkered down and breathing hard behind a locker.

From the look on Jazz's face I was guessing something had happened to lock up her mind, otherwise she would've morphed to escape her pursuers. A part of me wanted to let her know I was near by, to tell her but I decided to let her play it out, see if she was good enough to get out of the jam on her own.

Looking back I watched her mouth, "they're too close," and duck back around, then it hit me, the redhead seeing what I hadn't, she didn't have time to morph, at least not without them seeing her.

"I saw something thing," one of the guys yelled having seen Jazz, but still I held back for a few seconds, just letting it happen.

"See this," I watching her mouth in the reflecting of the metal and toss what I guessed was a dolphin toy over her shoulder, the hard plastic bounce a few feet away and catching the attention of those pursuing her and going after it. Well most of them, one lone dedicated soul was still approaching Jazz looking for the elusive source of the early sightings. "So close," watching feathers start to spread on her face ready to make a run of it, a good plan, but not as good as the original, but then again the first had fallen through.

Hopping from one foot to the next, (well I better lend a hand…er wing,) keeping my thoughts private and diving down at the approaching man. He didn't even see me coming, to focused on what was in front of him instead of above. At the last second I dove under him and up, spreading my wings wide in front of his face scaring the crap out of him and making him scream and jump back.

"WHAT THE SLA….," not getting the rest out as he tripping on some piece of equipment I didn't recognize and fell back into one of the tanks, a false killer whale swimming away before he hit with a splash.

(You couldn't do that sooner birdie,) flapping up from her hiding place and into the sky.

Flapping a little trying to avoid the hands grabbing me as one guard tried to pull me down, more than likely to test me in case I was diseased. (I just wanted to see what you'd do, good moves by the way, not the best I've seen but still pretty good. Let me guess you didn't wait for me?)

If it were possible for a falcon to look embarrassed she did it, (I saw my shoot, everyone left so I went for it) dipping in the air slightly, (I guess I didn't time it that well.)

(I've seen worse, at least tell me you got one of them,) letting myself soar higher into the sky and started moving to the coast to find the others.

Flying close, not caring if anyone saw, (the kind of grayish one with the black stripes, it was close to edge of the tank so I just went for it.)

(Black stripe running from their eyes back into their tails?)

(That's the one, you find anything out about it?)

Thinking back to everything I'd read over the last few minutes, (Stripped Dolphin, I know not the most creative name, mainly costal, but they can be found everywhere according to the map I saw. From what I read they generally like warm water, they eat small fish and squid, they can be trained to perform, good jumpers, males are a little larger, and they're pregnant for about a year.)

(Not all that useful.)

(I was reading up on over half a dozen animals, I wasn't looking for depth I was looking for something that could survive in the ocean.)

(You think this one will be able to help?)

(Maybe at the top, but down there not really, you just don't have the lung capacity for that kinda dive and I don't think they make scuba gear for dolphins, and if they do I don't know how to find it.)

(But it will work?)

(It should, just keep an eye on the time and remember dolphins are nuts, they're insanely happy, more so than dog happy. It's also more than that, dolphins are not like anything you've had before.)

(Considering how little I have that's not a surprise,) a hint of a laugh in her thoughts.

Moving a little higher in the sky, (I'm serious, dolphins and are smart, human smart, almost sentient, it doesn't really come into play when your morphed but you need to know that.)

(Really?)

(Oh yeah, it doesn't really come into play unless you run into another sea mammal.)

(I'm not sure I follow.)

(Whales and dolphins talk to each other, I mean really talk to each other, it's a weird communication, part thought, part image, part echolocation, but it is real and it can throw you off, just be ready for it.)

(This s a joke right, your messing with me.)

I was started to get ticked off by her not believing me, (no Jazz I'm not, they're fully aware, just as much as a human and they will talk to you if you get to close, be careful, they're not violent but it is weird and out there weird is dangerous. Never mind,) finally giving up, (when you get there you'll understand I just didn't want you to be taken by surprise.)

(Thanks I guess, you sure your not overestimating this a little.)

Moving ahead of her as I hit a blast of wind, (was I kidding about the bird, the dog, the spider?)

I could hear her falling behind me, (I still think your messing with me.)

She stayed quiet after that and stayed far behind me as I had taught her to make people think we were just normal birds in the sky. Her being quiet wasn't that good for me, it meant she was mad, that or deep in thought, either way it would lead to pain later. It took a little while to get back to the beach, the others not around, at least not seen but given the sounds I was picking up I had a feeling they were inside the cloaked Eclipse just sitting in front of us.

Pulling my wings against my body and diving down, (guy's need a door,) throwing my thoughts into the ship, determined to get in without pulling up if I could, seeing just how close I could get before breaking something, letting the stress and needed focus drive other thought from my mind.

"It's coming, it's coming," the words so low I doubt any human could hear them, needing a more refined ear for the job. From no where a panel open up in thin air, the ship's interior coming into view, letting me dive down into it.

That wasn't the best idea, "CARP!"

"DOWN!"

"LOOKOUT!"

I wasn't sure which ones yelled what, but I should've seen that coming. That much speed in that small a space meant I was diving back and forth trying to keep from hitting a wall, not to mention beak first into one of them. (Sorry,) moving around them and flaring my wings, coming to an abrupt stop in front of the back wall and landing on the floor.

(Smooth birdie,) Jazz landing more gracefully on the back of a chair and demorphing, dropping into it.

Turning around and fluffing myself up, (I stand by my insanity, I always will, you should know that about me by now.)

Danny looked from me to his sister, "do I want to know what what's been going on?"

I thought about tell him what his sister had done but she cut me off, "our typical bird arguments," looking at me and giving me a look that said keep my mouth shut.

(Yeah that's pretty much it,) I wasn't relenting I was just holding the information back till I could play it in a more advantageous time. Flapping onto the back of the chair Jazz was in, (so how's it going Nikki?)

She didn't look at me from the pilots position, "fairly well, everything is mostly where I needed it to be, I had to adjust a few things though, unless you wanted you wanted to die in this thing."

(Not at all.)

I watched her run a finger through her hair and push a few strands behind her ear, Tucker leaning over her other shoulder and watching everything she did with a little to much interest to be just typical computer interest. "As I was saying, the modifications to this ship are impressive, much of the primary offensive systems are now capable of defense as well, combat systems are now scientific, it's all around a more balanced design.)

(Technus did good work huh?)

"Not just the ghost," her eyes still trained on the screen, "more than a few o these are by your friend here, granted the ghost did the base work and my modifications to his PDA helped a great deal. But still it's very impressive he could get as far as he did, you have a real future for yourself with machines."

I watched Tucker blush, more than just from the praise, "thanks you….I…um…do my best with what I have."

"For a human that's quite a lot," looking up and giving him a smile that sent chills up my spine.

(Is she flirting with him,) keeping the thoughts private. Shaking my head quickly driving the thoughts out, (come on man that ridiculous this is Nikki she doesn't do that with humans.) Turning my thought public, (so how long till we get going?)

"Maybe two minutes, I was mostly working on when I thought you'd get back," turning her attention back to the ships controls.

Dropping into the chair next to me, "two minutes till we're in the middle of the deep dark ocean with no one else around for a thousand miles."

The way she spoke and carried herself made me ask privately, (don't take this as an insult Sam but are you afraid of water, I mean you do know how to swim right.)

"I'm going outside for a few seconds ok," she hissed walking over and opening the door, I followed her a few moments later, slipping out before the door shut.

Landing in a tree nearby, staying above her just in case, (so what is it?)

"I'm not afraid of water I just don't like the ocean," folding her arms, her mask shoved into her belt.

Cocking my head, (can I ask why?)

Her arms moved from over her body till she was almost hugging herself, "basically my parents use to have their own boat. One time they took it out when I was little, I somehow ended up in the water and nearly drowned, or at least I think I did, I'm not really sure. All I know is after I've never really liked the ocean, it's big, it's empty, and there's a good chance no one will be around to save you when it rushes in and cover you and pulls you down and chokes you, and never lets you up and makes sure you stay there forever and…."

(SAM,) barking into her head, getting a little scared as he knuckles went white and her breathing spread up, nearly hyperventilating.

Running her finger through her hair and looking away from me, "sorry what were we talking about."

(You not being afraid of water,) flapping down next to her, (and what an obvious lie that is.)

"It's not a lie, I go to the water park all the time."

I wasn't buying that one, (a water park is not the ocean, and it's nothing to be ashamed of, I'm not thrilled with water myself.)

"Not like this, not like me," calming herself down.

(No I'm just convinced I'll drowned we get in it,) looking out to the water, (you know you could stay here,) equal parts to get off the conversation and wanting to give her a way out.

She got defensive at that, "I don't need your protection, I can take care of myself, I don't need your pity ."

(Not saying that,) hopping back and thinking fast, (I'm just thinking, maybe this is a set up, it might be a good idea from someone to be here in case something happens. You never know what ghost might show up and start causing trouble, not to mention what trouble the Fenton's will cause while they try and stop said ghost.)

"That's really pathetic Tobias," looking me dead in the eye, "but I'll take it," leaning in and giving me a quick hug, "thanks."

Keeping the hawks desire to force her off down, (I've been doing the same for me for the last few days, I owe you something.)

"No you don't, but can you do me one thing?"

(Name it.)

"Don't tell the others about this, I don't want them to know, I've gone to a lot of trouble to hide this from them."

Watching her pull away and throw her board on the ground, (only if you'll keep Jazz off my back the next time she wants to run some tests that involve needles or putting things in body parts they don't belong in and we'll call it even.)

"Done and done, watch your back out there," lifting into the sky.

(I will,) watching her go, wishing I could be there with her, but Nikki needed someone and like it or not I was it.

Behind me I heard the door to the ship open again, "she says we're ready to go, we're just waiting on yo…..where's Sam?"

Flapping into the ship, moving past Danny's head that was currently looking around. (She's not coming,) not looking at him.

"What…why…what'd you say to her," hovering up next to me, his eyes blazing green.

Doing my best to drain every emotion from my face and stance, letting the hawk take almost completely over, (she wants to guard the city in case someone attacks, given she's not built for water there's a question of how much we'll need her anyway.)

"So you just let her go," he snapped, on the verge of anger, his eyes lighting up.

"She'll be fine Danny," Jazz coming to my rescue, "he's right if we're going someone needs to be here just in case and Sam is a good choice. This is mostly a water mission anyway and she's sky and land, they don't really fit well together."

"I'm mostly sky and land too."

"Yeah and it's about time we saw what you can do in the water, I mean your ghost form might be better equipped for this than you know but there's only one way to find out."

Shifting his gaze from me to his sister, "if you said something to her," he warned me, making no attempt to hide the threat in his voice or the fact that he was concerned for Sam's well being.

(I didn't,) I knew he probably didn't believe me but it was all I could say.

Before anyone could jump back in a high pitched shriek cut us all off, making us look up at Tucker in the pilots chair, Nikki at his side, more than likely the source of the sound. "If everyone would please return to their seats and put them in an up right position…."

"Tucker cut it out," Danny snapped, a fair bit of his hostility being redirected at his friend.

Growling something other his breath that the others didn't here, with was probably for the best, "would you just sit down, we're ready to go and I want to do this now rather than later before I realize just how much of a bad idea this is."

(To late,) dropping down into a seat, (you just said it's a bad idea so you already know it.)

Turning to look at me, "if I had some idea what you just said I'd probably be mad at you, but I don't so I can't be."

"Whatever," Danny dropping into the seat next to me, "just get us going Tucker, I want to get this over with."

Tapping his PDA, "done," the ship rising off the ground, shaking just enough to let me know it was moving then shooting forward over the water, out to sea and to the middle of nowhere.

* * *

**Jazz POV**

For some time the five of us were quiet, Danny still holding a grudge for what he thought Tobias had said to Sam to make her run the way she did, I doubted my brother knew about Sam's water phobia, then again she'd been hiding it. Well that wasn't really the case was it, not true aquaphobia, it wasn't all water that scared her just deep water, or water she perceived as deep, rain, puddles, tubes, even pools to a degree didn't seem to phase her, but I had seen the way she looked at the water park wave pool once, like a ray caught in a trap. In that sense it wasn't true aquaphobia, but it was close enough, personally I'd been waiting for her to bring it up before I did.

Blowing up, making a few hairs dance on my head, I let the thought slide away, I had enough on my plate without trying to analyze her again, and for the moment it wasn't hurting her, if it did I'd move in, other wise it wasn't worth it. Looking back at Tobias, for the time being he was my main source of concern, and that was taking more than likely to much of my time as well.

We traveled like that for almost half an hour, traveling over the water rather than threw it to save some time, that and the fact the Eclipse was meant for air and space and not water and the nagging concern that even with her modifications it wouldn't hold up or stay air tight. It was almost a dead silence, only Tucker and Nikki talking, the two staying close the entire way there, and that was mostly about this machine, or that equation, sometimes he would beg her upgrade this or that. Most of it though was why she had to remove all record of the flight plan from the ship when they were done. He just didn't get that she didn't want to know where it was, and for a good reason if what little I knew about that was even a fraction of the truth.

Nikki chose to break the over all silence before I did, "Tobias you mind going out for a second, I need confirm a few readings, I'm not sure things are coming in right, I think we might have a glitch somewhere."

(Don't say glitches I hate that, especially here in this,) very real panic in his thoughts.

Giggling slightly, a good nature laugh, not one of malice, "not like that, I had to jury-rig something to cut through the water, and I didn't have everything I needing so I was guessing partly, I just need a someone to grab a quick look for me."

(Dolphin?)

"Whatever you think is best, I'm not going to tell you how to do your job, I just want to make sure this works before we really need everything," even for some that had been around a long time she wasn't a perfect liar. It was true she wanted him out but I doubted it was just for getting something checked out.

Hop-flapping over to the door at it opened he stood there looking at the water, (well this is going to be fun.)

"Tell me does wet bird smell like wet dog," walking over to him, watching the water pass under us slowly, the ship slowing down for him to leave but still moving none the less.

(I don't really know, never bothered to find out,) looking up at me, (now why don't you move away so you don't fall in.)

Looking down feeling a smile form on my mouth, "too late," jumping over the side, feeling the dolphin DNA start to flow through me, wanting to give him a little encouragement to get in too.

(JAZZ,) jumping after me, looking at him before I hit, he was the last thing I saw before darkness totally enveloped me.

I woke a few moments later, wet, cold and really confused as something like rubber was under me, letting me practically sit on it while I was getting hit in the foot by water. Hacking and spitting, my arms feeling heavy, I wasn't sure if it was because of the water or if I had hurt something. "I'm gong to go with I just didn't something really stupid," spitting a mouth full of water out and coughing hard.

(Well you knocked yourself out when you hit so I'm going to go with yes.)

"Real smooth sis," for the first time realizing my brother was also hovering over me, "did you have to do something that stupid?"

"Well it stopped you two from arguing so yeah," feeling myself start to grow stronger, how long I been out?"

Blowing a little slime from his blow hole, (a little over a minute thankfully, we were getting ready to take you back into the ship, why do you think I'm thins freaking big.) It was then that I realized exactly what I was sitting on, a big old killer whale, not the biggest thing he had, but it was enough to get me out of the water nearly completely.

"Nice choice birdie," patting me on the back but I'm not ready to lay down just yet, letting the change come over me, only the gray and black color coming over me so far and my skin getting a little thinker.

(Jazz know,) he snapped, but it was to late, I'd already slid over the side of him, my legs melting together into a tail. This time when I hit, I slid into the water like it was part of me, my arms converted into flipper and my face elongating into a beak, my teeth shifting along with my organs changing for this world.

I sunk like a stone for a few seconds then powered up, suddenly before the others could move, shooting out of the water like a rocket and practically hanging in the sky, like it was part of me, like it was as much my world as the water below me. Turning into a flip I sent water straying in all directions, hopefully hitting him in the face as I raced under the great one and shoot out the other side, laughing as I breached again, jumping into the sky once more.

(Great one,) looking over at Tobias after I said it.

If he looked at me I couldn't tell, (told you a dolphin was weird.)

(I don't know why,) swimming up next to him, Danny, water running off him, (but it felt natural to say that.)

(Wait till you see a real whale,) powering his tail onward diving down into the ocean, pulling me under with him, swimming with him side by side as him spun and kicked, and moved through the water like he owned it before surging to the skyline, nearly jumping totally from the confines of the water then coming down on his side, drowned my brother like he was on the front row. From under him I flew over, doing a midair flip and returned to the water, letting it embrace me.

"Very funny a…." whatever else Danny said I didn't hear diving further down and shoot out again.

(I LOVE THIS, PLAY WITH ME TOBY,) looking to the sky then disappearing back into the darkness.

(JASMINE,) his thoughts hitting me, practically making me forget how to swim, (THE DOLPHIN IS IN CONTROL, GET A GRIP!)

I understood what he meant, realizing that wasn't how I acted, not to mention I almost never called him Toby, but it was weird I didn't want to push it aside, I liked being like that. (Right sorry,) swimming up next to him, trying to push the dolphin back, but it was hard, harder than anything I'd ever tried to do before since getting my power, the instincts just so forceful.

Danny lowered down to me, "what's going on here?"

(Sorry,) looking up and giving him a grin, (I lost it for a second, I'm back now, this is just really weird to be in, but I have to do this later, this is great.)

(Nikki,) Tobias ignoring us, (you get what you need yet?)

"For the stationary yes," the girl that wasn't really a girl stepping out onto the hatch, "but I need you to trail us, or pass us preferably to make sure everything's working right, it'll only take a few minutes, maybe half an hour."

(Your killing me Nikki,) powering his tail down and cutting through the water like it was nothing, the larger whale just so much more powerful than I was.

(Danny I'm going to catch up, you catch a ride with them,) swimming after Tobias, letting myself get caught up in his wake, the dolphin loving every second of this.

"Yeah sure whatever," yelling from behind me, not that I was really interested, letting the water run over me, this was home, this was where I belonged.

Jumping from the water and splashing down, trying to catch the great one….Tobias who was so far ahead of me, moving like a juggernaut through the water, like he owned it, then again he did. This world belonged to the great ones, it was their domain, I just lived there. But that didn't mean I couldn't love it, (YYYOOOAAHHH,) breaching again and flipping in the air.

(Having fun back there,) slowing down while I sailed under him and popped up in front of him and laughed and sucked some air in.

Laying on my back and waging my tail at him, (I love it,) spinning and powering ahead of him, (I should've done this a long time ago, I can't believe you kept this from me.)

(Don't let it go to your head Jazz, if your going to be trapped in a body it's not the worse but it cuts you off from your home.)

The thought of being cut off from my family cut right through the fun I was having, in that moment understanding what he was getting at. I hadn't been paying attention, I was just loving being what I was, I had no idea how long I'd been swimming, it could've been a few minutes it could've been longer. (How long,) a little afraid of the answer.

Nudging me with his head, (almost twenty minutes for you, something to think about for later,) diving down and picking me up as he rose.

(What are you doing,) not sure if I should slide off or not.

(You we're listening, Nikki wants you back on the ship for a while, we're about where we need to be, the ship under us, I'm going to do a quick run alone.)

That took me by surprise a little, (then I'm going to,) trying to stay clam, wanting back in the water, (your going to need me, I can help.)

(I know) his thoughts radiating warmth, (but not here and not know, where I'm going you can't follow, not with this body, I'll be back soon.)

(What do you mean, I didn't think anything could get down there,) what he had said about going alone finally hitting home.

(Nikki says sperm whale or squid can probably make it down, I'm going to go a quick run by, see it anything weird is on the surface then come back.)

(What if your seen.)

(Then they'll think I'm a normal animal just swimming by, or at least I hope they will, assuming something is in there.)

Doing a quick demorph back to human while the Eclipse' door opened up for me, my clothing soaked all the way through, "this sounds really risky birdie."

He sung a whales song, one that I guessed was him laughing, it was a haunting beautiful tone, (everything I do is risky Jazz you know that, don't worry so much, I'll be back.)

(And you can me cocky,) sitting on the lip of the ship and watching him demorph, essentially becoming a giant ball of soggy feathers.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

(I hate water, I hate water, I hate water,) feeling the liquid splash up on me, keeping my thoughts to myself, the ocean suddenly becoming much bigger and losing the whale's instincts to balance out the fear of the hawk. I didn't want to let Jazz know any of this, for her, for all of them it was better if I just put on a strong face and made them believe that nothing was wrong with me.

(Get it together bird,) flapping my wings as hard as I could to gain a little height as the ocean water hit me dead on, the salt coating my feathers and making them stick together. I didn't really get very high before another wave hit me dead on and pull me under.

"BIRDIE," I heard Jazz yell at me, not that it mattered, being pulling under by the current.

I forced the hawk down as it panicked and flapped and kicked, trying to grab anything to help it up, not even understanding why it was here, the closest it could come to was a river, but far to deep. That panic gripped my mind holding the human at bay while it tried to breath getting nothing but a lung full of water, only adding to the fear running through it.

(GET IT TOGETHER,) I screamed as my vision started growing dark, from the lack of oxygen or the darkness of the water I couldn't be sure. I wasn't sure where the thoughts went but it helped, fear panic, pain, they all went away for a brief seconds as the hawk tried to figure out what it had heard. That moment was all I needed focusing on the sperm whale inside of me, letting the power of that great beast hitting me and driving back the fear of the redtail.

My body grew, eyes changed to those that could see, echolocation organs grew in, my tail grew and shifted into a whales while my feet shark, only my wings stayed the same on some level turning into fins that were close enough for me. Then the mind hit, it many ways it was like the orca, but different, the orca was intelligent, almost human level that knew I was guiding it on some level, this one wasn't quite like that. It wasn't a hunter, at least not in the same sense, it didn't have to be as smart, a little lower down, but it was still smarter and more aware than most bodies I'd been in.

With everything now in place I powered my tail, the hawk, whale and human screaming as one to go to the surface and get some air before my body gave out. I wasn't as fast as the orca, at least pound for pound, but I was still pretty fast breaching on the surface and filling my lungs with precious air. Unlike the other sea mammals at my disposal I couldn't do the high flying moving they could but I could still put on a little bit of a show.

With a rush I pushed the water aside, sending waves in all direction, my head and part of my body coming out but the rest staying in. I held that for a second before gravity took over and forced me down sending more waves out. (Air sweet air,) not caring who heard.

"Ok that was cool," hearing Tucker from the ship, even if I could really see them very well.

Danny whistles, "now I know why people pay money for that."

"YOU IN ONE PIECE BIRDIE," Jazz cutting to the chase.

Reaching my thoughts out, (I'm cool now,) a tiny white lie, but one I could live with, (just took a while to get up.)

"And the screaming?"

Crap she'd heard that huh, (hawks are not ducks.)

"What does that mean," Tucker barked.

(I can't swim, the bird was never meant to go near water outside of needed a drink or looking for left over kills.)

"So you are alright," Nikki actually sounds concerned.

(I will be,) taking one more deep breath and diving down into my home, firing off a blast of clicks, most of them coming back a moment later painting a black and white picture in my mind of the surrounding world. (Ok,) looking at the image but not sure what I was seeing, at least in terms of where I needed to be, (ravine, down, straight,) firing off another blast of clicks.

Diving down and moving around I finally found what I was looking for, the deep ravine, beyond that however I couldn't find anything, the walls bouncing the clicks away so they didn't come straight back. (Well at least I know where I'm going even if I don't know what I'll find, assuming this is even the right deep dark scary hole in the ground.)

Powering down I slipped through the crack in the oceans floor, given my size I was still amazed just how precise I could do things. I was constantly letting loose clicks, a near continuous black and white echo image in front of my face guiding me and helping me avoid the small ledges and things growing off the side of the walls.

After a few passes, and deeper than I think I'd ever managed to get before I finally got the image I was looking for, a dog in the middle of my path. Well a really big, rounded metal dog that could doom the world, but in a cuddly kinda way. (I am so glad no one could hear me think that,) letting out a mental and vocal groan, the sound reverberating off the walls and the water, how I didn't know, but it did.

I stayed back, or as much as I could and blasted off as many clicks as I could in the hopes of finding something not wanting to come up empty handed. The first few waves told me nothing, but what I guessed was my eighth barrage I finally found something, and image I couldn't identify with either human mind or hawk and whale instincts. (What the heck are you bubba,) keeping my thoughts to myself and focusing a little more on the specific area of the image.

At first it disappeared on me again, then like magic it was there again and that didn't sit right with me, (don't tell me this is another of The Crayak's freaking tricks,) snarling mentally, the reason I was here the first time. The more I looked however I started to doubt that was the case, the image becoming sharper the more I blasted it with echolocation.

(No way,) if I were capable of it I would've jerked back in shock, but given my space that wasn't an option. Turning as best I could I started back up, having a good idea what I was dealing with. (So tell me,) speaking to myself, (what had legs like a man, tail like a snake, four arms, and looks like a jellyfish was stapled to the back of it's head?)

* * *

**Authors note**

Right dead in the middle, and a perfect place to stop, freaky


	23. Blood in the Water p2

**DP Style**

Danny watched his sister pace along the wall of the ship, her hair matted to her head from her trip in the ocean, but now only in her morphing outfit, her normal clothing in a pile in the corner of the ship, to wet for her to be running around in. After every lap she stopped at the front on every revolution to look out to the ocean for any sign of Tobias far below them. "Your going to wear out the floor if you keep doing that."

Giving him a dirty look, "I don't like this he's been down there to long, he's gotta be in trouble."

"If he is he'll take care of himself," the Chee speaking matter of factly, "there's a reason I came to him, no matter what is out there he can handle it."

"Except you don't know what's out there and don't pretend like you do."

Turning in his chair, "low blow Jazz, it's not like she even forced Tobias, or any of us for that matter to be here."

"Knowing what's down there is for the best, Tobias was the king of reconnaissance many years ago, those skills haven't dimmed over time, whatever he finds it won't stop him for long, have faith in that even if you don't in me."

The redhead just stared at her for a few moments not sure if she could be believed or not, all the years she'd been alive, topped with her artificial image mad it impossible to know what was going on in her head. "He had batter be," her threat empty and hollow, and she knew that, but with Tobias in his condition all she could do was worry. She knew under normal circumstances he'd be fine, but if he started bleeding again, she was afraid he'd die long before even making the first motion to get to the surface.

"I don't think you need to worry about actually fulfilling that threat," Tucker's eyes on the interments, "we got something coming up fast and I think it's the bird."

"Think," her voice demanding accuracy.

Tapping back on the interments, "no clue but it's the right size and shape, but this thing still doesn't have that much accuracy in water."

"Why not," looking to Nikki.

Despite the ferocity of the look the Chee stayed calm, "this ship was designed for space, as that's what the systems were designed for, the Yeerks have specific ships built for water and similar substances they might run across on other worlds. To put it bluntly the ship just wasn't built for this, and what time I've had just can't fix what it wasn't built for."

Before Jazz could even try to rally an argument she was cut off, (you're dead on Nikki, definitely something down there that shouldn't be, that or I found a whole new species of animal down there, or at least subspecies.)

"Oh thank you," Jazz whispering the words under her breath.

Nikki flipped on the external speaker, "alien?"

(Not sure,) breaching, but this time doing it without the display, just poking the top of his body out of the water.

"Meaning," flipping it off an walking to the opening door.

(Just that, I'm not sure, there's some weird stuff in the water, and I've seen weird things come out of Earths oceans at this point I'm not even going to guess. All I really know it was hard to focus on, it was like it kept disappearing on me."

Danny and Tucker shared a quick glance, the half ghost speaking first, "sounds like a ghost to me."

"Worse idea," tapping on his PDA, "what if it's Technus, I mean this sounds like something he'd go after, it's something I'd go after if I was him."

Dropping down in his chair, "great this isn't the worse thing that could possibly happen."

"No the worse thing would be Vlad," his friend pointed out, "but this is still pretty bad."

Jazz tried to repress a scream, "no one said it was Technus so would you two knock if off."

"She's right," Nikki looking at them, "for the time being all we know is something is down there, that's all. I'm going to have to go down and check though, Tobias you up for another dive, just in case?"

(Just in case what, if something goes wrong down there it's not like I can pick you up and get you to the surface, you weigh what like thousand pounds?"

"Considerably less, and I wasn't thinking of you picking me up, I just…"

Tucker cut them off before she could get further along , "actually," looking back and forth from his PDA to the other instruments on the consul, "I don't think you'll have to worry about that."

"Why," Nikki outwardly remaining calm but inside ready to scream.

Doing one more check of the readings, "because something really big is coming up so unless Tobias made a friend I think there's only one thing it could be."

Turning in the water and firing off a few clicks, the image confirming what little he had heard from Tucker. (He's right, the ship's coming up quick, but it's not that steady, I didn't think the powers in charge of it don't actually know what they're doing.)

"Still sounds like Technus to me," Danny walking over to the edge of the ship, "so looks like it's time to get down to business. I'm going ghost," twin rings running over his body turning him into his ghost form, letting him hover and zip out of the ship.

(Your going to get your wish,) kicking with his tail moving out of the way as fast as he could, the water churning under him, the rising ship throwing off the balance of the currents. With the water quacking swimming wasn't as easy, but it still wasn't enough to stop the power of sperm whale as he powered through the disturbance just avoided being clipped by the giant ship as it lifted into the air.

Danny just stared as he looked at the green ship lifting higher into the sky, water running off it, "did it always look like that?"

"Like what," Nikki moving back into the ship.

"Looking like a giant green parade float, not to mention Snoopy?"

Tucker breathed a sigh of relief, "glad someone said it, cause I was a little afraid to."

Looking back at the ship, "a little more algae on it now, but yes, that's what it looked like when we first landed on it all those years ago."

"Then I'm just going to say it, that's a really stupid looking intergalactic space ship."

"This coming from the species that's never actually built one," Nikki giving him a grin.

"OOOOOO BBUURRNNNN," Tucker leaning back and giving the girl a high five.

Jazz knocked on the side of the ship, watching the ship continue to rise, "can we focus here, that thing is getting higher up and I really doubt that's a good thing right now."

Danny looked from his sister to the ship and tried not to look embarrassed, "oh….right…yeah…got it," flying over and grabbing her, "lets see what we can do about getting in there and finding out who's in charge."

"One second," slipping out of his grasp and running to the back of the ship and pushing open a box and grabbing a 'claw' capsule. Running back over to him, "ok now I can do this," tossing it up and catching it in her hand.

Clearing her throat making them look at her, "before you go you might want to know code for the ships systems."

"We know six," Jazz trying her best not to blow the girl off.

If Nikki was surprised that they knew that she didn't show it, "it was, but we changed it, it's now eight."

"Eight," Tucker looking at her, "EIGHT?"

"That a problem."

Shaking his head, "an incredibly powerful ship that can alter an entire race with a few key strokes and you give it one of the easiest coded to break into in like….forever."

Closing her eyes, "are makers were trusting, they chose to make the system as complex as they deemed it had to be, in there memory we do as they, make it as hard as we think they would." Looking away from them, "honestly, we thought putting it down there would be enough to keep everyone else away who could even come close to it."

"Alright then," wanting to get away from the mini drama quickly growing around, making it harder to get the real reason they were there over with. Picking her up his sister flying over to the ship, "remember what I said about it being stupid for them to be this peaceful," waiting till they were a good deal away from the ship before talking.

"Pretty much," looking at the green ship as it looked over them.

Seeing the same thing and trying to swallow, "well I take it all back, them being peaceful means that thing doesn't have any weapons so it can't shoot as we get near it."

She almost hated to point out the flaw in his logic, "unless Technus possess it, at which point it could have more weapons than you could count."

"Thanks Ms. Buzzkill," getting closer, now a little afraid of what he might find, but still getting closer regardless of the risk.

Inside the ship Nikki was sitting down on a chair, working on something on her end. Looking back, an impatient Tucker finally snapping, "want to tell me why your not helping here?"

"I am and I'm not," looking straight ahead."

"I don't need the riddles here Nikki, I need to know what's going on inside that thing."

Still not looking at him, "then you'll have to do it yourself."

"Not the time to be copping an attitude."

"I'm not, I can't do much to help you right now."

"What do you mean can't?" not understanding what was going on.

Still looking straight ahead, "I mean I can't in order to prevent any kind of take over of our bodies from the main computer we installed self induced over riders into our systems. Right now, other than talking I can't do anything but sit here, right now the others are doing the same, each having found a safe place to be and simply killing their motor functions. For the last few hours I've been the only one doing anything."

"Ok why," jumping out of his chair squatting down next to her.

Still looking ahead, "we're weapon's Tucker, or could be if controlled, we don't want that, for us it's better to be forever stuck in one place than to be forced to hurt people."

"So is this like permanent?"

"No, there is way to reactivate us but it has to be done externally in order to make sure we can't do it if they alter out programming. For the matter of safety I'm not going to tell you how to do it right now, but it can be done."

Turning and dropping back into his chair, "would've been nice to know this sooner," flipping on the communication arrays, "guy's we have a small problem here."

After a brief blast of static Danny's voice came over the speaker, "I think our big problem outside trumps your little problem."

"My little problem is Nikki not moving anymore because she decided to deactivate her ability to do anything in case she decided to kill me."

"Ok that might be a problem, but not one I can deal with right now," looking down at his sister, "what is it with Tobias friends and not telling us anything till we're in the middle of the problems?"

Doing her best to shrug, "got me, I think it's just the way they are."

"Wonderful," flying up next to the underside of ship, "so you want to put money on me bouncing off this thing?"

Looking up, "fifty-fifty shot, I say go for it," silently praying she didn't get another rude awakening surrounded by water.

Looking from I to her, "alright but remember you're the one that told me to do it," making them both go intangible and flying straight up. "I really hope this doesn't hurt as much as I think it's going to," hitting the ship head first, then phasing right through the alien metal, without so much as a bruise to show for it.

"Nice little brother," slipping out of his grasp and landing on the strange purple and green carpet under them, at least she thought it was a carpet.

Landing next to her and looking down, "seen a lot of movies, next seen a space ship with indoor carpeting before.

Shifting her toes to feel the material then bending down to run her fingers through it, "I don't think this is a carpet Danny."

"So what is it."

Reconsidering her original thoughts on the floor, "as weird as this is going to sound," meet his gaze, "I think this is grass, grass from another world."

"Your kidding right?"

"Feel for yourself," standing up.

Not bothering to try, "I'll take your word for it," starting to walk through the hall they found themselves in.

"Well if that bothers you don't look up."

"Why," gazing up, seeing blue sky over his head, "ok that's creepy."

"I don't know, I like it,"

Ignoring her and looking around, "kinda hard to believe we could just get in here, I figured the shield would've kept me out."

"Maybe whoever's in charge doesn't know how to work it yet, that or this particular one doesn't effect ghosts."

"That kinda luck we don't get much," slowing his movements, on high alert in case something showed up and tried to kill them both. "Be nice if we knew where we were," growing frustrated after a few minutes having no clue where anyone else was.

Walking over to a tree, "I think I can fix that," looking down at it and touching the wood.

"I'm sorry," a voice seemingly coming from everywhere, "you don't have authorization to use this, you might hurt yourself and we don't want that, have a nice day."

Danny jumped back when he heard it, "now that was weird."

Laughing lightly, "what you see this all the time on TV."

"This is not a TV show."

"Well if you want to get technical," pushing eight on the screen.

The voice came again, "oh, I'm sorry you do have authorization to be here, what can I help you with?"

A little surprised the ship was so friendly, "but given the Chee a smart ship shouldn't seem that weird. Ok can I have a map please?"

"Oh course," a hologram appearing in front of her.

Studying it for a second but having no clue where they were, "were are we," talking absentmindedly to herself.

Suddenly two dots appeared on the image, "you are here dear."

"Thank you, is there anyone else here," looking up almost expecting to see a person.

For a moment nothing then the ship replied, "no dear, but there is something attempting to access my systems from the bridge which would imply an entity there but I'm unable to determine what it is, if it is anything at all."

"Can you show us where that is on the map."

"Of course," an image glowing near what would be the dogs head, a moment later a line starting from their dots formed to the bridge, "I thought you might like a map as well."

"Thank you ship," trying to memorize the layout.

"My pleasure dear, anything else I can do to help?"

"Other than not letting whatever's trying to take over….well take over I don't think so, at least for the moment."

For a moment nothing then, "I can't do that dear, it's not part of my programming."

"Thanks for trying," moving over to her brother, "lets get going Danny, we need to stop that thing and do it now, I think I can remember where to go but we have to move fast."

Grabbing her, "or we could do this," jumping up he phased through the ceiling and moved from room to room in a fraction of the time it would taken them to do on foot.

Keeping her eyes closed as her brother slammed through the wall, she knew he wasn't going to them get hurt, that did stop her from seeing them bounce off at a rather high rate of speed in her mind. "You do know where your going right," pecking for a second, seeing a wall about to break her nose.

"Sorta."

"What do you mean 'sorta'?"

"I mean sorta, I wasn't really looking, I just know it's up and forward from where we were, I figure when we hit sky we've gone to far."

In total disbelief, "when this is over we're going to have a serious talk about your thought process, because something is obviously not WORKING IN THERE!" yelling the last part as loud as she could just as he phased through another wall.

"GET 'UM," the voice hitting them just before the ghost did, or tried to passing right through Danny and Jazz and hitting the wall behind them.

Dropping Jazz and snapping his fingers, "I know that voice," pointing at the sound of the voice not seeing the boy, "hey Tongueblood, what are you doing out I thought you were still at the bottom of the harbor?"

"IT'S YOUNGBLOOD NOT TONGUEBLOOD!"

"Right sorry," rolling his eye, still not seeing the ghost, "but come on it's not like I deal with you much, and your kinda forgettable, I mean Ember yeah, I remember her, but you, come on."

Jazz was already half way to her full purpleback size when he finished, (yeah that's it Danny, tick him off, then things won't possibly end badly.)

The nervousness draining out of him, not really thinking of the boy as much as threat as the others he thought he might end up fighting. "Come on sis it's this guy, he plays a pirate for crying out loud, he's not that big a threat."

"I AM TO A THREAT," the sound of pounding filling the room as he jumped out in front of them, a tree having hid him from view.

Looking at her brother, a cloud of green smoke enveloping her, Danny floating back while she did it, (as I said ticking him off might not be the best thing to do,) looking at the boy carrying a long futuristic weapon that was somewhere between an automatic weapon and an electric screwdriver. He himself had a similar design, discarding the scuba diver getup for a fictional space man suit. A silver body glove incased him, boots of the same material stomped on the ground. His gloves were thinker with panels of machinery attached to his wrists. Strapped to his back was a cartoonish rocket that looked like it would explode at any moment. On his head was a cliché space helmet, making him look a little funny to the pair who could help but laugh nervously.

"WHAT," looking down at himself only to have a gold visor on the helmet slam down, "AAAAHHHH," yelling, dropping the gun and fumbling with it trying to pull it up, "why do they have these things you can't see through them, they're so stupid."

Danny gave his sister a look, a little confused, glad to see was the same, finally speaking up, "actually they can see through those, it may not look like that from the outside, but they can, the bright color is to block and reflect the light of the sun so it's easer to see since there's nothing to really block the light in space."

His sister could only look at him in aw, (you actually sounded like you knew what you were talking about that.)

Getting a smug look on his face, "well I do, I told you I plan on going to NASA, so I figured I'd learn about all this now and save myself some time."

(I'm impressed, if only you could put that much dedication into your school work.)

"I told you it's hard doing that stuff, I know the stuff I like, the rest is hard."

"EXCUSE ME, EVIL VILLAIN HERE STEALING A SUPER SPACEHSIP, SOMEONE PAY ATTENTION TO ME!" Jumping up and down, the visor slamming back down over his face, "I hate you," pulling it back up.

Looking from Youngblood to her brother, (ok maybe this won't be so bad,) cocking her head hearing the ghost behind them getting up, (I'll take the big one, you take the little one?)

"Done sis," pealing off from her and going after Youngblood while she turned to deal with the other ghost.

(Well lets see what we have here,) turning to look at the skeletal ghost rising to his feet, at full height he was a little taller than she was. From his thin chest came two arms on each side of body, each ending in three fingered clawed hand. Through the ribs she could see a trio of spines rising off him each as sharp as his claws. On an only human like neck sat a long head, looking almost like a hotdog sweeping back over his body, a mess of bony tendril falling from it down his back. The top of the head gave way to ridges that flowed down to two eye that glowed green, no visible nose and mouth of sharp teeth. Down his back from his spine emerged a thin serpent like bone tail. His legs looked like they belonged on a wolf, walking on the balls of his feet, four toes each ending in long claws adorning them.

"Lets see how well you do against me little girl," a long tongue slipping out his mouth and liking his lips.

Not backing down an inch, (if you think you scare me your way off.)

"Your not scared," taking a step back, "I'm in a misshapen monstrosity of a body, and it doesn't frighten you at least a little?"

Shocking her body, letting her fur shake, (in case you hadn't noticed I'm an ape, didn't you think I would've seen some weird things by now.)

"Very well then," diving at her, missing by a foot as she hoped back, using her arms to throw herself out of the way then jumping back with her smaller legs, forcing him into a wall.

Growling, (piece of advice, don't expect me to be easy because I'm a girl, I have more than a few tricks up my sleeve,) jumping back and grabbing his tail and flinging him against the other side of the wall.

Letting go she moving in to punch him in the head, given mow much of it there was she thought it would be an easy mark. "Nor should you expect me to be easy," crouching down faster than she could follow, his head turned hundred eighty degrees around and spit slime on Jazz's face making her jump back.

(WHAT IS THIS,) clawing at the slime, feeling it burning her skin, then in turn her fingertips and hands.

"Acid, a bit pedestrian I admit but he thought I needed if I'm going to be an alien."

(CRAP,) feeling the acid burn through her no matter how much she tried to get rid of it.

Walking around her, like an animal on the prowl, "I do like how this is playing out, I admit I was a little concerned with his choice of forms for me, but I think I can get over it."

With a snarl she forced her eyes open, letting the gorilla's rage come to the surface and add it's strength to her dwindling remnants. "You do not know who your messing with right now," punching the ghost across it's sausage like head knocking it to the ground with a thud.

Before she could hit him again, her fingers laced together he jumped back away from her like it was the easiest thing in the world. Running his hand over the impact sight and scraping the acid that now covered his skull, watching it flow in his fingers. Looking up and smiling at her, "you should know, I'm totally immune to this so if you thought you could turn my powers against me your sorely mistaken."

(Well this is going to be harder than I thought,) charging in, running at him, her vision starting to dim, the acid eating her left eye more swiftly than her right.

Danny really didn't have time to think about his sister, dodging the blasts from Youngblood's canon, the ghost a better shot than he was the first time he and Danny had tangled. "Come on I thought you said it was going to be easy to beat me."

Going intangible and letting the blasts pass right through him, "like I said I've faced better since the last time you decided to ruin my day."

"HEY NO FAIR, THAT'S CHEATING!"

"Alls fair in war and bummer cars."

That one made Youngblood pause, "bummer cars?"

"Bummer cars," forming a shield in front of himself and rocketing forward, a trail of green flowing from his feet as he collided with the ghost knocking him into a wall and holding him there. "As I said I've been dealing with better for a while now."

"Better this," sending a rumble through Danny as he activated the rocket on his back and shooting forward, smashing the larger Danny into the ceiling of the ship. While Danny hung there, Youngblood killed the power on his jet and dropped away from Danny then fired it up again, this time letting it escape him and hit the half ghost in the chest and carry him to the other wall. With a sharp thud, Danny hit, the rocket exploding on impact, hurting Danny but not taking him out of the fight.

Dropping to the ground, landing on his knees, "ok maybe you are a little better than I thought you were."

"When your stuck at the bottom of the ocean you don't have much to do but train and shoot, that and hate, and guess who I've been hating."

"Tell me that's not the best you could come up with," his eyes glowing green, a ball of ectoplasm forming in his hand.

"Shut up," letting lose a couple of blasts at Danny, none of them hitting as he formed a shield, the energy just bouncing off harmlessly.

Even as the pain of the fall stayed with him he forced himself to staff calm, "a little better and ready for me are two different things Youngscud," forming a ball in his other hand and crushing it, letting the energy form twin trails up his arm, letting them spin around.

"Stop making fun of me," a new rocket growing on his back and blasting forward, intending to beat Danny with the butt of the gun.

Catching the hit with his burning arm and deflecting it, "but it's so easy," hitting him across the face with his other hand, the shield taking most of the impact knocking him away, the rocket still firing making his path erratic and forcing him head first into a wall. "Look I can do this all day, but if you want to just stop now I can put you back in the Ghost Zone and we can forget all of this."

A little woozy but standing up, his fingers running over the panel on his arm, "not a chance, not after I reverse the particle flow and send it through the thrtine drive and reroute the neutrino magnetizer and bounce it off the hydrine collector."

Danny could just look at him in shock having no clue what the guy had just said, "once more in English maybe?"

Spreading his fingers a ball of silver and copper energy growing in the palm of his hand, "this," throwing it at Danny.

"Yeah like that's going to work," flying up and dodging left, letting the ball pass him by, "anything else you want to tr…AAHHHHUUU!" Focusing on Youngblood instead of the ball he hadn't seen it change it's path after is passed him and collide with his back, brining him down to the ground.

Walking over to him while Danny tried in vain to get up, something holding him down, "having fun down there?"

"What did you do to me," his eyes blazing green, bits of ectofire jumping from the corners.

Squatting down next to him and lifting his shin with his gun, "I have no idea, I just wanted to keep you down and I did, benefit of being a space man."

"Your not…that doesn't….how about some…," then it hit him, having seen enough sci-fi on TV to put it together, "YOU TECHNO BABBLED ME!"

"Techno babbled?" not understand what the half ghost was talking about.

Dropping his jaw for a second, "you strung out a bunch of fancy sounding words and pulled a win out of your butt from nothing. Every show and movie about space does it at some point, how can you not know this?"

Shrugging and standing up, letting the barrel of the gun linger under Danny's neck, "what can I say I get caught up in the roles, even if I don't always get them, but this is nice to know."

"I really shouldn't have said that, should I?"

"I don't know, maybe," letting his fingers dance on the weapon, "but now I'm realigning the pinknee flange and sending the graviton compressor through the crystal matrix and pumping the power into the neon valve dehydrator."

"Something that sounds stupid has to be bad," going intangible the ball on his back forcing him down as Youngblood pulled the trigger, the floor where he had been turning to slime and dripping down to the next floor leaving a large hole where it had been.

Looking down the hole, "alright, that'll teach him to make fun of me."

Whistling it, the sound making Youngblood spin, only to be answered by a punch to the face sending the boy reeling and falling to the floor below. "Of course techno babble is at best a temporary answer, and old fashion luck and skill can counteract them."

* * *

**Jazz POV**

You look at a gorilla and you see a lot of things, basic human shape, human features, but you can't help but think that's about as far as it goes for the most part, that deep down, just beyond the outward signs we're totally different. That's crap, on a good day gorilla's feel joy, friendship, even love to a point, they also hurt, they feel fear, they understand hate and rage, and at times they can also want revenge, or something close to it. Right now I was dead in the middle of the latter half of those thoughts.

I was totally blind on the left side, the right was fading, all I could feel from my fingers was pain that skyrocketed if I touched anything, and I wasn't sure my brain wasn't exposed as the acid ate through fur, skin, muscle and bone. To make matter all the worse the ghost would not let up on me, which was really not good because I needed to demorph and do it soon or I was well aware I might not be capable of doing it later.

"Well I must admit, I'm finding this day to be quite amusing."

(Bite me,) it wasn't the best thing I could say, but it was the only thing I could think to say, of course given his mouth I was more than likely just giving him ideas.

"Such language, then again you are nothing more than a brute."

Trying to get my right eye to come in a little clearer but not having much of an effect, (actually I'm an animal, there's a difference,) letting out a roar and punching at him, a more or less useless action as he caught my hand in three of his fists, the claws cutting into my flesh, though at this point I couldn't really feel it.

"Human, animal, brute, they're all the same, and regardless your not going to be alive much longer to consider them." From where I was I could see his mouth open then something shot out, maybe his tongue and hit me square in the face. The next thing I knew I couldn't move, more then likely something in the tongue paralyzing me.

I tried to struggle in his grasp but shouldn't do anything, finally snapping out, (aw this sucks,) in frustration.

Looking at me, with what I guessed was an amused look on his face, it was hard to tell, "lucky for you I don't have that ability."

(So I'm not totally paralyzed,) a new wave of struggling commencing, but still not getting anywhere, the gorilla's instincts starting to panic, nothing in it's ability understanding what was going on, the fear hard to fight through.

"So you do have a mind in there, although it was farley obvious," his upper right arm reaching out and pushing me on the chest and knocking me over.

(Great I'm a punching bag,) laying there still unable to move, but at least able to think, Danny's voice no longer reaching my ears, if that was good or not I wasn't sure, but it did offer me something. (If you can hear me,) keeping my thoughts private, trying to hit his mind alone, (I really need some help because I think I'm dieing.) I wasn't sure if that was overly melodramatic, but I figured that would make him hurry up and help me if nothing else.

I watching him walking around me, "so many things I could do," sticking a foot out and digging his claws into my shoulder. Looking away from me, "but I do have other things I need to do, and I don't think I'll have to worry much about you and by the time that venom wears off you should have a sizable hole in the middle of your head."

As he walked away a mix of relief and anger swept over me, on the one hand I was glad he was gone, on the other hand, the fact that he considered me that much on a nonissue was insulting. That was also something I was going to have to remedy, although how I wasn't all that sure. (Focus girl,) keeping everything to myself, (you can do this, you can get past this, this figure it out.)

"To much here and no clue what it all means," the ghost speaking to himself, just enough of him visible for me to watch and try and understand. I was guessing he was trying to get control of the ship which was a good thing for me, if he didn't understand it than there was a good chance we could still stop him. "How on Earth did he even get this thing out of the water."

I smiled internally at that, (well that's a nice confirmation,) watching him struggle with the machine, trying to figure out how to work with the most user friendly system on the planet.

"Stupid machine, why won't you work? I understand twenty two different computer systems but I can't make anything of this!"

Buckling my mind down and focusing, if this computer could beat him then so could I, (the body is dieing the mind is not,) forcing the screams and howls of the ape to remain silent. (I have no intention of letting this thing kill me, none at all,) picturing my human body, my hair, my skin, even my clothing. I had no idea if the poison in my system would effect my power to morph, but I was going to find out, and hoped I could do it before he figured out what I was doing.

Taking a deep breath I was shocked to discover I could still control that as well, (better and better,) that little bit encouraging me on as I felt things start to move and shift, but slowly, far more than normal. I could feel each hair recede into my skin, each layer of skin as it grew in and shrank away, every shift of the bone so pronounced it was scary, that and the numbness was gone which meant I could feel every shift and it hurt more than I every thought possible.

Holding back the pain I tried not to scream to the fake sky above me, but it was hard I wanted to scream and cry, the wail and whimper, and most of all I just wanted to die and get it over with. It felt like it took several minutes, then it stopped and felt darkness creep at the corner of my mind, trying to make me sleep, but not making it.

Breathing raggedly, (don't pass out, don't pass out, don't pass out,) focusing my mind on the arctic fox in my body and letting it flow over me. I wasn't sure but I was hoping where power had failed speed might not, and if nothing else, I might be able to hold out till Danny got off his butt and helped me.

This time around the pain wasn't there, the body forming quickly, more than likely the poison had caused the pain of the morph, with it gone I was in better shape. When the morph was done I could feel exhaustion fighting me for control of my body, something I wasn't going to give it. Standing up slowly, my legs shaking, I let the strength of the fox and the raw ferocity of the little hunter take over, letting it guide me towards what I hoped would be my survival.

Darting forward in small, silent legs and feet I moved with all the speed the small predator could give me and leap onto the ghost, hitting the upper back with my feet and leaping up and biting into his neck with my teeth, my small claws finding grips along the space between the bones.

"Resourceful aren't you?" clawing with his four arms at me.

(I like to think it's my best feature,) dodging the claws, my smaller body keeping myself safe as I jumped up and down his ribs, each claw coming close, but still never quite there. That was till he brought his tail into the mix and started stabbing it through his body trying to do the same to me. (Close but still not quite there,) knowing it wasn't going to last long.

His claws and tails became faster and more erratic as time went on, I was a little shocked I has held him off for what I guessed was about five minutes, luck playing more a part than speed. "HOLD STILL!"

I laughed as well as a fox could, (but if I hold still you'll stab me, or tongue, or whatever else you can do, and I don't want that so…….no.)

"You juvenal….."

(Only physically,) cutting him off, (mentally I'm an adult, and you're a runaway Halloween prop run amuck.)

"GET OFF ME!" stabbing at me again with his tail, this time coming far to close for comfort so I grabbed onto it with my jaws and let him fling me out of the way, landing on my feet.

I didn't bather to stop and used the speed to dart behind a tree on the bridge, (I may not be a cat but I got speed and agility to match them.)

I couldn't see, but I heard as he lunged at me, missing entirely, "well your about to be space derbies after I get my hands on you."

(Promises promises,) running away, letting my instincts carry me and keep me from harm, as fast as he was he could out smart him.

"Little mongrel," he hissed moving on all sixes, "do you really think you're a match for me, big small, your helpless, all your doing is delaying the inevitable."

Pinning my ears back, (sometimes delaying is all you do, and sometimes it's all you need to do.)

"Believing that is what will lead to your defeat," moving his arms back and grabbing butt, pulling himself into a ball and spinning towards me, the large spines on his back cutting a trench in the floor.

I barely managed to dodge past the first charge, my fur shifting in the wake of his attack, (ok this might be harder than I thought it'd be.)

His laugh sent a chill up my spine, it wasn't really evil or scary, just, there, almost devoid of emotion, "if your just now discovering that there's less hope for you than I thought."

(Enough with the insults,) jumping up, landing on him as he passed and jumped away, letting him pass harmlessly under me. In that brief moment I was able to put a few things together, this guy was way faster than me now, more maneuverable to, watching him turn on a dime, but given the waver of his body I doubt he had as much control over the form as I did mine.

We fought like that for a while, him diving, slashing and cutting, but never quite getting to me, at least not enough for the kill. Toes went missing, fur was flying, about a third of my tail was sacrificed, and I felt a couple of teeth come loose when I bounced off a wall, after misjudging a jump.

"Your slowing down," that was the truth, as much as I was loath to admit it, the blood loss and fatigue starting to effect me.

Shifting what was left of my tail back and forth, (slowing down is not stopping and I have plenty left before I die.)

* * *

**DP Style**

The simple fact that he hadn't heard from his sister for a while was the only thing keeping Danny going, the simple knowledge that if she were in real trouble she would've keep screaming at him. Given his current problems knowing she was safe or at least holding her own was more important to him than anything else.

"Of course knowing where I am would be nice," he hissed, the air full of blue mist, not sure where Youngblood had gone, but knowing he was somewhere. Their fight had lead them all over the ship, to the point that he had no clue where they ever were any more. About two minutes back he'd lost the young ghost, his invisibility kicking in, making it hard to find him under normal circumstances. Despite that he knew he was near by, hearing him off and on, little hints that let him know he was near by, now hoping the mist would be enough to highlight the ghost before he could attack.

"Come out come out where ever you are," floating into the next room, filling it with the mist, not having to wait long as the ghost lit up in front of him. From his movements Danny doubted the ghost even knew what kind of trouble he was in moving forward, as though he could see the ghost, hoping his acting skills were enough to pull off his bluff.

Moving closer, he made sure to keep his hand just out of Youngblood's sight, a ball of ectoplasm there, ready to be used when he figured out what he wanted to do, keeping an open mind in case the situation changed. Behind him he could hear the ghost laugh quietly, trying to be stealthy but failing miserably, as soon as he was close enough he struck jumping forward and throwing the ball at the ghost, the ball exploding into slime as it hit him.

"Ah gross," running his hand over his mask and throwing the slime off him, "what was that for."

"To distract you," slipping behind him while the ghost was blind.

"HA," spinning and firing his blaster at Danny, or at least his voice, blasting nothing, or so he thought as the blast bounced back at him hitting an invisible shield that quickly destabilized shifting and fluctuating in the air and blowing back at the ghost covering him from head to toe to green slime.

"Having fun," the noise making the ghost turn and fire again, the same thing happening again.

Running his hand over his mask, "STOP THAT," trying to pull it away, the action not working as his hand became stuck to the helmet. Danny couldn't help be stand back and watch as the ghost struggled to get his hand free, bring his other hand to pull the arm free, that to getting stuck as slime touched slime. "NOT COOL, SO NOT COOL," jerking and pulling at his stuck limbs, "WHAT DID YOU DO, THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN THE FIRST TIME!"

Trying not to laugh and failing badly, "the first one was slime," whipping a few tears away as he lost control of himself a little, "the other two were glue, or just really sticky slime, I'm not really sure what the difference is between them."

"HOW DO I GET IT OFF!"

"Yeah like I'm going to tell you," jumping up, hovering in the sky and letting lose with a normal blast of ectoplasm, knocking the ghost into a wall that he became stuck to. Floating up watching him still struggle, "stay put ok, I'll be back for you later, I need to check on my sister."

"LET ME GO!"

"No way man, consider this a much needed time out," phasing through the ceiling not wanting to listen to more of the spoiled brats rantings.

Floating for a few floors he finally had to admit to himself he had no clue where he was, this time however he knew how to find out stopping at a tree and getting a map so he could at least find a quick map up there. Flying up it only took him a few moments to get up there, but between the fight, and the travel he could feel himself start to get tired.

"Keep it together man, Jazz probably has this all wrapped up anyway," phasing the through the last floor to one with the large hole and floating up through it, not hearing anything suspicious. Groaning as he rose the last few feet to the bridge, "I'm not a tiny bit afraid of this or anything," moving through the hole slowly, not sure if this was a trap but ready all the same.

(MOVE IT DANNY,) his sister coming out of no where and jumping on his head and spring boarding to the other side of the hole.

Looking around, not sure what was going on, "did you have to….do….that….," seeing the spinning ball of bone coming his way.

"Your not helping anyone by being like this," jumping over the hole and landing on the other side still in pursuit of Jazz.

Jumping onto a tree and bouncing off onto another tree then back to her brother, (no I'm just helping myself, I like the idea of breathing.)

Pulling her off his head and holding her, "having fun sis?"

Bearing her fang and growling, getting pushed as far away as his arms would go in response, (oh yes I love being chased by an evil bowling ball with no discernable weaknesses.)

"You know no one talks like that right?"

(Shut up and hurt him,) slipping from his grasp and crawling up his arm to his shoulder than jumping off to the other side of the hole again.

"I love being ordered around by you, it's like I'm four all over again," letting lose a blast of ectoplasm from his hand right in front of the ghost knocking him back and forcing him to bounce off a wall. "But I do like the fringe benefits."

(No you just like hurting ghosts, it's like your becoming dad one step at a time.)

"Yeah like your not becoming mom, right down to the crazy man in your life."

(Leave Tobias out of this or I bring Sam and her butt kicking ways into this and you don't want that.)

"Good point."

"EXCUSE ME," the skeletal ghost getting up, not appreciating being ignored by the pair, "I AM STILL HERE YOU KNOW."

Danny looked from his sister to the ghost, "I'll deal with him," letting lose a blast of green from his feet for a speed bolt and grabbed the ghost and phased him through the hull of the ship and threw him into space.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU DOING," lashing his tail out at Danny, knocking him back, floating in the sky.

Flipping back in an out of control fall, catching himself after a few moments, "just giving my friend a chance to get in on this, if you would Tuck," folding his arm over his chest.

The ghost alien amalgamation looked at Danny for a second, not sure what to make of his words, "if your trying to bluff your doing it poorly."

A smile on his face as the Eclipse uncloaked behind him, "your right I suck at bluffing/"

"This is going to hurt," starting to float back, stunned into immobility.

"Oh yeah," Tucker opening fire from inside the ship, letting loose with a barrage of ecto bolts, slime and lightning.

When the weapons fire started the ghost came out of his stupor dodging and weaving away from the blasts, none quite hitting him. "Time to take this else where," pulling into a dive and pushing all his flight into the fall and dove into the water. "At least if it's down here it won't be able to hide as well," looking up from his spot under the water, his eyes easily capable of seeing straight up to them and making out even the smallest detail on the ship.

Danny looked at his friend, "not going after them?"

Leaning back in his chair and grapping a look at Nikki, "I don't think so," speaking into the Fenton Phones, "he's going to have his own problems down there really soon."

"I don't envy him and what he's about to find."

Danny heard every word and looked down, understanding what they meant after a little while, air or water, that ghost just wasn't in his element. "So you have it here," just needing to hear the words.

"We got it."

"And she's ok right?"

Scanning Nikki with his eyes, "she seems to be."

"Alright then I'm going to check on Jazz, make sure Youngblood still all tied up."

Tucker did a double take at that information, "you mean that weird little ghost pirate is behind all this," the teen beginning to think he might've been involved in the start of this mess.

"Yep and he's not a pirate anymore, he's a space man."

Looking down, "so that was…"

"That use to be his bird and I'd love to keep talking and explain all this but I have to get back to my sister before she does something dangerous like mess with things on the ship so….see…you," hitting himself on the forehead with his hand. "Tuck you got a thermos on that ship?"

Looking back, "I think one's loaded."

"Let me get that first," phasing through the ship and finding it in one of the crates then diving back into the sky and then back to the Pemalite ship.

Tucker looked back at Nikki, "you think they're going to be ok?"

"I think so," looking dead ahead.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

I watched him above me, the ghost didn't have any clue I was there, much less what kind of threat I was. I'd ditched the whale in favor of something smaller and more mobile, a hammerhead shark, an older body in my inventory, but for the water and combat it was the best I had. Sharks are both the easiest and hardest bodies to control, on the one side they have only one desire in life, to eat, on the other side they only want to eat and that desire can override pretty much anything.

Before striking I fell back on the senses of the shark, just for a second wanting to know what I was dealing with, the shark doing a few things my other bodies couldn't. Most of the senses were useless but smell, told me a few things, it wasn't blood but I could still pickup the sweet smell that came off most ghosts, a smell unique to the ocean, one I could track any where if he tried to get away.

The other sense was a little harder to describe, then again I'd never bothered to look up what it was that let me do it. Basically I could detect the electromagnetic signature of things, even the earth itself to a degree, it wasn't that useful in battle but it was great for navigation. And I'd never actually been able to check this side of the ghosts, 'looking' at to get an idea what the ghosts were. Aside from finding out ghosts have rather strong fields I didn't find out much, but it was something, and it might come in useful later.

(Ok enough of the science crap, time to eat,) letting the shark drive me forward, letting it have a little more control and forcing it to want to eat the ghost. Powering my tail, I shot at it, just missing as it moved left and down, as agile in the water as I was.

"Great even the sharks are after me," somehow he could talk under water.

Still coming after him, missing again, but catching the side of him, (get use to it,) feeling a bone come loose from his body as I passed.

"AARRHHGGG," screaming an moving back, holding his side with one hand and grabbing the floating bone and shoving it back into place, "how did you do that."

(Sharkskin is like sandpaper, well technically it's like a thousand dull razor blades, either way, my teeth aren't the only things you need to worry about.)

"Great another one," crossing all four arms.

Powering forward, missing him again, or at least he thought I did as arced and grabbed onto one of his spines with my teeth and pulling it off with a quick yank. (I see you met Jazz,) pulling it away with me and swimming back, a little surprised I could even do that to him, assuming he would've use some ghost trick to save him.

"So that's her name….was her name," a smile on that freakish maw, angering me as I charged him again this time he was ahead of me, swishing through the water faster than I could respond, cutting into my skin with two of his hands putting blood in the water.

(Not a good idea,) I growled mentally, the blood hitting my nose, (sharks and blood, never a good mix,) charging at him again the shark nearly taking over and making me want to do anything I could to eat him.

"We'll see," swimming through the water like a torpedo, moving faster than I could, his body seemingly designed for the water on top of everything else. And for a body that hadn't really changed for a few millions years, being topped by anything was impressive, and a bit of an insult.

I followed in hot pursuit under no illusion that I could catch him, but that didn't mean I wasn't going to do my best to grab him and take him down, or at the least run him off and if I was lucky I could get him topside and leave him to Tucker. And while that might've been the plan, it didn't mean I didn't want to get my teeth on him, to tear into his flesh…er bone, to cut him down for what he'd done to Jazz.

(That was a lie,) I cooed to myself, trying to calm down, (he didn't hurt her, this guy couldn't have,) never the less I could feel rage burning in my chest, not to mention something else, something I didn't quite understand, yet it felt familiar.

* * *

**DP STYLE**

Danny looked around the ship, finding his sister, in her human form, at the main consul speaking with the computer. "We ok on this side sis?" floating over to her, but still on alert in case Youngblood or his bony buddy was around.

"Everything seems to be ok."

"Yes everything is fine, my engines were activated but it appeared to be more by accident than by design," the ship speaking to him.

Looking around, a little surprised since it the ship hadn't sounded like that the last few times he'd been around it when it spoke. "Did that seem a little weird to you?"

Cocking her head to the side then snapping her fingers as she understood, "you mean the voice."

"No I mean the tree that doubles as a computer, yes I mean the voice."

"I asked the ship to be a little more friendly, have a little more personality, not to mention the ability to help me. It was remarkably responsive and came up with this," looking up, "I'm not sure it's a personality but she really helps get things done."

"Thank you Jasmine, I'm glad to help any who walks through me."

Shuttering, "it's things like that that make me want to scream and tear my eyes out."

"My apologies Mr. Fenton that was not my intention."

"Well this is going to take some getting use to," looking at his sister, "so you are sure nothing was messed up?"

"Oh yeah," looking at the hologram, "Youngblood did really get to anything, and I've managed to activate the cloak, or a version anyway, we can't be picked up by human equipment, but the ability to go invisible is damaged, has been for a while, I guess the Chee didn't think it was worth fixing since no one could get to it at the bottom of the ocean."

"That is correct," the ship responded.

"Well that may be the case," Youngblood hissed, "but it still sounds like this scrap heap can still do a lot," clawing at the last remnants of the adventives slime on his face and flinging it off.

"Ah crap it's junior again," Danny's arms igniting in spinning flames, "alright lets get this over with."

Aiming his gun at the half ghost and firing off a few shots, none of them hitting as Danny shot over them, "stop making fun of me!"

"Again….NO," throwing his arm out, the entire arc of fire on his right arm jumping at the ghost and crushing him against the far wall, causing scorch marks to appear on his suit.

"Here we go again," Jazz's hair receding, claws growing from my fingers, skin turning into scales.

Danny grabbed a quick look over at her, her whole body turning green, "whatever that is it's not that attractive."

Dropping onto all fours, (shut up Danny,) a tail growing out of her body as she shrank while the last few details formed turning her into a komodo dragon.

"Oh big lizard that's really going to be useful," rolling eyes turning back to Youngblood, the ghost back in the air.

Tapping on the panel on his arm, "lets see what happens when I reformulate the quantum formula, mutating vilethium power sources and run it through neuron matrix."

Jazz just stopped and looked at her brother, (what did he just say?)

"Don't know but it's not good," picking up speed and throwing a few ecto blasts at the ghost.

"It means this," pulling the trigger and firing the weapon, the energy stream spilt after half a second, over a dozen beams coming off and heading in different directions. Part of them intercepted Danny's blasts, the others shot at the others. Danny managed to miss the shots, or at least the first go around, the blasts arcing back and hitting him in the back, the ones for Jazz hitting him straight in the side.

"I hate techno babble," Danny groaned his eyes flashing green

Shaking her head, the dragon taking the hit, but it not doing quite as much to her as it did to Danny, (I can see why.)

"Well I love it," pulling the trigger again sending more shots at them, even as they dodged it became clear that it was pointless the beams coming straight after them, only intercepting them with more arcs of ectoplasm courtesy of Danny.

While Danny had gotten most of them, Jazz with her slower speed took more than a few hits, but her bodies naturally thick skin helped her take most of the hits without serious injury, although with every hit the part of the dragon that wanted to eat grew stronger, seeing the ghost as a meal. (I'm getting tied of this,) snarling into his mind, part of the dragon in her thoughts, (what say we take this fight to him?)

"If you know how I'm in," flying up and throwing balls of ectoplasm as the ghost fired off another shot, more blasts streaming around.

(Just one idea,) running forward, letting the strikes hit her, each strike making her slow down a little more, till one finally connected and knocked her on her back, flipping her over. A few more strikes hit her underside, Danny not able to stop them as they flew around like firefly's, each seemingly with a mind of it's own. (Ok that's not going to word unless someone stops him from doing that.)

"I don't have anything that can stop that and a shield's not going to work," firing off one more blast getting one, but another shot hit him in the back.

(Then make something up,) struggling back to her feet.

Thinking back to the things Tobias had taught him, and the things he'd learned himself, at first nothing come up back a single piece of advice Tobias had given him when he first tried to help him. "It's all about using what you have," breathing the words under his breath, normal tricks weren't working, at least in the long run, leaving him with almost nothing left in his bag of tricks. "Ok then lets try something new," watching the blasts go everywhere as Youngblood fired off another shot.

Focusing his mind he formed a ball of ectoplasm in his hand but just held it in front of him, not firing it, just holding it, watching the blasts move to him and his sister, burn marks and blood littering her skin. Wanting to hit each shot at once he let the energy go, unsure if it would work or blow up in his face. In his hand a single jolt of energy cut lose from the main ball and shot forward, missing all the blasts, but the next small wisp of energy that leapt form the ball hit one. Then before he knew it a hundred little green balls, one by one jumped from the orb, each one making the main ball smaller and smaller, most of them intercepting the attack from Youngblood, each firing straight ahead.

After it was gone he shook his hand, the energy burning it a tiny bit, "I can't believe that worked for something I just made up."

"So you really thought that was going to work," Youngblood pointing the gun at him and pulling the trigger.

(Yeah, pretty much,) Jazz moving fast, with the blasts gone she was back on top of her game and jumped up, a feat she wasn't sure the dragon could really do till now. She bit deeply into his left leg, the pain mixed with the extra weight bring Youngblood down to the ground.

"LLLEEETTT GGGOOOOO," struggling kicking her, totally forgetting that he had a gun.

(I don't think so,) holding on for dear life, using her front legs to bit into his suit, the claws cutting into it, the gas still ahead ring to her skin even after the various morphs she'd done since applying it in her purpleback gorilla form. She knew a little about dragons, that they could kill just about anything with their bite, that they hunted by biting then letting go and following the animal till it died. The only problem with doing that there was that she wasn't sure a toxin would effect the ghost, and she didn't actually have poison, the dragon's toxin a mixture of bacteria from the rotting flesh from past meals, something she didn't have given the lack of past meals.

With him distracted Danny moved him, falling back on a normal ectoblast rather then trying to replicate the last attack, the palm of his hand still burning. The blast of green threw the ghost back, knocking him into a wall, the impact knocking Jazz loose, the lizard dropping to the ground.

Flying up, his arm igniting in green fire, he missed his target as Youngblood's fingers tapped on the panel. "I just put the hubu jubu into the freenphlange, and mixed it with the scraby flunk," somehow that formed a shield around him.

Bouncing back, Danny glared at the ghost, "you know that wasn't even techno babble that was gibberish!"

"You just mad because I play the game better than you," firing his blaster again, the beams arcing out hitting him multiple times throwing him back.

"Ok that's it," opening his hand and throwing a flash ball at him, the ball as it had before blinding him.

Struggling to see, not getting to his hand past hi helmet, "not fare that's has to be cheating, I can't see!"

"See that's why you have this," bolting up to him, a trail of green behind his feet and punching the top of the ghost's head, the shield no longer in place for some reason. When the hit connected the gold visor dropped down, blinding the ghost again, knocking the ghost back into blackness.

"AARRGGG, STOP DOING THAT," tearing the helmet off, the silver article bouncing along the ground.

Floating back, "use what you got," a mischievous smile playing at his lips as he watched the ghost move to the panel on his arms.

"Just for that I'm going to transfbbubbof," the words not making sense as Danny throw a ball of slime at the ghost, landing it in his mouth.

"DO YOU BELIEVE IT FOLKS HE MAKES THE HOLE IN ONE!" the ghost throwing his arms up.

Still tapping on the panel an trying to talk, "gsjiasyg aush aoh aiyb fukabsmd alidjh aksuhd," and firing his blaster, the gun blowing up in his hand.

Jazz looked up and dodged the debris falling around her from the gun, (how did that happen?)

Looking down at her, "I'm going to go with techno babble only works if you say it out loud."

"Hastd tasd oaisdnv zrxdiuola," struggling with the sticky slime on his mouth trying to get it off, only getting his fingers stuck to his mouth.

Looking back up, (Danny would you just end this, he's getting annoying.)

Bowing in the air, "you ask I obey," pulling out his thermos, around his back and firing it at the ghost, the blue energy sucking him up and pulling him in. As soon as the ghost was gone a small trail of blue smoke rose from it, letting him know he wasn't going anywhere, at least hoping he wasn't not really knowing how the inside of the machine was really like or worked.

(Nice little brother, why didn't you do that sooner?)

"I don't know I didn't really think about it," shrugging his shoulders, and come on it's not anything that bad happened.

Looking around the bridge, a giant hole in the floor, trenches cut into the ground, scorch marks littering the walls, small fires breaking out in various spots. (Oh yeah Danny, absolutely nothing was damaged around here what so ever.)

* * *

**Tobias POV**

"This is growing tedious," the skeletal ghost easily moving away from me, enjoying mocking me, "you have no chance of beating me, you know that don't you."

(Shut up,) the scent of blood filling my nose, it was nearly all I could smell and the worse part was it was mostly all my own.

"I thought you'd like conversation, after all I'm the only one here that can talk to you."

(BITE MEEEERRRGGGG,) jerking my head and snapping at the shark trying to take a chunk out of my dorsal fin, the blood having attacked several sharks, what they were I wasn't sure I just knew they were a little smaller than me and hungry. Then again they were sharks, all they knew was hunger.

Swimming closer, the ghost unlike me not a target, "that looked like it hurt," staying just far enough away to keep me from lunging it him.

(Just go away,) snapping at the nearest shark, all of them in the midst of a feeding frenzy, I'd managed to hurt a few, the others had taken a bite of a few others making them targets, to put it bluntly I was in the middle of an insane war for survival. To make it worse, those around me didn't understand fear I did, and that and anger was all I was running on and while they weren't in short supply my strength was and it was going fast.

I snapped and bit at the sharks, the water red around me, another bite hitting my tail taking a chunk out of me, feeding the anger in me, the need to kill. I snapped, another snapped, fangs met fangs, skin hit skin, bubbles flying everywhere, water churning. I felt someone ram me in the gills, blood billowing up from me making it hard to breath but not impossible, at least for me a normal shark would have the fight taken out of him by that.

(HELP,) I tried welling again knowing I was to far down for anyone to head me.

"It's just you and me here little shark," the ghost gloated, "well us and them," running his hand along on the backs of one of the sharks.

I wanted to snap at him, mentally if nothing else but it wasn't an option, one of the freaking sharks biting down and taking my left eye with him. (SON OF AARRKKK,) someone ripping all my tail off, (YOU GUYS ARE DEAD!)

"Actually I think that's you in about fifteen seconds," watching me as I started to sink in the water, feeling things start to leave me, sanity slipping away, as darkness started to envelop me.

(No,) the word small and weak in my thoughts, knowing it was over, starting to simply die. Then it welled up in me, that feeling that was just on the verge of understanding, a feeling of power, a reserve of something I didn't get. Then it hit me, I'd felt it only or twice over the last few days, when I was hunting, when something was hunting me, a flash of anger, the desire to fight, it was the same thing I'd felt in the tower against the Knight, just before it happened and over ran my instincts and changed me.

Looking up, only seeing more sharks, feeling them biting and ripping into me, hit me time and again and tear off part of my body. (I won't die here,) reaching out to the power wanting it to do….something and felling to pulsate inside me.

"And so it end, it's not a good way, but I'll take it," hearing the words high above me traveling through the water, I wasn't sure if he wanted me to hear them or not.

Those words were all the encouragement I needed, letting everything go as darkness slipped into my mind, letting the power inside me, letting it have me totally. In that moment darkness vanished and everything came into total focus, the sharks, me, the ghost, I understood it all, and I liked it, I needed it, feeling the bites as though they were far away. The power shot through me, hitting every corner of my being, or least everything that was left and I could feeling the sharks moving away because of it, not understanding it but not so lost in their hunger to know something was wrong with their prey. I could feel and see light in front of my eye, and felt things changing, like a morph, but not quite, faster, more intense, more everything, feeling things heal and somehow grow stronger.

Lost fins became arms and hands, my tail split into thirds becoming both legs and a hawks tail, what was left of my dorsal fin cut and split into wings. Feathers formed form all over my body as teeth disappeared in my growing break, my eye regrew, all the while the sharks stayed back while I radiated light, becoming something part hawk part human, yet still able to swim and breath despite not having anything shark attached to me.

Looking around at the fish, none coming after me, but for a moment I wanted to kill them, they'd attacked me, they were my enemy, they had to suffer had to die. I was ready to lash out with my claws but forced myself back, to stop, (predators are predators, they aren't evil they aren't the enemy,) I reminded myself fighting something inside me that just wanted to fight, (that is the enemy,) looking up at the ghost in the water, seeing him clear as day, but I doubt he could see me with the sharks all around.

"They should be about done by," I could hear him plain as talons on my fingers, even with the swirling water around me, I could make out every sound from his lips, every bone on his body, even the tiny creaks as the bones rubbed against each other.

Spreading my wings and flapping, pushing the sharks aside as though they were nothing, swimming through the water as if it were the sky. He saw coming, not that it mattered, I was on him long before he could even move, as fast as he was he was nothing to me now. (Lets say we take this into my world, and leave the predators to their task,) seeing my own glowing refection in the face of the polished bone of his face.

"So you have a few more skills I see," struggling against me, but making no headway as I forced him to the water and threw him aside letting him tumble away from me.

Flapping a few more times and rising higher into the sky, (I'm a lot more than you think bone bag,) feeling the wind on my body, letting the cool air dry my wet feathers and renew me, feeling better beyond words now that I was free of the accused water.

With a snarl he came at me, "stupid impetuous youth," reading his claws back trying to rip off my feathers, and failing miserably as I caught the upper striking arms and held them, blocking the lower arms with my forearms.

Pulling him in and head butting him, (I'm many things, but you have no idea what they are,) letting him go and watching him fall back before righting himself on the way down. That stability only lasted a few seconds as I tore back down and lashed my claws across his face, sending him into a spin, nearly hitting the water with a splash.

Righting himself again and looking up at me, dodging back as I tried to bring my foot talons down on him, just missing him. "Your faster than you were before, so you were playing with me?"

(I always did like a good game of cat and mouse, or in this case hawk and mouse,) flapping my wings and tearing at him, already knowing he was going to move right by the way he held himself. When he did I wasn't surprised already shifting my wings, meeting his face with a heel kick, racking my back talon on the bone.

* * *

**DP Style**

In the Eclipse Tucker watched, very much aware that his was growing out of control, Tobias glowing like he had the last time and while he wasn't sure how things would end he guessed it would be bad news all around. "Nikki quick question," looking back as the still frozen girl, "you know anything about Tobias' froms?"

"Everything, at least those he got before he left to work for The Ellimist."

"Does he have any kind of glowing hawk person thing?"

"Not to my knowledge why?"

"I was hoping he had that before and you knew why he keeps using lately and how dangerous it is."

"I don't, but if he's using it he must have a reason," still looking ahead.

Looking down, "I really hope so," unsure if he should help, considering what happened last time he doubted he really needed to lift a finger. Given that the ghost just tried to fire his tongue at Tobias only to have the bird catch it with one hand and yank it forcing the ghost to jerk forward and getting a round kick across the face, his wings giving him lift to use his other leg to heal kick him across the face a second later. Still using his wings he arced his body back landing behind the ghost and punched low toppling the ghost taking his leg out from under him, a second later the leg actually coming lose and sinking into the ocean. Flapping his wings again he flipped biting his talons into the back of the ghost slammed him into the water with a splash only to spread his wings again and soar into the sky the ghost still in his claws.

"LET GO OF ME," the ghost shrieked, understanding he was now totally outmatched.

(You hurt Jazz, your not in any position to tell me what to do,) thinking back to what he had said earlier, letting that drive him on.

"WHAT, THE GIRL IS FINE!"

(Your lying,) seeing it in the way he moved, his eyes, hearing it in his voice.

"SHE'S FINE I SWEAR."

Reaching out with his mind, (Jazz,) sending the thought out in all direction, he doubted the ghost could kill her but wanting to be sure.

Looking up at him terrified, "please let me go."

(No,) flipping him up but soaring my ahead of the ghost and turning a flip into power for a kick and cutting right into the back of his sky, actually imbedding his foot in the ghost bone.

The ghost screamed something between white noise, a gun shot, and the high pitched wail of a dieing car and lashed out with all it's arms at Tobias trying to get the bird to let go of him but not actually doing anything but making him mad. His claws cut into the offending leg, but did little use, only succeeding in aggravating the bird a little more. Reaching out with his other leg he crushed the midsection of the skull with it getting another wave of screaming from the creature.

"Tobias," the words hitting him and making him stop, while the ghost under him went limp, totally passing out from the pain.

(Jazz,) looking up

Danny had his sister, still in her human form, in one arm, "what are you doing birdie," more than a little fear in her voice.

Looking down at the ghost, (what do you think,) punching down at the ghost knocking him loose, letting him fall to the ocean below.

Reaching out with his free arm and using the thermos to suck the ghost in before he could drop and splash in the great void of the vast water. Looking from the ghost to Tobias and dropping his voice to talk to his sister, "tell me he's not going to fight us."

(Do you want me to?) lunging at the half ghost.

"NO," jumping back, more afraid of the glowing bird than he had been of anything else that day.

(To bad,) Tobias' body flaring brightly, his form returning to normal in that brief moment. (That was wei….r…d,) his eyes rolling back in his head, blood beginning to pout out of his eye sockets, mouth, the slits in his beak, every orifice on his body simply started bleeding at once as they had the first time he'd transformed in such a way.

"BIRDIE," Jazz yelled slipping from her brothers grasp, the striped dolphin DNA running through her as she feel changing her, only strips of red hair remaining of her human features as she hit the water.

Danny plummeted after her, the few seconds of shock at her action keeping her ahead of him, "hold up sis," hitting the water after her, ready to find out how his powers worked. That was a decision he would come to regret a few moments later as he saw what else was in the water, the large gray bodies of the sharks looming under him, drawn by the smell of hawk blood that flowed freely from Tobias.

(Well if this isn't the sight of a thousand phobias forming at once,) seeing the sharks with her eyes, the idea of using her sonar never entering her mind.

"Oh crap," Danny speaking under water, not in a position to be surprised by the action as he tried to get to the surface, discoing his ghost powers of flight didn't seem to apply to the water, having to swim like a normal person.

Not bothering to look at him, heading for Tobias, (save it for later Danny, if we don't get him out of here we'll be down one bird, and up one ghost assuming we can ever find him.)

"I'm not sure that's a bad thing at this point," firing off a blast of ectoplasm, the green energy acting normally and hitting a shark in the nose making it swim off, but gaining the attention of three more who headed his way.

Jazz ignored him, hitting a shark with her mouth, knocking him away from Tobias who was little more than a cloud of red to her at this point. Pointing her thoughts up, (TUCKER GET DOWN HERE AND HELP YOU IDIOT!)

If he head she wasn't sure a shark taking a piece of her tail, using her momentary distracting to his advantage. (Stop that,) weakly hitting him with her nose, not doing much as she powered her tail down after the bird, her wounded tail slowing her down considerably.

High above her Danny was trying to hold off the sharks after him, encasing his body in a shield, using it for protection. In the back of his mind he couldn't help but wonder what all the water was doing to his equipment, but the continuous attacks but the sharks was keeping those thoughts from forming those ideas into actual ideas. "And to think I use want to do this, nothing with this many teeth should be this close to a person."

(COME ON BIRDIE GET UP,) gaining on the bird, not that it did much good, he was already in the teeth of one of the sharks, more blood billowing up, (BIRDIE,) screaming it in fear and panic, the very real fear that she had lost him in her mind.

Just before the panic gripping her could totally override her a beam of red shot out and hit the shirk knocking it back and forcing her to let go of her prey. With a shimmed the Eclipse appeared before them, Nikki on the front of it, reaching out and holding Tobias in her arms. Inside the ship Tucker could hear her plain as day, "take us up, we have to move fast."

"On it lassie," taking the ship up, Jazz swimming close by, also ending up being taken in Nikki's arms, the dolphins weight nothing to her.

Reaching out with her mind, (need help,) hoping he would say no.

"ANYWHERE BUT HERE IS GOOD," Danny never sounding so afraid in his life.

(Then we're leaving get up here,) the ship coming to the surface, and Jazz demorphing. Spitting water and sucking air, "what took you guys so long?"

"I needed Tucker to restart my motor functions, I had a feeling you'd need my help out there, not to mention run the medical equipment inside the ship."

That perked up her interest, "medical equipment?"

As the Eclipse reached the Pemalite ship Nikki activated a remote terminal and caused a door to open up for them, a quick jump was all it took to get the two inside the ship. Dropping Jazz and running at a speed that took her out of the girls sight in less than a second she hit the medical bay, something that hadn't been used in a long time, not since the last times the Chee had tried to save the last of the Pemalite race and failed. The first time trying to stop the virus the howlers had infected them with simply to much for their technology, to adaptable, to ferocious for them to fully stop, slow down but never stop. The last time had been when they mutated wolves, mingling there essence with their creators, creating dogs.

"If my people can do that, we can easily save a bird on the brink of death," hitting the bay and strapping Tobias to the medical equipment and letting the computer take over, hoping things machines could at least keep him going till he came around.

It took almost fifteen minutes for Jazz to find Nikki and Tobias, now joined by Danny and Tucker, the Eclipse now sitting the small hanger of the larger ship. When they found them Nikki her hologram was off and she was standing next to a tree watching a hologram intently.

"So how's he doing," Jazz's tone even, a forced calm in her manner, making her seem more like a machine than Nikki.

Looking back to them, "it'll take another ten minutes to rebuild his wing, one minute thirty seconds to finish synthesizing the last of his blood, the beak will be harder to fix, for some reason the computer just can't understand it, no more than an hour though before I can take him out."

"That means he'll be ok right," Jazz just needing to hear the words.

Walking over to her and putting a hand on her shoulder, the human persona snapping back into place, "he'll be fine Jasmine, he's strong, and at most this is temporary solution till he comes around and does all the real repair work himself."

After she heard it she hugged the girl, burying her head in her shoulder, "thank you, thank you, thank you."

"He's my friend to Jazz, I'll do whatever I have to in order to fix him."

"And how about moving this," Tucker waving his arms all round.

"The ship started submerging the second the you docked, I'll be moving the ship else where when this is over to protect it, so don't get the idea of coming back and looking around."

He couldn't hide the disappointment on his face when he heard it but did his best to cover it up, "fine, you know whatever."

Giving him a pat on the head, "I'll give you grand tour later."

"What about what we discussed," Jazz asked.

Already knowing what she meant, "I'm already running every test at my disposal, if it's capable of being detected by our equipment you'll know soon."

"Thank you."

"But," raising a finger, "if this is ghost in origin there's a good chance I won't find anything, our technology isn't like Andalites. While we did use Z-space nothing was ever done to apply that information to medical science so we don't have many tests for it."

Looking over at the bird, suspended in the air, a pink-orange light glowing on him, doing what Jazz guessed was the healing acts Nikki had described. "Everything helps at this point," sitting down on the ground near him, "why don't you three do whatever I'm just going to hang around here till he gets up."

Her brother put a hand on her shoulder, "Tuck little help," her friend taking her other side and both pulled her up an away from Tobias.

"Guys stop it," struggling against them.

"You need to stop with the obsession thing sis, you standing around isn't point to make him any better and how many times do we get to walk around an alien space ship."

"I don't know, didn't we fly in on one?"

Giving her a pity laugh, "funny."

Tucker looked to the android, "we'll take that tour now, if you would," giving her a loop sided grin.

"Stop hitting on the girl Tucker."

"I'm not hitting on her," he defended.

Looking over at him, "yes you were."

Sighing, "teenagers," walking ahead of them and leading them through the ship, letting them see things no one else had, at least no one with a pulse. They walked for almost an hour, while Nikki filled them in on everything on the ship, and at Jazz's request to keep her with them they checked in on Tobias from time to time on one of the consuls.

Whistling as they ended up in the main bridge, "and I thought what we had was cool."

"For humans, what you have is cool," Nikki sighing and looking at the damage to the bridge, "you did say it was bad didn't you."

"Sorry about all this," Jazz telling her, putting a hand on her shoulder, "I couldn't really help all this, at least not from where I was."

Covering the hand, "I know," sighing deeply, not that she needed to but she'd been playing a human for so long it was second nature to her. "It's only a machine," leaning down and running her hand over the grass, "among other things, it can be fixed. And in a few years the plants will grow back in and it'll be back the way it should be, more or less."

"Still I'm sorry."

"Thank you," standing up and holding her arms up, "this would be the end of the tour, thank you for coming."

"You sure I can't take something," looking around.

Patting him on the cheek, "no Tucker you can't take anything as I've been telling you, so stop asking."

"As long as I'm here I don't think I'll ever stop asking."

"And I'm never going to stop saying no," a small chirp went off a moment later causing Nikki to turn to a tree and bring up a hologram. "And this really does complete out tour because Tobias is done and just waiting to be released."

That was all Jazz needed to hear as she turned around and started walking back quickly, "That's what I've been waiting to here."

"She use to be more subtle than that right," elbowing her brother.

"No she just thought she was," watching her move and falling in behind the girls a few moments later after grabbing one more look around. Getting back there farley quickly Nikki pulled Tobias from the machine, the bird now breathing normally but not conscious.

Cradling him in her arms, "he's ok right," feeling him breathing softly.

Looking back at the screen, "he's totally fine, he's just warn out right now, he'll probably be up by tomorrow, ready to go."

Watching his chest rise and fall, "thank you."

"I told you, it's not a problem," running her fingers through the bird's feathers.

"All the same thanks."

Laughing gently, it had been a long time since she was thanked, even the animorphs had taken her for granted part of the time, not bothering to saw those simple words. "Jasmine it was my pleasure, after everything he's done for me, I owe him this much at the very least." Beginning to heard them to the door, "and with him fine you guys need to get back home, it's getting last, and you have school."

"Your kidding us right," Tucker looking back.

"I was a school teacher once, I don't kid, now go, I'll meet up with you tomorrow after I hide this thing again."

Jazz looking back at the panel, "what about the test results?"

"Those will take a while for those to compile, I'll get back to you on those after I have time to study them, it could take a few hours."

Jazz hissed under her breath but relented when her brother laid a hand on hers, "relax sis, come on this has to be complicated, just let her work and please don't tick her off."

"Fine," Danny actually feeling relax in his hand.

The four piled into the Eclipse several moments later, with Nikki promising to give them all the help she could, and went back to dry land, the trip back uneventful. Nikki meanwhile hid the ship back where it had been and ran home to activate the others Chee's motor functions and started planning ways to ensure this didn't happen again.

Tobias spent the night at the Fenton's, specifically in Jazz's room, the sleeping bird easy to hide from their parents given his size. By morning he was back around, in time to say hi to Jazz who was rushing off to school, but got a long kiss from the girl on top of his head and nearly an argument till he convinced her to do it when she got home.

With them gone Tobias hit the sky after a quick morph to heal any injuries despite feeling really good. Enjoying spreading his wings and flying around, the memories of what happened the day before still in his head, but they had a far off feeling to him, like he did them but he didn't. (Last time I remembered everything more or less clearly, so what the heck is going on now,) soaring higher into the sky and doing a few spins, forcing the thoughts from his mind. He knew he had to deal with them, but not now, and not here.

"Nice to know your feeling better," Nikki's voice reaching Tobias ears making him stop and look around, finding her sitting on the side of a building.

Landing next to her, glad to see her still around, (please tell me there aren't more problems Nikki.)

Folding her arms, "several new ones but none you can help with on my end," sighing and laying back, looking up at the sky. "All of my people are back online, our ships hidden again, I down loaded the schematics for the ghost shield from the Eclipse and I have a few of the others building and installing one to keep this from happening again, a few of the others actually think they can improve on it, but I'm not sure yet."

(Cool, but I'd make sure they test that version first, I can talk to Danny into helping if you want.)

"Thanks," shifting her gaze to a building, seeing two people involved in an argument.

(Speaking of testing, you mind helping me with something, or at least Tucker?)

"Depends on what you have in mind?"

Thinking back, (Tucker has been working on a few things, mostly designs from a weapon Danny picked up, who origins are complicated to say the least.)

Watching a plane go by over head, "and I play into this how?"

(Well we could use someone with the skills to build it.)

Growling, "I don't make weapons Tobias you know that, I'm nonviolent, nothing has changed that."

(Except these aren't weapons, these are containment devices for ghosts, they'll stop fights, get the ghost back where they belong, and ultimately save lives. If anything they're tools, nothing else, no worse than a hammer or a screwdriver.)

Scoffing, "I've seen what a person can do with those."

(At least look at the plans Nikki, if you don't want to build them then fine, but at least look, it'll do us some good.)

"Alright fine, but this doesn't mean I'll actually build anything for you."

(Deal,) a silence building between them for a few minutes, but Tobias knew something else was on her mind, (spill Nikki what else,) finally just asking.

She wasn't surprised that he saw through her, it was something he was good at, "I ran tests on you while I fixed you up."

Groaning mentally, (don't tell me I did the blood thing again.)

"Blood and nearly eaten by sharks."

(I think I'm glad I was passed out cause I don't want to remember that, at least not twice in one day.)

"I don't blame you that was a scary sight even for me."

(Nikki,) barking into her head, (stop stalling what did you find?)

"Nothing," looking at the sky, "I found nothing."

(Nothing,) flapping onto her chest, (how can you find nothing?)

Putting her hands under her head, "no one's more surprised than I am, something is wrong with you Tobias, and if I can't pick it up then it means it's not scientific in nature, at least no science I know about, so chances are what you have…"

(Yeah yeah, I have a ghost problem, thanks a lot Nikki.)

"I do know this," looking up at him, "whatever happened inside of you was bad, I can't be sure what was the sharks and what wasn't, but your organs were shredded. Not in normal way either, it's like your body was being eaten from the inside out and I can't explain it, but if you do it again and can't get help right away and by that I mean more help than a human can provide there's a good chance you will die before you have a chance to heal with a morph."

(In your not so subtle way your telling me I'm going to die soon?)

"Maybe, I don't know how bad the previous version was, and it's possible most of what I saw was from the addition of the shark attack, but you shouldn't do it again, that much I can tell you for sure."

Looking to the sky and letting a breeze flow over him, (you might as well cut me off from fighting then, I mean it's all I've known for years.)

Shaking her head, "I won't tell you how to live your life, I'd never presume to think I could, I'm just telling you what I think is for the best. Look I'm not going to stop looking, but at the moment I wouldn't do that again if you can help it."

(Considering I don't really plan on it happening I don't see how that's going to help.)

"That I can understand, I just thought you'd want to know before I told the others what was going on inside you."

(Thanks Nikki,) spreading his wings.

Her hand shot out and held him down, "I also thought you might want to know to disappear for a while, something tells me Jazz will go a little crazy on you soon. I'll try and smooth things over, but the girl was a little overly protective of you when you got hurt."

(Thanks Nikki,) spreading wings, (but I'll have to deal with her some time.)

"Sometimes does not mean today, I'll cover if you want."

He considered it for a few moments, (if you don't se me cover, if you do…)

"…then don't," finishing his thought for him.

Jumping off her and taking to the sky, if he had a free day he was going to use it to the fullest before the others made him insane, and aside from getting a good meal he had something he had to do, some favor he needed to repay.

* * *

**DP STYLE**

Jazz was doing her best not to scream at the girl in front of her, "what do you mean he's not here?"

"Just that he's not here," Nikki remaining calm, "with all do respect, he needs some time to himself, he's been through a lot."

"Like we all haven't," Danny growled behind her, laying on his bed, getting a slap from Tucker who gave him a dirty look.

Ignoring them, "we have all the data from the tests we can perform on him, that's enough, but I think it's for the best if we given him some time to work some things through, you'll have more than enough time to do things with him later. Right now he should just be himself for as long as he is able."

"And what if he gets hurt, what if he starts bleeding, what if Val goes after him, what if," shaking in anger, "I don't know but he shouldn't be alone right now."

"And that's one of the reasons he needs to be alone, your smothering him, I know you care about him, but you don't have to protect him all the time, he knows when to stop and he won't live as well a bird in a cage."

Danny and Tucker groaned, "did you have to say that?"

Making a cross with his fingers, "bad pun bad pun, stay back."

"Little far Tuck," holding his hand up, a small space between Danny's thumb and fore finger.

Leaning back in the chair, "I don't know it seemed appropriate."

Shaking his head, "not really."

"We don't need him anyway, I have the test results and those are enough for now."

"Fine," a fair amount of venom in her voice.

Moving to the door, "then we should get going, I should be working with the Eclipses systems to do this faster, then it should be easy enough to figure out if something from them can tell us something."

"The why didn't we meet down there?"

"Because we all can't fly Danny," Tucker pointed out.

"We can't do it here why, I mean your PDA is hooked up to all that information isn't it?"

A smile on her holographic lips, "because for one, being there is faster and two, I can't upgrade the ships systems from here."

"Upgrade?" Tucker's eyes lighting up like it was Christmas.

"I'm not sure he gets upgrades after what he did," Danny barked.

Throwing his hands up in defense, "come one I said I was sorry, how was I suppose to know taking it into the harbor would let him out," thinking fast for a second, "and we haven't actually proved that's what happened yet."

"It was you, it had to be you, don't try and deny it."

Looking over at the two arguing and ignoring them and continuing with her plans, "basically I'm going to modify the shield with a hologram generator, it'll take a little less power than the cloak to run and give you a few more options. I'd thought I'd throw in a few more security programs to keep people out if they ever find it. I also want to take a quick look at the communication array, from what I saw I think I can get it to the point where you might be able to get in touch with Ax. You've made some go headway with it, but your on the wrong track with a few things. If nothing else I think those two might want to talk to each other if it's possible. And no" looking at Jazz cutting her off, "I don't mean because he's on his last legs, it's his uncle…his nice uncle, I think they might want to stay in touch every now and then."

"Then what are we waiting for," grabbing her hand and trying to pull her out, fully aware that he couldn't, but Nikki went along with him anyway.

Floating up between Nikki, Tucker and the door, "um Sam for one, she should've been here by now."

"She not answering the phone Danny, so she's probably not coming, and she did have that fight with Skulker while we were away."

"Which is why we need to go check on her."

Rolling his eyes, "we saw her today Danny, we spent all day with her in school, she's fine leave it alone, it's not like she can't take care of herself."

Folding his arms, "then it's gotta be about Tobias she must not want to see him after what he said to her."

"Except she swore up and down he didn't say anything, so let it go, she probably just wants to spend some time with her grandma before things shake up around here."

He wanted to wanted to argue some more but let it drop, "yeah maybe," digging out his phone and making another call to her still not getting anything.

He didn't know Sam's phone was still in her dresser, but she wasn't having found a not telling her to come down to the ocean, far away from both the main beach and where the Eclipse was. She now found herself on a far off deserted beach, seemingly hidden away from the world, coming down on her hover board but not seeing anyone human or ghost that might want her there. Why she was here, or for that matter why she felt compelled to come she didn't know but she did if for no other reason than to satisfy her curiosity.

"Wherever you are come out," speaking more to herself than anything else. When nothing answered she looked around, "nice place as far as beaches go, nice sand, away from people, water has a nicer color than normal or as nice as ocean water ever gets," walking up and sticking her foot in the liquid, letting it splash her a little. With it touching her she could help but think about the others, about what the others had done and feeling a little guilty about not being there. "You can't help what your afraid of," watching it, at the moment not feeling that bad, but she had no real intention of getting any closer than this.

(No but you can control it,) the thoughts making her jump back and fall on her butt, not ready for them in the slightest.

Looking at the sky, "do you have to do that?"

Rather diving from the sky he shot up from the water, coming up as a dolphin, (what can I say it's a talent I've worked hard to develop.)

"Well this is better than a chainsaw wielding maniac," relaxing a little then tensing up, "ok why do you look like that?"

Swimming up to the shore and beaching himself, (why do you think?)

"I don't like the water….."

(I know,) cutting her off, (I totally get that, believe me, I get that more than most and considering a bunch of shark tried to eat me yesterday, twice, I REALLY," stressing the word, "know where your coming from.)

Waving a hand up and down him, "so what's with this?"

(I hate water, doesn't mean I don't have to swim sometimes. Look I'm not going to force you into this, I'm just giving you a choice you can keep trying to avoid the water, or you can try and get over this with me, someone who at least sympathizes.)

Looking down and patting him on the side, "my parents have done everything humanly possibly to get me back into the ocean, what makes you think you can?"

(Because I can offer you something they can,) flicking his tail up throwing water on her, (I can offer you some of the best protection on Earth.)

Shivering a little from the water, "if that was your way of convincing me you need more work on your sales pitch."

Wiggling till the current pulled him back out, (then how about this,) disappearing into the ocean and jumping into the sky and doing a quick flip. (Come on Sam, human's are clumsy in the water, but me, like this, I can promise you nothing will ever happen, at least so look as we're back to shore in under two hours.)

"Yeah I feel much better with a dolphin," not hiding the sarcasm.

(Then how about an orca, or a shark, or a whale, I'm versatile, heck I can give you freaking giant squid if it'll make you feel better.)

"I don't care what you have you can't get me to do this, I don't like the water, it…."

(I know,) swimming back to shore, (believe me I know, look ten minutes, all I'm asking, I'll never get beyond the shore line, never take you under water, and you can just hold onto my fin the whole time. You do that much I'll drop it, we'll never talk about it again, and we forget this ever happened unless you want to bring it up again.)

Looking from the water to the shore, then to the morphed hawk and sighing, "make it a little sweeter," trying to hold the fear down, and reminding herself she wouldn't go that far, it couldn't have been more than eight feet down and be would be able to save her if something happened.

(One hour I'll do whatever you want, unlimited access to anything I can become, need me to go on some antimeat crusade, deal with someone bothering you, get some dirt of your parents, or just some intimate time with an animal of your choice.)

"I don't know," looking out at the water, the fear still creeping up despite what best efforts.

Flipping some water with his tail and letting it land on his back, (alright in addition to that, I'll let you see something, from Earth, that only five humans have ever seen, well five that lived to tell the tale, it's complicated.)

Rolling that around in her head, "show me first."

(Fine,) starting to demorph and flapping up on land, (let it begin) calling up a body he rarely used, quickly becoming something close to human but with blue skin, webbed feet and hands, and large eyes. "CRAP," covering them and running over to the small section of shade near a small cave, "bad eyes. bad eyes, to much light," the darkness helping a little, letting him see, but still slightly painful.

Sam ran over looking at him, "smooth, and nice voice by the way, sounds a little lick gravel."

"Yeah yeah, I don't use this one much, it was designed for low light."

Looking it over, thinking it looked a lot like a human, eerily like a human, "what is this exactly and how did it get on Earth?"

"They call themselves Nartec, and they use to be human."

That caught her by surprise, "human?"

Spreading his one arm, keeping the other covering his eyes, "you are looking at what may be an Atlantean, and again it's complicated, if you want the story we'll do it in the water."

Looking from the water to Tobias, (we going to stay near the shore?"

"Swear to it."

"And you'll tell me everything?"

"Yep," feathers sprouting from his body, "let my fly home and hopefully I won't talk myself out of this."

(Don't have to.)

Running her hands over his hunting outfit, "I'm not swimming in this."

(Not what I meant,) finishing a hopping away from the cave, a bag behind him, (in addition to leaving the note I snagged a few things, yes I knew where they were I didn't go creeping through your room, now get changed I'll be the water so don't worry about me looking.)

Looking in the bag he was out of sight before he she could scream at him for grabbing her purple swimsuit. For a few moments she just sat there looking at it, wondering what lese he might've gone through but put the thoughts aside, knowing him a little better than that. "Besides this is the only one I actually like and it's no where near anything thing else."

A few moments later she walked out in the one piece purple suit, glad he somehow hadn't grabbing the bright pink bikinis her mom kept buying her. As she walked up, he beached himself to meet her, (I'm guessing I grabbed the right one,) getting a slap on the fin from the teen.

"I catch you going through my stuff again Tucker will be eating hawk hot wings."

(Understood, and I swear I wasn't going through anything, remember I was in your room once, I'm observant I saw everything and remembered.)

"All the same when I get home I'm going through everything and if I get even a hint you've been touching thing you shouldn't have been….."

(You'll tell Danny.)

"I'll tell Jazz," leaving the threat hanging in the air.

Slapping his tail on the sand, (right got it, really hope nothing it there was moving since between I left and now.)

"You better," walking out to where the water was just short of her knees, "alright lets get this over with."

Struggling a little and sliding back into the water, swimming up to her, (alright,) bumping her leg, (grab on, and try and enjoy yourself, your in for a real ride.)

Leaning down and holding on to his dorsal fin, "and by that I hope you mean an easy one."

Laughing a dolphin laugh, (yeah that's exactly what I mean,) kicking his tail and bolting into the water, the girl screaming behind her.

* * *

**DP Style**

Somewhere deep in the heart of the Ghost Zone, a gunmetal gray case hung, suspended in the green sky, held in place, by yellow cords that wrapped around it, each linked to a metal frame work. On the outside of those case and cords were light blue chains and locks wrapped around it a thousand times. Around those black rope were knotted time and again, all those things working as one to keep the sole occupant of the case inside.

A case that after years began to shake, the being trapped within stirring to life.

* * *

**Authors Notes**

Hopefully I hit up all the details I wanted too, I forget sometimes.

Yes this is a continuation of several Animorph stories and Youngblood, but different from how it was done in the show, at least to a point.

I figured giving Youngblood a space look was appropriate and I love Techno Babble, free it, it will dominate you, and it seems like a great power for a ghost to use, at least once.

Right before I forget, the skeleton ghost is based on four aliens that you may or may not have guessed by now. 1. Mostly the Aliens from the Aliens franchise, 2. Stitch from Disney, 3. Dargo from Farscape (mainly tendril and tongue), 4. Klingon from Star Trek (mostly just the head ridges because you have to throw some star trek in there for the sake of it.).

Finally Sam and water, originally this was going to be Tucker and ocean, I'm not sure if that was set up in earlier chapters, but I turned it to Sam after thinking back to the ep where they were at the water park and Sam seemed to be actively avoiding the water, what with the hat and cape and comment about smelling bad. For the most part I can think of anything in the show that confirms or denies this so I'm leaving it in, that and I needed a way of cutting down the cast and Sam seemed like the best to take out. Again it's not really water that messes with her, just the ocean and water she can't really see the bottom of or ocean replicating areas like wave pools, (not sure yet myself,) either way she is taking the steps to fix that with Tobias.

Anyway thanks for reading.

Please R&R to let me know your there.


	24. A small pain in the tail p1

**DP Style**

"THIS IS NOT HOW I WANTED TO SPEND SATURDAY!"

"You think this is what anyone wanted," Sam hissed into her built in microphone, dodging the ectofire that was coming towards her.

Flying down the side of a building, (speak for yourself I'm loving this,) pulling away from the building and spreading his wings wide the wolves flying right by him, each stopping as, the second crashing into the first she stopped running and tried to follow, both beginning to fall uncontrollably. A moment later the pair regained control and tore after him running though the sky trying to catch up to him.

Jazz could only watch him as he flew by, throwing the one eyed ghost wolf off the building, the green wolves stopping in midair and running back at her. (Your insane birdie, totally insane.)

Flying past Danny and maneuvering through Cerberus giant green legs, (you say that like this is new information to you,) Strike and Bolt still on his tail, fast but not quite enough to catch him in his element.

High above them Skulker watched the fight, releasing blasts of energy from time to time, to distract the four while his partners went after the prey. "Cerberus take the bird," directing them, "Bolt aid Gash with the ape, Strike after the ghost boy, Blaze good work with the girl but finish her off," watching them change partners, keeping the humans off balance.

Unfolding a weapon from his arm, "lets try to make this a little more interesting," firing off a few blasts at Danny, now actually trying to hit him instead of distracting him.

"Great I'm trading super mutt for normal pup," flying away and letting the wolf fly by him, "and it's not really a down grade." An ectoball formed in his hand, forcing control over them and releasing a blast of small ecto balls at them, knocking the wolf down a few more feet but not stopping her.

"If your looking for sympathy your not getting it here," Sam jolting up as Blaze moved under her, the hunter grinding her board along the wolfs back.

(Ditto here,) feeling Cerberus jaws snap behind him, just missing pulling off a few tail feathers, (have I mentioned I really hate this guy!?)

Punching the three eyed Bolt in the face, (not in the last day no,) the wolf rolling along the ground, temporarily knocked off by the power of the hit.

(Just checking,) pulling his wings against him and diving down and doing a quick spin going through his legs again, the eyeless wolf following him with his mouth. Fully committed to the attack, putting his head halfway through his legs, the position forcing him to topple over, crushing a car under his weight.

The momentary blare of the car alarm was enough for Danny to get away from the wolf on his tail forming an invisible shield in front of him. Not knowing it was there Strike hit it straight on knocking her to the ground with a thud. "Finally," looking to Sam, "be right there," letting a blast of energy escape his feet as he covered the ground in a fraction of a second.

High above them Skulker blew out a whistle that no one but the animals could here, the wolves understanding it instinctually. Each vanished in an instant and ran away from the fight, high above them Skulker did likewise, the wings of his jet pack popping out and launching him into the sky.

"I'm really beginning to hate him," Sam growled watching him go.

(Same here and I've barely dealt with him,) beginning to demorph, her red hair dropping down her back.

Flapping over and landing on the ledge next to her, (I don't know I'm beginning to like it.)

"You just like beating up wolves," Danny floating next to them, his arms folded over his chest.

Flying up next to them, "five days of this, five days, FIVE FREAKING DAYS," the masked girl snapped, "THIS IS RIDICULOUS!"

"Well only FOUR for us," getting a death glare from the teen behind her mask.

(Now tell us how you really feel,) getting a kick in the butt from Jazz, knocking him off the building. Flapping up after righting himself, (nice Jazz, real mature.)

"Not like you can't fly," snarling slightly, "I thought you said you'd stop getting involved in these fights?"

Catching a headwind and rising higher into the sky, (I can't help when he attacks and if he's near by, besides I wasn't going to let those people get hurt.)

Landing on the roof, "He has you there sis."

Flapping a little more, rising higher than them, hearing his stomach start to rumble, (and that reminds me I was going to go get something to eat. I'd ask you to join me but this isn't the kind of food you can order off a menu,) taking off from them.

Sam was the first to speak as he vanished, from sight, "I really wish he'd stop telling us those things."

"With him not likely," watching him going as well, noticing the slight wobble in his flight, like the rest of them he was getting tired, the multiple attacks by Skulker starting to effect all of them mentally as well as physically.

"I thought you said you were going to lay of him," Sam asked, looking from the birds direction to the redhead.

"It's easy to lay off when he doesn't run head first into the middle of a life and death fight," hopping on to Sam's board, the pair lowering to the ground, Danny right behind them as they landed in an alley.

Shrugging, "I guess," the pair jumping to the ground, "nitro burn lock," hitting the edge of the board and making it spin up as it shrank. "Raven star," the words causing the suit to suck into her clothing leaving her dressed normally, a gift from the Chee that had come in the mail. According to the letter they though it would be easier for her than to dress and undress every time, or at least Nikki had, Sam was starting to like that girl more and more. It was one of the many bonuses for their help in dealing with their ship.

"I mean is it to much to ask that he stay away from fights till we figure out what's wrong with him."

Twin rings running around him, "is it to much for him to give up every facet of his life just because you tell him too."

"I'm not doing that Danny."

"Yeah sis you are, he flies, he hunts, he fights, that's who he is, and he's not going to stop for you, or because of whatever's inside him."

"Don't tell me we're back to this," Tucker moaned running up to them, "I thought we were all past this."

"You thought wrong Tucker," walking out of the alley, "it never ends, not with my sister."

"HEY!"

"Face it Jazz you do obsess a little," Sam patting her on the shoulder, "it's who you are, we accept that about you."

She growled something and pushed the hand off, "whatever I have homework I need to get to, I've been putting it off for too long and if Tobias isn't going to be around I should use the time to finish it up."

"Finishing it up, start, what's the difference," her brother joking as she walked away.

Tucker watched her go, "was that really necessary?"

"As often as she busts me for not doing my work, yeah, it's rare that I get to rub her nose in something she does wrong."

Whacking him upside the head, "she is your sister, it's not the smartest thing in the world to get her mad, especially considering how much she knows."

* * *

**DP Style**

Skulker sat back in his chair, stroking Cerberus from the top of his head to his tail, the other four wolves around him, laying down in various stages of rest. In his lap Cerberus groaned and looked up, his master understanding the unsaid question and just stroked the wolf a little harder.

"Yes you did very well," looking down at them, "you all did very well."

Strike sneezed on the ground, her ears lopsided as she shook them and sneezed once more.

To most the moments would seem normal, just a canine acting like a canine but the ghost hunter under stood what she meant. "Yes very soon the hunt will begin, your very close to finally having your hunt," enjoying the little whine from the girl, knowing she wanted to do it now.

Her sister Bolt, never moving her head, growled and snorted, rolling over on her back.

"You know this game," looking over to her, "we tire them first, making them jumpy and confused then we take them."

Blaze growled a little and bit Strikes left ear, pouncing on her other sister.

"I know you want more, but these ones are cleaver, to take them we must be more so, and as we've seen striking them directly won't work so we must use their own weaknesses against them."

Gash burped and scratched his left ear with his back leg and stretched out on the floor.

Laughing at the one eyes mongrel, "as much as I enjoy the idea that will ruin their bodies and I want them preserved forever."

Burping again and growling.

"That on the other hand we can do to them," getting a tail wage from the assembled wolves.

Cerberus first set of ears perked up while his second set pinned down against hid head and snarled.

Patting him on the head, "yes the next time should be it, it depends on how many of them there are, if not the next time will be when we take the four, I promise you."

Bolt growled and kicked her back leg.

"Alright," smiling down and rubbing her belly, "after this you five can pick our next hunt."

Blaze snorted and growled while looking up at him.

"Fine you can do all the hunting, but I will be there for support," starching her behind the ears, "I don't want anything to happen to you five."

Strike jumping up and licking him on the face, getting her a small kiss on the head.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

(Ah that feels good,) basking in the sun on top of a tree, my wings spread wide to take as much on the sun in as I could. The rat I'd taken from the park had been huge, how he'd survived as long as he had I didn't know but he tasted so good. After I had finished him it had taken everything I had get into the tree and preen before warming myself and letting my body digest the meat, blood and bones.

I forced myself to flap as a breeze hit me, not wanting to lose my balance, (of course I couldn't just stand here,) whispering the silent lament.

"BEWARE I AM THE BOX GHOST!" the words not even phasing me as I opened my eyes, but instead of looking at the blue which I assumed was in front of me he was a few yards back throwing packages from a mail truck into the sky.

I cocked my head, unsure if I should move in and try and stop this. (This is the Box Ghost after all, at best he's annoying, at worse a pain in the butt.) Not seeing anyone in immediate trouble, I just sat back and watching, folding my wings against my body, ready to go in if need be.

"YOU CANNOT HURT ME WITH YOUR CYLINDER OF METAL," a box hovering up to him, a few hundred letters flying out like throwing stars in front of him.

(This is odd,) the only thing I could think of was that an invisible ghost was after him, suddenly several of the letters suddenly bursting into flame around him. (Ok defiantly a problem,) looking around and listening, a jolt of fear running up my back.

Throwing his arms out and landing on the truck, half a dozen box's glowing and flying out at whatever was after him, "BE GONE BEFORE I PULL OUT MY BUBBLE WRAP OF DEATH!"

I ignored his words, looking more at what he aiming at, the sound of gun fire filling ear, very small gun fire, more to the point very small dracon fire, almost to small for the eye to see, human eye's at least. (Ah please no,) seeing what I really didn't want to see.

"BEWARE MY POWER," more boxes being chucked from the ghost.

(Give up this chase, you are no match for our unrivaled power. We are the future rulers of the galaxy, the true masters of the cosmos, bow to us and know servitude, resist and know only servitude and death. We are the….)

(Helmacrons,) I moaned looking at the small ship, (why does it have to be Helmacrons, I hate these idiots, Howlers, Yeerks, even out of control Taxxons are better than these girls.)

"NO ONES COMMANDS ME," throwing what had to be every box in the back of the truck at the ship, not that it would stop them.

All I could do was shake my head, and groan, (I have psychos chasing a nut job, and a hunter is trying to kill me with his dogs, can I have anymore problems, maybe lightning deciding to kill me?)

* * *

**DP Style**

"You are the master of stalling," Sam sighing and watching Danny shove a burger into his mouth.

Sticking his tongue out after swallowing, a little food still on the appendage, "after everything I've been through lately I deserve to relax and kill time. Being waste deep in a book thicker than my arm is not my idea of enjoyment Sam, you know that."

"School is not about enjoyment, it's about survival, and unless you want to start repeating grades you should look into it," taking a sip of her soda, then more casually, "and if you ever stick half chewed meat out at me again you'll be looking for that tongue in another state if not country."

Pointing a chili fry at the girl, "just when I think you lost it, you turn back into yourself."

Glaring at him, "and if you keep sticking that in my face Tuck you'll be looking for a finger."

Considering her threat for a moment then popping it into his mouth, "I'd be worth it."

"Then you'll be missing something else," leaning back in the booth, seeing if anyone at the Nasty Burger was even giving them the time of day.

"Low blow Sam," popping another fry in his mouth.

"It's the only kind she knows," the half ghost laughing.

Trying to sink into the seat and closing her eyes, "I have to get some girlfriends or at least a good substitute."

Laughing loudly, "every girl in Amity Park knows you Sam, most avoid you like the plague, the few that don't well, I'm not sure I'd trust them more than you could throw them."

"You forget Danny I can throw people pretty far," a smug smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"Touché," holding his cup up, the girl knocking cups after a moment.

Stretching a little, "so," Tucker asked a little disappointed the fight was over, "any plans for today, other than the normal?"

Sighing and doing everything not to meet Sam's gazes, "she's right I do have school stuff I need to get to at some point."

"I was planning on spending some time with my grandma, other than that not much."

"Then I guess it's me and old Eclipse again, I can live with it."

Taking a quick sip, "still having fun with your new toy?"

A grin you big on his face the others swore his face would snap, "oh yeah, between the things I didn't get and the stuff Nikki put in I'll be busy for months, not to mention finally have the communication system up and running."

"Of course it's keyed in so only Tobias can run it."

"I know Danny," his smile fading and seemingly growing smaller, "I can't believe they won't trust me with that equipment."

Nudging him with an elbow, "yeah like we need you sending messages out there."

"You have that little respect for me."

"I know you that well, I can even hear it now, 'attention beautiful space women blah blah blah' and when they show up they have tentacles, made of slime and five mouths full of razor sharp teeth and they eat they're mates."

He just kind of stared at her in shock, "you've put way to much thought into this."

Taking a quick sip of her soda, "actually I just replaced you with Paulina in one of my many fantasies."

"Still came up with it too fast."

"Come on Tuck does it really surprise you though."

Eating another fry, "good point," leaning down a little more in his seat.

Shoving the last few bits of burger in his mouth Danny got up and brushed a few stray crumbs off, "as much as I hate to do this, I do have to get going and actually finish a few things."

Poking around the now soggy salad with her fork and finally deciding it just wasn't worth it anymore, "yeah me too, I promised grandma I'd take her to a movie."

Pointing at her, "let me guess cute animated movie?"

Smiling at him, "depends Tuck you consider The Cannibal of Creekville to be animated, I mean there is that part where the guys intestines are torn out by wolves, that pretty much has to be CG, at least a little of it, no way it's all a prop."

"Isn't that the one thats not even rated," Danny asked a little wary.

Her eyes lighting up, "and banned in most states, I'm having a private screening."

"She knows what she'd getting into right?"

"She should it was her idea," the smile getting wider, almost maniacal and bordering on insane.

Looking from one to the other, "why do I hang out with you two again?"

Putting her arm around him, "your not smart enough for the smart ones, not geeky enough for the geeks, and the jocks hate you except for till it comes time for finals or they're about to be thrown off whatever team they're on."

"Thanks a lot Sam," getting up, the three of them walking out of the burger joint and onto the street, after a few feet and well away from prying ears they started up again.

"So," Danny asked in hushed tones, "what about the other projects you were working on?"

"I got it back last night, Nikki ran it over."

Getting excited, "and," having seen the plans from the first time after Tucker showed them to her.

Looking away, "they're not quite what I had in mind, most of the early stuff was left intact," pulling out his PDA and calling up an image on the screen. The image was a blue print was a larger version of Danny's ghost glove, still fingerless but now appearing to run to the back of a persons elbow. Bit of metal ran here and there on it, parts were power packs, others were weapon pods, over all it was larger and bulkier than what Danny was currently using and not as powerful or efficient.

"We know what it looks like Tuck," Sam pointed out.

"Well this isn't what it looks like," sighing, "and as I said most of the early stuff is still there, it can hold ghosts like you dad's ghost gauntlets, but it's lighter and runs a little better than them.

Sam wasn't thrilled with his pace, "but…."

"But she didn't put the weapons in, and we knew that was going to happen, and she did 'accidentally'," doing air quotes, "leave the ports there so I can add them, for the most part their not that hard to adapt, and I'm pretty sure I can build them."

Snapping her fingers, "I'm still sensing a but coming."

"But because of the restrictions she's working under, IE what humans can do or an approximation there of, she had to make them a little larger than originally planed."

"How much larger," Danny was actually afraid of the answer.

Scratching the back of his head, "well, do you want to give you dad an early birthday present?"

For half a second Danny's eyes lit up, then quickly died down, "ok we can work around this, they were just ideas and it's not like we were really going to use them, or at least no plans for them in the immediate future."

"True," Tucker a little calmer now, "and I can learn things from them if nothing else, if we have the larger versions that smaller ones won't be as hard to make, and it nothing else at least it's a start and I get to examine another piece of their engineering's."

"Except you designed them Tuck you know what's in them, and she did warn they'd explode if you tried to mess with them to far, granted she says that about everything."

Nodding, "very true, but not what I'm saying, I'm talking strictly how the hardware was made, this is defiantly beyond what a person can do. It's like art if you know how to look at it, it's really kind of beautiful, the equal of the Mona Lisa or that guy with the white hair that painted soup cans."

"It's machinery Tuck it's not art, I'm pretty sure that's written some where."

"What about that guy that wrapped that sky scraping in Detroit in paper towels, you said that wasn't art too but they had that special on TV about it."

"Don't defend him Danny, and that's not art either it's a waste of trees."

"Then what is art?"

"Art is whatever someone says is art and that is crap," the three looking back at Tobias storming up, looking like it was going to kill someone the first chance he got.

Danny jumped back, not wanting to be in range in case he lost it, "what's with the legs."

"I can fly and be happy or I can walk and curse, right now I'd rather curse, it feels better."

Sam wasn't as worried as the others, "bad day of hunting or….." She didn't get to finish as he let loose a stream of curses they weren't even aware were words and a few they doubted had ever had that distinction. About half way through the words even Sam started to back up, a little worried were this might lead.

When he stopped Danny edged forward, "all bite, what's wrong?"

His whole body shook, his hand clenching and unclenching, "not here, anywhere but here," looking around quickly, suddenly growing nervous to the surprise of the others.

"Great he has a split personality now," Tucker sighing.

Looking up, "not split just scared," turning into a fast walk away from the others.

Danny covered his face with his hands, "why does Jazz always pick the weirdo's to fall for, why couldn't she pick someone normal."

"Like your really one to talk here Danny," Sam following him, pulling out her phone and calling her grandmother, letting her know the movie might have to be put on hold for a day or so.

It didn't take long from them to get to Danny's, Jazz meeting them in the basement, Tobias a little calmer but not quite, still looking around feverously. "You have got to lay off the high caffeine mice," getting a dirty look from Jazz.

"Shut up Tucker," her voice growing softer, "is this a new problem birdie, is this a symptom of whatever is messing with you?"

"What…no, no this has nothing to do with that," sitting on a table and leaning against a wall, staring at the door way.

"Then what is it, your acting a little nuts, more so than normal I mean," putting a hand on his, the action suddenly calming him down.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, "I know you hate hearing this but we have a problem…."

"If it's Nikki I'm not here," Danny cutting him off getting a slap to the back of the head from Sam.

"Big problem little problem," she asked, hoping she could knock off and still see the movie.

Getting a funny look on his face, a tiny bitter laugh slipping out, a laugh that sent shills up the spines of the others. "It's kind of a little of both and not in a good way."

The others traded looks, "yeah I got nothing," Jazz not knowing what he even might've been talking about.

"This isn't going to mean anything to you but we have a Helmacron problem."

Again they traded looks, "still nothing," the others lingering on Jazz's face.

"They're aliens," leaning back, somehow becoming more relaxed and tenser at once.

"Ah…that means nothing," Danny hissed.

"Well they're about sixteenth of an inch high and travel around the galaxy in ships that look like cheerleading batons, or whoever uses batons that are about four inches long. They also believe they are the sole rulers of the galaxy and that all other races are worthless and have no roll other than being slaves or dead, or dead slaves in some cases."

Danny was the first to start laughing the others coming in shortly, Tucker actually falling to his knees, "you got us man, you got us," Danny slapping his knee, "that was a good one."

He let them laugh themselves out, waiting till they wipes the tears from there eyes, before he continued, "they came to Earth a few years age," not missing a beat.

"And let me guess," Tucker cutting them off, "they landed, needed a place to stay to start up a new home and since they were so small you just let them and they were so grateful they pledged they're undying servitude but now they need you to fight off a horde of ants."

Sam waved him off, "no way to much, they just let them stay here but they just happened to settle in Amity Park after he used them as spy's against the killer mole controllers," another round of laughing an giggling following.

Letting them get it all out of their systems again, "they came to Earth because they needed power, at the time we had the morphing cube, the device that gave us our power that to them was a tappable energy source. We managed to stop them and kick them off Earth, then a few months later they came back trying to get it again and when we came close to beating them they crawled up Marco's nose."

This got a new wave of laughter, "I little far but I love it," Tucker roaring on the ground.

"I thought…you were taking….this a little….too….far, but that….made it funny….again," Danny pointing at him from the ground, trying desperately to breath.

Still ignoring them, "they held Marco hostage and nearly killed him when the tried to roast his heart while it was still in his chest."

By now Jazz had stopped laughing, "this isn't a joke is it birdie?"

Shaking his head, "we kicked them off the planet again, but not surprisingly it didn't really work, because I saw them today, chasing the Box Ghost. I followed them for over an hour till I lost them, in all honestly I can only deal with so much insanity, and I get that much from him, I don't need to add their tiny twisted insane minds to the mix."

"Your serious," Sam the first of the three to come out of the laughter, "they really are here?"

"Everything I've said in here is the truth and to make matters worse they can detect morphers so doing anything normal isn't an option. Why they didn't go after me today I don't know, maybe it's a different ship, maybe this one doesn't have the same equipment, maybe because of whatever's inside me I'm hidden but you still need to know that."

"What do they want?"

"If you weren't laughing so hard you would've heard, they want us to be their slaves, because they think that's all we're good for and because they are the chosen master race of the galaxy."

Holding thumb and fore finger next to each other, "they're like this tall, they can't really believe that."

"Height is relative, and they're totally nuts so it helps."

"I'm going to regret this," Sam moaned, "how nuts are they?"

Thinking back, trying to figure out where to start, "well they're completely divided among the genders, one rules, fly's the ships, decided who to attack, all that fun stuff and the other side are all saves, totally subjugated to the whims of the other gender."

Spreading her arms wide, "further proof that men everywhere are chauvinistic monsters no matter what race they are."

"The women are the ones in charge the men are slaves," making Sam blush with embarrassment.

"Feel stupid now don't you Sam," Danny enjoying the moment.

"A little," looking away from them.

Shrugging, "that may not be the case now though, Marco gave the men a pep talk and the last time we saw them the men were as crazy as the women."

"Share the insanity," Tucker taking off his glasses and wiping them on his shirt.

Laughing lightly, in a mocking tone, "that's not the really crazy part," bracing himself for the inevitable backlash of disbelief. "The thing that fully makes them nuts is they're leaders."

"Let me guess, screaming contest," the half ghost throwing the idea out.

"That would be better," just spitting it out, "all their leaders are dead," everyone of the them looking at him, unable to say anything. "Yep that was pretty much my reaction as well when I found out."

"You mean they're ghosts," Danny asked slowly.

"No just dead, fully, totally dead."

"That's insane."

Looking at Sam, "no the reason they do that is insane, basically a living captain will make a mistake at some point, but if they're dead that's impossible. This way the captain can always be revered and will always be prefect because any mistake isn't her fault."

"The scariest part is that actually makes sense on some totally insane level I'm not quite at right now, and I really hope I never am."

"Also what we thought when we first found out Sam," leaning further into the wall, "and now you can guess why I hate dealing with them. They are completely insane egomaniacs, they don't understand defeat or fear or common sense because that is something that doesn't make exist to them. I would rather have my brain ripped out than spend fifteen seconds with them and they are now back on Earth and I'm going to leave if we don't get them off right now."

"Right now right now," Sam looking up the door stalling for time.

Understanding they had things they wanted to do and not wanting to force them into another wild chase. "Not necessarily now, but soon, preferably the next time they make themselves known. At our height they aren't really dangerous to us, shy of crashing their ship into us, but they are still a huge pain in the tail and if they are after ghosts that can only mean we're going to be drawn into it at some point and you really don't want to be dealing with them for long, because they are worse than anything you can imagine."

Sam snapped her fingers, "I'm not sure but they sound a little like a race of small Paulina's, self obsessed, believing the world belongs to them and that everyone else is her slave."

"Lay off Sam," Tucker defending the girl, "she's trying."

"You were played," saying it in a sing song fashion.

"GUYS," Tobias barked, "don't know what's going on and I don't care either, all I know is we're in a lot of trouble here, between Skulker and his pack we have enough problems we don't need these girls so I'd appreciate a little professionalism."

"Ok rat breath we get it," Danny leaning against a wall, "but like you said we can't do anything till they show themselves so relax, isn't that what your always telling us."

He gave Danny a look that screamed 'die, shut up and how'd you like to eat your arm' all at once, but in the end relented. "The first time you meet them you'll understand why I'm upset, and by that time you'll wish you were hunting them instead of the other way around."

"Assuming they are hunting you…hunting us," Jazz giving his hand a quick squeeze, "you have no proof why they're here do you?"

Shaking his head, "after the twentieth," spreading his arms as wide as he could and talking on a regal tone, "Glorious Helmacron Empire," his voice returning to normal, "speech I tuned them out. So no I have no idea why they're actually here, but a hundred bucks says domination of the planet plays into it some how."

A smile slipping onto Danny's face, a tone part joking part demonic coming from his lips, "maybe we can sic them on Vlad, let them make his life miserable for a while."

"Tried something like that before, didn't really help, the problem just got a lot bigger before it ended, wouldn't recommend it."

"Well your just going to shoot down everything today aren't you red?"

"Red?" looking at Danny.

Shrugging, "ok so they aren't all gems give me a break I don't see you trying to be funny all the time."

"I know my strengths," pushing off and walking to the stairs, "and speaking of which I'm going to go employ them and try and track these idiots down before they find us. I'd keep you phones on, or at least near by, nothing say's I'll find them but if I need back up I'll want it."

"Come on man you could beat these guys with a baseball bat, why are you so worried," Tucker yelled watching him go.

Not looking back, "yeah unless they shrink ray me again and I don't really like being that small," disappearing up the stairs. It took a few moments for that last part to fully hit them, and by the time it had he was out of the house and flying through the sky.

Sam looked over at the others, having to say it, "our lives have gotten really weird haven't they?"

"Crazy aliens, that chase ghost," counting everything off on his fingers, "let the dead rule them, and can shrink you. Yep," nodding his head, "are lives have definitely gotten really complicated."

Tucker looked from the stairs to the others, "so are we just going to let him go, or….," letting it hang in the air.

Blowing a few stray hairs up, "for now, let him work Tuck, he's know them, and if something happens, at least he can get us. Maybe we'll get lucky and these guy will just disappear before he finds them."

Looking up at the cloak, "I hate to be insensitive, I really do, but if we're not going to help him I'm going to meet my grandma."

Waving her off as she moved to the stairs, "good luck Sam, don't let that thing give you nightmares, or good dreams, whatever's scarier for you, or not," scratching his head, "I don't know what I'm trying to say here."

"Do you ever," taking the stairs two at a time.

Getting up and following her, "I'll be following her Danny, call me if you need me."

"Thanks Tuck, if I get done early want to grab a online game?"

Looking down at him, halfway up the stairs, "give me a call depends on what I feel like, depends on how I'm doing with my new project."

"Good luck with that," knowing what he meant watching him go and turning to his sister. "So you ok with him going off on his own."

Leaning against the table and sighing deeply, "I'm not ok with anything lately but he won't let me help him and he refuses to not walk directly into these kinds of situations."

"Like me, like our parents, like Sam, like you," counting them off on his hands again, "does this really surprise you, it's who he is sis, get over it. Besides he doesn't want to die, if things get to bad he'll get away before it happens."

"You know this how?"

"I don't I'm making crap up here, but I know this," walking over and taking her hand in his, "he cares a lot about you, I hate him for it, but he does and he doesn't want to see you in pain, that will guide him more than anything else. By that same token he doesn't want to be some kind of lab rat or terminally ill kid, let do what he has to and trust he'll come back."

She just looked at him, a little shocked, "when did you get this smart?"

"Huh," looking around and shaking his head, "sorry I must have stroked out there for a second were we saying something?"

Growling and playfully slapping him, "don't play dumb with me."

"Who's playing," going intangible as a slap passed through him and he floated back and shot through the ceiling waving at her as he vanished.

Still growling, but now leaning back on the table Tobias had just been at, her eyes closed and breathing raggedly, trying to control the impulses inside her. "Thanks Danny," the words helping to hold back the thoughts that keep popping up, hoping with all her heart he was right about everything.

By morning none were any further along than they had been the day before, the four meeting back up at school, Tobias asleep on a tree branch, exhausted from not finding his prey.

When the boys walked up on Sam she had dark circles under her eyes and spoke as one, "have fun last night?"

Her face was a living mask of contempt, anger, and near collapse, "shut up," sounding more like it should've come from the lips of a four years old than the girl.

"Most have been a really good movie," Danny chancing his luck.

"Shut up please," the words labored, a threat jumping into them.

"Ah fight with you girlfriend Fentocan," throwing his open gym bag at Danny the smell nearly knocking him out cold.

Coughing and tossing it back, "one if your going to insult me at least be creative, two you should burn those I'm pretty sure something in there is toxic, maybe even alive."

Looking at the bag and smell, "smells fine to me, but if you don't like it," ramming the open bag into Danny's face on holding him against the locker by it.

Sam let it go on for five seconds then grabbed his arm and peeling the jock away from her friend, making sure to apply pressure to a nerve, just enough to make him let go without doing a lot of pain, enjoying seeing Danny in a tiny bit of agony after making her. Holding the arm, a shocked look on Dash's face, "go away," the words holding more force than they when she talked to her friends.

When he tried to tear his hand away she put more pressure on it, "your making a big mistake," a jolt of fear running threw him.

"I'm not in a good mood go away," letting him go, the blond falling back half a step before catching himself.

Glaring at her, "that was a bad idea," snarling at her.

"Yes and beating up a girl in the hallway is going to boost you reputation so much right now," practically daring him to try something.

"Yeah….well…you….SHUT UP," turning and walking away from her.

"School survival note," pulling out his PDA and talking into it, "never tick Sam off when she hasn't slept," pocketing the machine.

Glaring at him and throwing her backpack over her shoulder, "not the time Tuck, just not the time," skulking down the halls.

"That is one scary lady," helping Danny to his feet.

Watching her go, "your just now figuring this out," the pair catching up to her, "something up?"

Sighing, for a moment seeming like she didn't want to talk then finally giving in, "my grandmothers going in for another round of tests, they don't know what they're looking for, but they think she has something again."

This wasn't a surprise to the pair, Sam's grandma's health hadn't been great as far back as they could remember. There were months when she's be fine, and seem half her age, then out of the blue her health would take a tail spin and she could spend weeks in not months in the care of some of the best doctors in the world. Sam generally tried to hide it, but when it happened, she took a bit of a tail spin as well, at times being unavailable for weeks just staying with the woman trying to make as much of the time she had with her as she could knowing each moment could be her last. This time had to be especially tough on her, Ida having been fine for almost two years, seemingly cured of the various ailments that plagued her.

Danny grabbed her spun the girl around hugging her as hard as he could, "I'm sorry Sam," the girl returning the hug, fighting back the tears that had threatened her since she found out after the movie. A bitter pill Ida had let fly during the credits hoping the film would make it easier fro her granddaughter to take.

"Thanks," holding her emotions at bay as best she could, but still trembling in his arms slightly.

"She's tough," Tucker putting a hand on her shoulder, "she'll get over it, she always does."

"Yeah Sam, where do you think you get your toughness from, no way Ida's going to let this beat her," pulling her back.

Running her hands over her face, unsure if anything slipped by, "I needed that guys," knowing in the back of her mind there was a good chance it wasn't true but not wanting to say anything.

"AH look at the love birds," Paulina laughed and pointed as she walked by.

"They are so totally made for each other," Star laughed.

"Don't get to close they say loser love is contagious," the queen of the school laughing throwing her hair back, and throwing out her chest.

The insult pushed everything else out of Sam's mind, making her see red, "there will come a day, when I'm alone with her and the next day she'll be found with a broken neck. There won't be a head anywhere but there will be a broken neck."

"Sam," Tucker warned.

A primal snarl slipping past her lips, sounding more at place on a canine, "I don't care what you say, she's a witch, and I'm going to make her pay one of these days."

"Just let it go," Val walking up to them, having heard the exchange, and everything about Sam's grandmother.

"Not in the mood for you," turning from the girl.

Watching Paulina go, "she's just like that, you can't stop it, you can't fight it, you just have to ignore it, or start rumors about her, although that ones beneath you."

"No it's not, I just go to violent which makes them hard to believe, shame the thing with the butcher knife, the cattle prod and the two hundred squids would be great in circulation."

"And again she scares me," Tucker taking a step away from her.

"And Mr. Lancer thinks Danny's the troubled one of you three," rolling her eyes.

Bowing slightly, "oh I am, Sam just puts her psychosis into words which makes them sound worse than they are."

Whistling and snapping her fingers, "Danny you just Jazzed out there for a second."

Shaking his head and running the words over in his mind, "sorry to much time with my sister."

"Jazzed out?" Val curious?

Sam looked her over then relented, getting a similar look from Tucker, "well given all the psychological mumbo jumbo we've been spitting out lately what would you call it?"

"Good point," Danny looking behind him, "but don't let my sister hear you say that, she will kill one of us, probably me, since I'm closest."

A mischievous grin adorning her face, "then I see no reason to stop."

Val moved over to Tucker, "she rebounds fast doesn't she?"

Keeping his voice down, "you get use to it, how you been," pulling her aside.

Leaning against a locker, "ok, not great but ok, you?"

Nodding over to them, "they're keeping me occupied, a little more than they probably should, but I enjoy it."

"I can understand that, kind of miss it really."

"Your kidding, I mean your you, you use to be in one of the elite cliques in the school."

Holding up a finger, "key words 'use to be', I get by with a few, but most keep me at arms length, even so I still have my job to keep me going and take up my time."

Sam pulled Danny aside while the other two talked, the pair not noticing, "you really want to practically invite her to get closer to us."

"Sam."

"Do I really need to remind you, you be nice to her and she'll start wanting more, just like a dog and then we have a big problem, a girl who wants to kill us in shooting range at any given moment."

Looking over at the pair, "and if we can turn her…."

Rolling her eyes, "yeah like that's going to work, at what point has that ever worked, look at Vlad's track record at trying to kill you."

"Totally different Sam and you kno….."

"Guy," Tucker and Val walking over to them, Sam stopping abruptly, "it ok if Val has lunch with us later, or maybe get something after school?"

"Yeah sure," Danny stopping the girl.

Between clenched teeth, "big trouble," hissing it so quietly that that only Danny could hear her.

"Well just see about that," hissing in the same manner.

"Do I want to know what they're doing," Val a little worried about what she was seeing.

"You get use to it, it's all they really do."

"Never noticed that before."

"Like I said, you get use to it."

"Lets hope not," Sam hissed under her breath in a sing song way and pulled Danny down the hall, the others following.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

(Come on you idiots where are you,) sniffing the air letting the German Shepherd do all the work for me, tracking the strange smell of the aliens ship. (Technically retracing,) talking to myself, (I stopped here last night when they got to high to follow with my nose, and nothing says they'll come back here, then again with my luck they will since that's the last thing I want right now.)

I'd been traveling up and down the city all day, park, woods, city, the school, the Eclipse, even buzzing around the Fenton Works and Axion incase they showed up there. I'd used everybody I could think of during the hunt, tiger, dog, bat, various birds, lizard, insects, I'd even gone Deinonychus for a while in the hopes of finding something. All things considered I'd eaten up a lot of time, the time hitting around four when I finally packed it in. If they were still in the city they were doing a good job of hiding, or I'd lost my touch, and either was possible.

The only thing that kept the day from being a total waste was a rabbit that's been taken out by a car, it'd made a good lunch. The meat was still fresh, blood still warm, couldn't have been dead more than an hour. And I have to admit, as much against road kill as I am, you can't argue with a free meal, and rabbit's a rare delicacy, at least in these parts, something else I'd have to try and find.

The idea of food put the others on my mind, letting the fur slip away from me, a feather pattern spreading and the instincts slipping away, (I better check in with the others, see if they have anything.) I doubted they did, but it was still worth a shot, and if I wasn't just being paranoid chances there'd be a good chance they might find me before I found them.

With the time being as late as it was, it left a lot of choices with the others, with that I took the easiest one to find, Nasty Burger and hoped they weren't in the midst of a fight, or eating, or whatever wouldn't include me interrupting them. A quick fly by showed nothing, I hit the park, also nothing, nothing on the homes for anyone, which left me with a goose eggs for ideas except flying back out to the Eclipse.

(Ok bird,) looking up at the sky, (you have got to be losing your touch because you can't find anyone today and that just isn't like you.) Fluffing my feather and jumping back into the sky, I had a vague idea, more guess than anything else but it was an idea none the less. A few minutes later I walked into Bucky's Megastore, it wasn't my ideal place to go, but it was worth a shot and it was either this place or the mall, and it was going to be my next target.

I walked through as fast as I could without looking suspicious, last thing I needed was for someone to peg me as a shoplifter and get waylaid by security. Slipped through the DVD's and CD's, past the refrigerators and cameras, up and down the computer section, a quick run by the shelves, and final hit at the TV's hoping they might be on TV if something ghostly had happened, or at the least would draw them.

"This is not turning out to be my day," slipping out and regaining my feathers and hitting up the mall, a complex I had become accustomed to have gone in more than a few times, mostly to run across the one stores animal shirt collection. I took this run a little slower, if I hadn't found them yet, there was a good chance this wasn't going to do it, but it was still worth a shot.

I slipped into said animal store, and noted a gray shirt with a polar bear on it standing against a blast of icy wind. "Nice," fingering it, and put the idea on the back burner, if I didn't find them it might be worth picking up, "not that I'll ever get a chance to wear it." After I said it I jerked my head back and slapped myself across the face, the sound filling the small room making the girl behind the counter stare at me.

"You ok sir," a hand under the counter, if she was going for an alarm button or a gun I wasn't sure and didn't really want to know.

"Yeah no problems," hissing bitterly and walking out of the store and jogging a few stores down and dropping onto a little bench in the middle of the hall. "Come on man," taking a deep breath and trying to settle my insides, "your going to be ok, nothing has changed, whatever this is you'll get control over it, so don't think about it." I could feel the first hint of a tear form at the corner of each eye, "stop it," ordering myself, forcing the power of every animal at my disposal into the words, that enough to put myself right, at least for a moment.

"Hello devil bird," the words making me jump and nearly fall off the bench.

Running my hand over my face, "thanks a lot Danny," trying to collect myself.

"Devil bird," a voice I knew emphatically, the ghost hunter, forcing me to do a quick head count seeing the trio with the girl in tow, why I wasn't sure but intended to find out.

"Devil as in involved with his sister, bird meaning never stops squawking," Tucker was making crap up left and right, but it was believable which was really all that mattered.

"And hello as in good bye Tucker," I snapped.

Sam cut off the coming fight before the others could speak, "so anything exciting happening, you doing something with Jazz or you just out killing time?"

"Mainly number three," sitting back on the bench, "despite my best efforts," hoping the three would get the point.

She dropped down next to me, "and you're here now why," despite the evenness of her voice I knew what she meant, it was just a matter of saying it with the hunter near by.

"Clearing my head, looking for what I can never find, hoping it eventually bites me in the butt and saves me some time."

Even with human ears I could hear Val as she leaned in next to Tucker, "this is Jazz's type?"

"He's…."

"Tuck right here I can hear ya," not even looking at him, "so what's up with you," carrying on with Sam,

Shrugging, "just roaming," giving Val a quick glance that I doubt she saw, "among other things."

I wasn't totally sure where this was leading, but I could guess, not sure if it would end well for us or get us in deep crap later on. "Well I won't keep you…"

"Your him," Val snapping her finger and pointing at me. It was all I could do not to scream and by the looks on the other's faces they were scrambling to come up with something to say. "You're the guy that beat up Dash outside of the Nasty burger," letting me breath a sigh of relief, "and the one that got beat up by him too right?"

"Guilty as charged I would be said punching bag," lifting my hand up.

Reaching out and turning it into a handshake, "that was insane, I saw a video of it, I couldn't believe it, either time actually."

Leaning back, "you should've been on this end, not my shining moment, to put it bluntly, I'm an idiot."

"I can see why Jazz likes you, you seem to be more honest than most people."

"In the end the truth is all you have, sometimes it's ugly, sometimes it hurts, but it's better to deal with it than running from it."

"And you Jazz out all the time."

I had to look at Sam when she said that, "I don't even want to know what that means do I?"

"It's something she started saying, ignore her and maybe she'll stop," Danny growling at her.

"Ah it's Sam being Sam, I respect that," bumping into her, the goth hitting me back, "don't let her hear you say that or you will regret it and I will publicly side with her even if I'm laughing on the inside."

"I appreciate the warning."

"Thank you," Danny walking forward, "someone els…." a puff of blue smoke coming out of his mouth, his hand slapping over his mouth to stop Val from seeing it. The second it happened Sam and I went on alert, we couldn't move and we tried to look normal but we were still actively looking for the source of the senses activation.

Val put a hand on his shoulder making him jump, "you ok Danny we lost you there for a moment."

"Um," looking to us with his eyes, "I et I ong," trying to use the old bit tongue excuse but laying it on a little to thick.

"I AM THE BOX GHOST," the blue spirit phasing through the roof and looking straight at Danny, "SAVE ME, SAVE ME NOW," diving at us.

I looked over to Val seeing her tense up, ready to go on the attack, something I couldn't let happen, at least not as long as I could hold her off. "Danny get you parents," assuming the role of leader, or at least playing the part considering I was older, "Sam, you and Tucker help get people to cover this might be bad." Grabbing Val by the hand, "we need to take cover to, let them do this," pulling her away, to the surprise of the others.

"What wait a minute," yanking her hand free, "I don't know who you think you are but…"

"Does it matter," grabbing her hand again, "we can't fight, they know things just by hanging out in the house as long as they do." Looking at the others, "come on guys move it now," snapping my fingers, getting them started, a look of relief on the others faces.

I pulled Val into a clothing store a few feet down, some up end trendy chain I other wise would never go in and put a table between us and the ghost. It wasn't much of a hiding spot but I wasn't looking for one and it had a good view of the middle of the complex and the ghost, the trio vanished down various side corridors. "I can't believe you ran I thought you were brave and…."

"Brave is not stupid," I hissed, "this isn't a fight I can win, I know it I don't have the skill or the weapons, they at least have some of those."

"What do you mean, they have the skills."

"I hang out at the Fenton Works a lot, what time I've spent there has left me shot, scanned and scared out o my mind of Jazz's dad, I also feel like I now know a lot about ghost, enough to hold one off if I had the right stuff. They've been there a lot longer so it stands to reason they can do more, besides they've been square in the middle of more of these things than I have, also because of Jazz's folks."

She looked at me for a second, for a moment I thought she'd say something there but then it vanished, "right, got it, that makes total sense, but I do know how to fight ghosts my dad working specifically to keep ghosts out of his company."

"As long as we're still in the building you might still get your wish, think of us as support. If nothing else there are going to be people still in here that will be in danger, it may fall to us to get them out of here." It was a long shot by I was trying to stroke her ego, let her play the hero without having to resort to weapons or going on the front lines.

"You're a piece of work."

"So I've been told," watching the Box Ghost closely, trying to find out why he wanted someone to protect him, but had my suspicions, and they were answered all to soon.

(Do not try and escape, you cannot resist, you will bow before the masters of the galaxy, the mighty Helmacron Empire. Stop and take your roll as our slave, or die like the worthless slave you will already are at the hands of the mighty ship Planetary Armageddon!)

I gave Val a quick look, the girl didn't even bother to move other than a quick chill running up her spine as she readied herself for the attack. I figured I'd play the cards I was dealt and asked, "what was that," trying to do my best to look scared, "I mean since when do ghosts have telepathy and what do they mean ship."

That brought her out of it as well, relaxing and trying to look shook up as well, "I…don't know, I mean I've heard stories of telepathic spirits, and I saw a ghost ship once, but not together."

"So it's safe to say we're in trouble here?"

"Yeah probably," her eyes turning back to the scene, her body once more ready to pounce.

"Great," putting all my bitterness into it, knowing I wasn't going to keep her there long, thankfully Danny showed up in ghost mode after a second.

The second he showed up the Box Ghost pounced on him, hugging him, nearly groveling at his feet, "one must save me from the cylindrical demon that pursues me."

Jumping back, "whoa wait what."

(AWAY WITH YOU SLAVE YOUR MASTER DEMANDS IT,) Danny jumping back, seemingly in pain holding his wrist.

"Ok what was that," looking around, the black ship of the Helmacron's coming into view for us.

(BOW BEFORE US SLAVE!) firing again making Danny jump back again. I knew from experience getting hit with those things hurt, but did little else at that size. (This one must fulfill his role as a puny male servant of the Helmacron dynasty.)

I watched as Danny nearly fell out of the sky as he started laughing, "he was right you are tiny egomaniacs, seriously if this is the best you can do you might as well stop now."

(You dare mock the rulers of the galaxy you will pay,) firing at him again, Danny not even bothering to move.

His hand lit up with green energy, "ok seriously your bothering me," still amused but now getting fed up, something that would probably kick into high gear if these girls had anything to say about it, "and now your going away," tossing a little ball at them hitting the ship dead on and making it turn and spin in the air. Looking down at the ghost, "come on you were scared of them, you stood up to Pariah Dark's army, you can stand up to these idiots."

"Beware, for they do not understand the power of the Box Ghost," looking back fearfully.

"Well this is kinda stupid," Val relaxing and leaning a little more on the table, "it looks like this ended before it even began."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," not taking my eyes off the scene wondering if it was really over.

Danny jumping back again holding the side of his face, (no human male slave can defeat the mighty females of the Helmacron Empire, you will know you place at our heels as our eternal slave or know only death.)

"Never heard anything like that before."

Looking at her, "chances are we'll be hearing it a lot till these guys get their butts handed to them," raising my voice, "HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE SOON!"

"No need to yell," covering her ears for a second.

"LADIES BACK OFF," Danny throwing a few ectobolts at the ship, this time missing as they swerved out of the way and continued shooting at him. His eyes light up, "fine not being nice any more," throwing a ball into the air, and I went blind a second later and ducked down, blinking my eye trying to regain my sight.

"Freaking flash bombs," I hissed under my breath only seeing spots.

"What," given the sound I guessed Val was next to me.

Playing dumb, "well what would you call something like that and I don't suppose you can see right now," given that I was still blind I was guessing he'd upped the power of it.

"Really wish I could," her arm hitting me in the shoulder, "but I know this shop well enough, I'm going to take cover somewhere else if you don't mind, come on I can lead you."

With the sound of fighting hitting my ears, I knew what she was planning and liked where it was going, "as they say, discretion is the better part of valor and I don't want to die here."

I crawled a few feet before freezing in my tracks, "WWWWAAAHHHHOOOOOOO," the all to familiar noise making my skin crawl, the hawk side of my mind wanting to run like crazy.

"What was that," given the voice I was guessing Val was till moving.

"Sounded kind of like a wolf, or at least what wolves sound like on TV," knowing I was way to close to the truth. "Time to move, this is officially out of our range, even if we could see this is beyond us," moving a again, my face running into her butt. "Ok that didn't happen right."

"Not telling anyone if you won't," moving forward again. I forced the sound of fighting out of my mind, the girl leading us to the changing room, my sight starting to come back, something that didn't really matter as I hit an empty booth. Demorphed a wave of exhaustion washing over me, the result of to many morphs over to short a time, the day's activity finally starting to take it's toll.

(Not a good time for this,) I hissed, forcing the feeling back, moving past it, as my sight returned, letting the hawks natural stubbornness help me as much as it could. (Now that's an idea,) picking up the DNA of the white tiger in me and letting the changes come, adding it's raw confidence and power mingle with my mind, the raw steel of the cat helping me fight back the fatigue biting at every inch of my body.

* * *

**DP Style**

"THIS IS INSANE," Danny trying to stay away from Cerberus mouth, the large ghost wolf making a mess in the mall.

(UNHAND YOUR MASTERS,) the ship little more than a chew toy in Bolt's mouth.

Dodging a blast from the weapon on Skulker's arm, "so it's like every other day we've had," pulling her gun and winging Gash in the back leg.

(YOU WILL SUFFER FOR THIS, WE ARE YOUR MASTERS!)

"We just have running commentary from them this time around," triggering a speed boost and bolting away from the giant wolf. "And where are the others to help us, two on what…eight is to much."

Knocking Blaze to the ground, (all you had to do was ask man,) grabbing the three eyed wolf by the tail and doing a few spins in the air before letting her go, sailing right into the face of her packs alpha, knocking Cerberus into a wall.

Doing a quick spin, turning upside down and letting the blast hit the bottom of the board, bouncing off and ricocheting into the roof. "welcome to the party stripes, what took ya?"

(Problems with Val, by the way, she's probably going to be here soon so get ready to have more problems showing up in the next few minutes.)

"Ah great, even more problems, see this is why I don't want her around," firing her engines and running the board along the back of the large wolf, letting the boxed microwave hit the wolf instead of her. Looking back, "THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO GET HELP!"

"I AM THE BOX GHOST I DO NOT NEED HELP FROM A HUMAN!" throwing more hardware from one of the anchor stores.

Holding Strike at arms length, the wolf snapping her jaws at him trying to bite into his neck, "well he changes sides fast," his eyes blazing green, "would somebody get her off me!"

Jumping onto a cell phone hut in the middle of the corridor and leaping up, the transformed tiger caught the offending ghost with his claws pulling her way but leaving Danny in one piece. (I should probably mention I've been morphing all day trying to track these idiots and feel like my legs are going to fall off.)

"Not really an option," letting lose a volley of smaller ecto balls from his hands trying to take out the Box Ghost, missing as the ghost defended himself with several washing machine boxes.

"I CANNOT BE HURT BY OBJECTS THAT ARE ROUND FOR I AM THE BOX GHO…," a blast of purple energy hitting him in the side and nailing him to a wall a second shot unfolding into a net keeping him stuck there.

With a little yelp of victory, "make way for the best ghost hunter in Amity Part," Val tearing up on her new hover board. The red suit was largely unchanged, but by the same token more than a few parts had been added to it. Larger, heavier black gloves reached to her elbows, outfitted with various bits of technology that Vlad had come up with to make her not only a match for ghosts but animals as well. Thin black armor hung on her chest, looking similar to that worn by BMX riders but designed to do far more flexible and to endure the challenges of hunting powerful prey. On her legs were armored boots ending at the knees, like her gloves holding various secrets within them. Where Sam's board was streamlined and meant for speed Val's was heavily armored, looking close to what she had before but now bristling with firepower, again designed to hunt both ghosts and animals.

"As I was saying we now have bigger problems," Sam shifting her eyes from the ghosts to the girl, not sure what she's do next.

Pointing a her large assault rifle that appeared to be the same one she'd been using, "after this you and I have a score to settle thief."

Blocking a blast from Skulker with her saber, "bill me, I'd love to see you try and collect," pulling her gun and firing at Skulker, missing him. "And for the record, the cat and the invisobill are on our side everybody else you can shoot, I know how much you love that."

Danny gave Sam a quick look of disgust, "not my name and you know it."

(Well using the real names not a good idea right now,) Tobias clarified.

"All ghosts are the enemy," firing her cannon at the ghost wolf on the ground, hitting Gash in the muzzle making him let go of the ship and adding another problem to the mix.

Seeing the rod fly up, (don't let them out you idiot,) snapping at her.

"Who are you calling an idiot!"

(Your enslavement you be merciful human and your death less painful than the others who defy us.)

(And that's why you're an idiot,) watching them shoot Val in the face knocking her back nearly making her fall off the board.

(YOU,) the Helmacron's roared, (we were told about you, you are the enemy of the great Helmacron Empire you above all else must die for your crimes and enacting a riot of the lesser male linage.)

Feeling his fur bristle, (well they remember me, crap,) jumping back as they started shooting at him Blaze now after him as well, trying to take revenge for being thrown around.

From above them Skulker choose to take himself out of the fight, to many variables now in the middle of his hunt, and while such things had been planned for, nothing like this had ever been dreamt of by him. The Box Ghost was an annoyance he could deal with and the Hunter on the other hand was a serious concern having beaten him before, the others though, he had no idea what they were or what they wanted.

"To many targets, even if I manage to defeat the ghost boy it won't do anything, he won't be worth keep if he's damaged." Whistling out loud, activating the dog whistle built into his suit, calling his partners to him, "come, it's time to go, there's nothing for us here, not today at least."

As one the wolves looked at hand, ignoring whatever was happening to them, Strike asking the question, with a quick high pitched whine, not wanting to leave.

"Because I said so, now come, we'll do this another day," his wings popping out ready to fly away only to be cut off by Danny who rammed him in the back, using a shield to brace himself, eh pair colliding with a wall.

Bouncing off Skulker Danny crushed a ball of ectoplasm in his hand, twin streams of fire running up his arm, "we ain't doing that again, we're finishing this here and now, cause I'm not going to do this for a straight week."

Dusting himself off, weapons unfolding from his arms and shoulders, "I was going to let you live for another day, but if you insist boy we can do this now."

Releasing the entire stream of energy at the ghost knocking him back, "yeah I'm insisting we do this now."

With a roar Skulker started firing with everything he had, Danny moving over them to escape, the ghost in hot pursuit. "Shame there'll be nothing of left of you to mount when this is over."

(THE HIDE IS STAYING PUT,) throwing blaze by the tail and hitting the metal covered ghost in the back that altered his flight plan, forcing him to fire down, hitting Cerberus in the butt, distracting him from snapping at Val.

"Nice shot stripes," Danny flying up and hitting Skulker in the back of the head, a ball of ectoplasm in his hand, letting the energy released upon impact.

Running away from the ship, (just doing what I can,) leaping up and clawing at the giant wolves right front leg, digging his claws in as deeply as he could. The action got a scream from Cerberus who snapped at the tiger, grabbing him in his jaws and ripping him off his leg.

(Leave him) the Helmacron's demanded, (as an enemy of the Helmacron Empire he is ours to kill, he must suffer for daring to stand against our mighty empire and our all consuming power.)

While Cerberus tried to crush Tobias, Val took her shot, firing at the wolf's head with her cannon, the shot making him jerk his head and throwing the tiger into the sky. "Oh yeah, now that's how you take down a ghost," a compartment on the glove not holding the gun opening up a blast of gold jumping from it down the mouth of the ghost, the power actually picking him up and sending him on his back with a flip.

Halfway down Tobias caught a tree in a planter with his claws and held firm, his weight more than the tree could stand, (now I know why tigers don't climb trees,) hearing branches snap under him. Suddenly they just gave way toppling him to the ground with a crash, not even close to landing on his feet.

"Such is the fate off all who dare to challenge the might of the Helmacron Empire, they will be struck down by out power, fate itself demands they be punished for the audacity of challenging the true gods of the cosmos."

Tobias didn't have to open his eyes to know they were right in front of him, (and this is what happens when you challenge a three hundred pound white tiger.) Raking his front paw forward and sending the ship spinning out of control but more importantly away from him at a high rate of speed. (Idiots,) choosing to lay back down for a few more moments and let his second wind come.

(YOU CANNOT DEFEAT US,) the tiny aliens screamed, trying to regain control of there ship.

"Face me child," Skulker hissed, Danny having bolted away to deal with a trio of wolves.

Dropping from the sky and cracking her board down on the metal plated ghost, "sorry you just get me right now." Sam hissed. Bending forward putting her hand on his back and lifting her board up and firing behind him, leaving a trail of red energy discharges along what would've been a living creatures spine.

The weapons on his shoulders turned and opened fire on her, neither making contact as she bolted down out of the way. "You're a worthy prey girl, but your not what I want, not today anyway, at least not without the others."

Regaining her balance, "well I'm what your getting," pulling her whip out with her other hand, the metal coil lashing out and encircling the metal ghosts feet, wrapping the whip around her forearm for a better grip. With a jerk and a jolt of her thrusters she pulled him down and spinning him around, his artificial head cutting into the floor, sending sparks and fire leaping up in all directions, his body on a collision course with the out of control Helmacron ship, embedding in his chest like a knife.

Retracting the weapon on his left arm a set of blades jumping out in it's place and slicing through the coil, sending Sam spiraling out of control for a few seconds before righting herself. Tearing the coil from his legs and looking it over, humming slightly, "nice craftsmanship I may have to adapt it to my own ends later," a compartment on his arm opening up, throwing it inside.

Recoiling what was left of her weapon, "well this is going into the shop," opening fire with her blaster, trying to cut him down, or at least his arm.

Jumping into the sky with the help of his jet pack, "enough of this," the weapons on his back receding, twin missile pods coming up in their place and releasing a hail of weapons fire, sending the projectiles everywhere. Walls exploded, one caught Tobias in the chest, another just missed Val, but the force of the explosion knocked her to the ground, one blew the Box Ghost free, Most of the others doing less physical damage than simply releasing a light purple gas.. "You have a choice child, come after me or save what lives you can I believe you'll find my newest toy might be dangerous to normal humans. I think we both know what you'll do," going intangible, his wolves doing likewise the six vanishing, along with the Helmacron's, escaping through a newly formed hole, before anything could be done to stop them.

Sam was with Tobias before the ghosts fully vanished, "you with us stripes?"

Shaking his head, a primal roar slipping out of his mouth, (I told you the Helmacrons were pains in the butt we needed to deal with,) shakily getting to his feet.

"Ok so you were right," giving him a quick pat on the back, "now see if you can find anyone, course this place is going toxic."

(Could already tell,) his nose picking up the new scent but having no clue what it was made of but finding an unsavory taste, (other than Tuck I'm not picking much up, but a lot of stuff is getting kicked up right now,) a layer of dusk beginning to form and mixing with the chemical weapon.

"Already on it," yelling at the others, "STRIPE'S SAYS WE NEED TO GO AND DO IT NOW AND WE ONLY HAVE ONE PERSON INSIDE, HE'S OURS GO," kicking on the engines and rocketing forward.

"Then he's lying, people are still in there," Val snapped heading to the store were she believed Tobias still was.

He got in front of her before she could, (if your talking about the boy his scent points elsewhere, you obviously we're very aware in the fight or you might've seen him.) Not caring if she believed him or not and started running as fast as his legs would take him. Testing the air, hoping that normal humans as Skulker had put it didn't apply to him or at the least tigers. His search for others was made in haste knowing the building could very well be as healthy as toxic waste dump in a matter of seconds, sections of the damaged building starting to fall and coming close to crushing him like a bug.

"Trust the cat, the cat knows all," Danny grabbing Val, went intangible and leapt through the ceiling to safety. "Now be smart," releasing her, "stay here, I'm finding the others and making sure everyone lives," diving back down.

Watching him go, "do whatever you want ghost your not fooling me, I know what you are."

Down below Sam had shot out of the building with Tucker, hoping the filters in her mask had done their job, existing through a loading dock so no one saw them. "Well that was nuts."

"You didn't even do anything."

"Hey I recorded and watched what I could, I helped get people out, sometimes that's all you can do, at least when you don't have a gun."

"Yeah maybe," her voice going tender as she looked him over carefully, "you ok?"

"No clue," shrugging glad he didn't feel sick but knowing it might not matter.

"Well this getting better and better," stretching her left arm, "but your going to be feeling this stuff in the morning."

(I won't,) Tobias forcing his body out of the loading shoot, (but I'll be feeling something.)

Watching his feathers sprout from his fur, "nice to know your in one piece too bird."

Laying on his chest as the changes speeding up, just not wanting to stand anymore, (it's what I do, I'm just glad I didn't go all glowy again.)

"It's safe to say we all are," Sam looking down at him, "how you doing," watching him just lay there.

Without moving his head he shifted his eye up, only looking up to her neck, (I don't think I can move anymore, but I think that's from exhaustion not whatever just happened, so I'm just going to lay here and hope a rat walks into my mouth because I'm to pooped to even try and flap.)

"That's pretty bad, but I think Val's going to want to see you and I think with hair would be better than feathers."

(Then tell her I died in there cause I ain't moving.)

"Tobias," Sam warned.

Growling at her, (fine,) human flesh very slowly replacing feathers, (but when this is over your carrying me wherever I want to go.)

"Deal," reaching her hand down and helping him up, his legs shaky.

"Shame Danny's not here to see you two pawing all over each other."

Speaking together, "shut up Tucker," Tobias standing up and Sam's suit sucking away and her board contracting. The trio slipped out into the mass of other people, none noticing them just jumping into the crowd, Danny meeting up with them a few moments later not having found anyone left in the mall after a quick run through.

Looking up as a wave of faint purple dust shot out of the mall, the roof bowing in, "I think this might be a record for us," the half ghost more than a little shocked.

"It was a monument to shallowness, greed and vanity, I for won't miss it."

"It also had one of the best electronics stores in the city Sam," Tucker mesmerized by the site of the destruction that might not get repaired.

"I've seen better, I've been apart of better, needs explosives."

They could only stare at him, Danny finally breaking the silence, "you are the greatest person I have ever met."

"Tuck tell me you recorded that."

"Not a word, and I regret it."

"YOUR OK," Val running up to them, back to her normal attire, "I thought….I mean YOU LEFT ME!"

Closing his eyes and hissing under his breath, "I didn't leave you I couldn't find you, I thought you left me, I looked all over the store, I even looked outside, at least as much as I could, but the giant mutt kinda signaled run." They weren't total lies on his part, just creative interpretations of the truth.

"Yeah well," double taking at that, "you actually looked for me," she had been so wrapped up in the fight to actually notice if he had been out there in any way.

"It's not in my nature to leave people in danger, of course its hard when your neck deep in things you have no idea how to deal with."

For a second she panicked, not sure how to react to the news, ready to ream him out even though he hadn't really done anything wrong since she hadn't been there. Of course the action had been a way of covering her butt, and now she was afraid she' put him in danger needlessly. "That was really brave, and I'm sorry but….um…I tried to find the store room, I know someone that works…well worked there, I figured it was the safest place but couldn't think of where it was when I was blind. I tried to go back to find you and couldn't find you then that crazy hunter in red pulled me out of the building before I could get to you. I told her you were still in there but…"

"It's ok, no harm no foul," trying not to look at Sam, "from what I've seen hunters don't listen to many people when they're doing their thing."

"Still I'm sor…..," whatever else she said was lost in the scream of sirens as the Fenton Assault Vehicle tore up, Jake and Maddie jumping out a moment later, loaded for bear.

"WHERE IS THAT GHOST SCUM!" the large man running up to one of the doors still leading into the mall.

"Wait Jack, they might still be in there," his wife following him, holding a gun bigger then her arm attached to a large power pack on her back.

Danny just shook her head, "and here they come a day late and a dollar short and one mall quite possibly down."

A few moments later Jazz hoped out of the RV, spotting the five in the crowd after a few seconds, with the help of Fenton Finder hooked up to a set of glasses so she could see the ghost signatures of Danny and the weak one Tobias had acquired after the incident with the sword. Running over to him, "are you guys ok," hugging her brother quickly and took Tobias from Sam, he was still on the verge of collapse and grateful for the help.

Looking around, "as well as can be expected," reassuring her, "of course that's never going to be the same again," thumbing at the mall.

"And again I for one and glad about that," Sam still enjoying watching it slowly bend even further.

Tobias growled under his breath, "ignore her she's just being a pain in the butt about this whole thing."

"I thought you hated the mall."

"Generally yes, but that was where I got most of my shirts so I'm going to miss it."

Jazz just rolled her eyes, "they're arguing they have to be fine."

"No if she was arguing with Danny and he was arguing with you then things would be normal, but they're not,"

"Shut up Tuck," all four speaking together, all of them staring at each other in turn, "well that's never happened before," Danny averting his eyes.

"I'm spending way to much time with you guys," leaning further into Jazz, grateful he didn't have to hold himself up anymore.

"I think we're all spending to much time together," leaning into Tobias and for the first time really noticing Val, "this must seem weird to you."

Looking them all over, "not really no," looking at the mall, "that yes and compared to that nothings really going to phase me today."

Tucker looked up at it, "she has a point you don't see that everyday, not even here."

"VALERIE," Damon Gray's voice rang out, "VALERIE!"

"Whoa dad got here fast," looking over to the sound of the voice, "I'd love to hang around but I need to get to him before he starts panicking."

Danny looked back to the RV, "with my parents I understand, go."

"Thanks," running away from them and into the crowd.

Jazz watched her go and pulled her brother closer, her voice going deadly serious "why are you hanging out with the girl that wants to kill you?"

Sam cut him off, "Tucker's idea," with more than a little smugness in her voice, pulling the source of the problem closer to her.

"She needs a friend, besides she's not evil, I mean she helped us today."

Her fingers went to the bridge of her nose, her head falling and a lock of red hair hiding her features, "helped against what," a slight groan in her words, "the TV didn't say much other than ghost attack, and please don't say it was Skulker again."

"It was Skulker again…and his wolves," her brother confirmed, "not to mention the Box Ghost."

"And the most egotistical aliens on the planet," Tobias added, "which I said were going to be a pain in the butt and thus it has come to pass."

Nearly tossing him off, "you serious birdie?"

"Insane egotism and all," Sam confirmed, "they were almost as bad as he made them out to be, of course we didn't spend a lot of time with them because they were shooting at us."

Faulting in her grasp, "guys I really need to lay down so if we can wrap this up."

Pulling him back up as gently as she could, "what's wrong birdie," fear running over her as she felt just how weak he was.

"Looking all day, fighting, I need to sleep for a few hours and that's not negotiable, whatever you want to do is fine but I'm out for a while," his knees buckling under him.

Danny moved to the other side and helped the boy back up, "ok lets get him into the RV maybe lock him in the bathroom so he can have some time to himself."

"Bathroom, closet, that little slot under the seat, I don't care," the four helping him walk into the RV and put him up in the bathroom, his demorph back to his hawk body incredibly slow, taking almost five minutes and totally passing out by the time he was done.

After sealing all the doors on the RV Jazz dropped into one of the chairs and looked around at the others also in various chairs, "alright from the top what went out there," pointing out the windshield to the decimated building.

Sam fielded it, "ok Tobias," pointing back were he was, "was hunting down the micro aliens I'm guessing he's been in more bodies than I can imagine today to do so. For some reason he was at the mall, Box ghost came, aliens came, Skulker and the mutts came, and it turned into a free-fer-all that got worse when Val showed up." Looking over at Tucker, "he decided to take pity on her, thus putting a target on you brothers head, so she was in the area and that," pointing at the mall, "is now in that condition."

"This was not Val's fault."

"No but she added to it."

"GUYS," Danny snapped, "not the time for this, and it's not like she shot at us just shot at the ghosts that we generally shoot at," trailing off at the last part thinking it sounded stupid.

"You destroyed the mall," Jazz sounding far away, in total disbelief, "forget the basic destruction part of this, do you know what the backlash of this is going to be?"

"No worse than when the whole town thought I attacked the mayor," shrugging.

Sam wanted to argue about that but couldn't and gave up, "he's right they'll get over this, at least most of them the few that do freak out well, we'll deal with them."

Looking back to the wreckage, "this is ridiculous, how did that happen, we've gone up against Skulker everyday for almost a week and haven't done this much damage."

"None of those were inside a building or had the Box Ghost added or that creepy ship full of nut jobs."

Pulling out his PDA, "right from now on all fights are to be outside, I guess we should've figured that after we decimated Axion huh?"

"Probably yeah," the half ghost nodding, "then again you can't help where the fight leads you."

"That's true," Tucker agreeing with his friend.

"It looks like the entire mall Danny."

"She's right," agreeing with her now.

"They can fix it."

"Good point."

"Loss of life."

"She's got up you akshdb," Sam cover his mouth with her hand.

"Shut up Tuck," letting him go.

Nodding to the goth, "thank you."

"THEIR GONE," Jack tearing the door open and jumping into the seat, "THE BIGGEST CONCENTRATION OF GHOSTS THIS WEKK AND WE MISSED IT! I'M NEVER GOING TO GET A GHOST TO EXPERIMENT ON!"

Entering the other side of the RV more calmly Maddie tried to sooth him, "relax Jack, they may have gotten away but they won't get far, there's a pattern now, they'll be back tomorrow I guarantee it." Looking back, "kids what are you doing here?"

Turning around, "SON!?!"

"I was in there," pointing at the mall, "yes I'm fine, tried to call, didn't get through, saw everything tell you whatever you want to know and again we're all fine."

"You were in the middle of that," looking back, "are you sure your fine, that much concentrated ghost energy could kill a person if near by for to long."

Holding his hands up, "mom, we're completely fine, and yes it was the ghost wolves and the metal hunter again along with the crazy one obsessed with boxes."

"It's what I saw."

"Same here," Tucker adding to what Sam had said.

"And you didn't run," the Jack seemingly looming bigger in the car, and no one could tell exactly what he'd do.

Danny just went for the truth, or as much as he could tell, "I tried to get people out, and distract the ghosts as best I could, but I wasn't really equipped to do anything else."

Reaching his hand over and shaking Danny's shoulder, "THAT'S MY BOY, YOU'LL BE A GHOST HUNTER JUST LIKE YOUR OLD MAN IN NO TIME!"

The words just slipping out o his mouth, "well that's something to look forward to."

"ISN'T IT," shaking him some more, "I'M SO PROUD OF YOU!"

"Can we just go home," Jazz grabbing a quick look back at the bathroom.

"Um…." Danny stopping his parents from moving, "I think one of them said something about releasing toxic chemicals into the air," doing his best to look concerned, "should we be worried?"

"Not at all dear," his mother smiling back at them, "when we saw the smoke we did a quick environmental scan, the gas was just a typical smoke bomb."

"And now even the ghosts are lying to us," Tucker muttered leaning into his chair.

Looking back outside at the carnage, "nothing to do here so we might as well, those ghosts are long gone at this point."

"Again Jack, they'll be back," also looking at the mall, "we are going to have to deal with them though, these ghosts are getting out of control, someone has to stop them before people get seriously hurt."

"Yeah," Sam looking at Danny, "someone does," the boy getting the message.

* * *

**DP Style**

With a snarl Skulker tore the ship out of his side, "what is this thing," looking it over, at least half the section that had been inside him now missing and tiny fired raging within.

On the ground the pack snarled and pinned their ears down and lifting their lips.

"I don't like it either but it'll be worth exploring," tossing it on a table and dropping down into a chair, "this was not my day."

Blaze and Bolt whimpered and nuzzled up against him while Cerberus continued to snarl at the ship.

"No girls," patting them on the head, "it wasn't your fault, you all did very well, there were simply to many factors we didn't anticipate, that won't happen next time."

Gash and Strike started to growl and yip to one another, the others adding tiny yelps to the conversation.

Shaking his head, "no I don't think so, this was not a fight we could've won, if we push the boy to far he will become to dangerous, I might lose one of you. Right now cooler heads must prevail."

Strike, snapped in his direction, ears down and taking a step forward falling into a fighting stance.

"Don't take that position with me," reaching down and grabbing a hold of her muzzle, "you are a skilled hunter, but I don't share your belief in sacrificing a member of the pack if it takes down the intended prey. Honestly living wolves know better than to do that."

She let loose a muffled growl.

Growling and letting her go as she jerked back, "your in no position to tell me to do anything, now this discussion is over, tomorrow is another day, and he can't get lucky forever."

Cerberus suddenly jerked his head around, his snarl filling the air as he jumped onto the hunter and shoved his head in the hole, only getting the tip of his nose in.

"What…stop that," trying to tear him off, Gash helping while Blaze tried to push Cerberus further in. "What is wrong with you."

Blaze let loose with a few yips the other wolves coming to her aid, all four now trying to push Cerberus further into Skulker's hole.

"There's what inside me," the hunter looking down at his long time companions not sure he believed them and looking over at the ship on the table. He wasn't quite concerned yet but it was approaching that level as he activated his exoframes internal defense systems.


	25. A small pain in the tail p2

**DP Style**

Enough hours had passed for Tobias to wake up, his body feeling better for the most part, the fatigue largely diminished, the others still debating how to deal with what was going on. Equally dividing the argument between the damage to the mall and the need to hunt down Skulker.

"He's out of control," Jazz hissed.

"We've establish that sis," leaning into his bed, his arms folded over his chest.

Glancing out the window, "shame we couldn't have taken it outside."

"Can you stop with that Sam," Danny not in the mood, "it wasn't an option, at least not when Skulker and his pack of psycho mutts showed up."

Sighing, "is there really a point to this it's not like anyone could've predicted he'd show up at the mall of all places, every other place has been outside. For that matter how'd he even know where we were to begin with," the boy tapping on his PDA.

(He's tracking us, or at least one of us, he's a hunter, so are the wolves, it's not surprising, but coming inside was as much a detriment to them as it was us. I don't think it was planned, I think with everything

that happened they might've been forced into it.)

"Thank you Mr. Predator, that doesn't help us," Sam still looking out the window.

(It might, it lets us know to stay away from places like that, or at the very least within easy reach of a door, then again he might decide to use the people to his advantage from now on, at which point he's even more dangerous now than he was before.)

Tucker raised his hand, "anyone else hearing 'don't go to school'l?" getting glares from the others, "right I know shut up Tucker, I'm getting really tired of that."

Sliding off the bed and putting an arm around his friend, "actually I'm with him we shouldn't be going to school while Skulker's after us, I'm thinking a good month or so."

Sam hit him upside the head before the others could get over to him, "we're not letting this go on for a month."

"Worth a shot," shrugging and dropping back on his bed, "so as long as we agree we need to stop these guys any idea how to get them to come out?"

"Given his routine wait till tomorrow that's all it will really take."

Growling under her breath for a moment Jazz spoke, her voice calm and even but with an undeniable snarl to it, "we're not waiting Sam, not if something like this can happen again, we have to stop him as soon as possible. If that means we have to become the hunters then so be it, but this guy has crossed a line and he has to be taken out."

"Let me guess you ripped that off form a movie," the words just slipping out of Tuckers mouth.

Sam cut Jazz off before she could respond, "he's right your starting to sound like your parents and not in a good way."

(She's right if we do this we have to be calm and focused, this can't be about revenge.)

"Says Captain Ahab who chases his little white whales."

(Ok I probably deserve that,) looking at the redhead, (but I was right about them being pains in the tail, they were at least partially responsible for this.)

"And they have a contract out on him don't forget that, sounds like these guys are bad news to me."

(Thank you Danny, someone else with the Fenton name gets it.)

Covering his face with her hand, "just because you were right doesn't mean you weren't obsessing about something you didn't understand."

(Take your hand away from my beck or you'll be missing a finger.)

Growling and rubbing the top of his head, "don't threaten me birdie you might not win."

"It's nice to see them finally getting along again," her brother smiling.

"KIDS GET DOWN HERE!" Jack roared.

Jazz and Tobias froze looking at each other, (that was creepy for somebody else right?)

The redhead nodded, "I always knew my room was bugged."

"KIDS DOWN HERE NOW!"

"Right coming," putting the bird on the ground, the four bolting down, Tobias staying at the top of the stairs and listening to everything below him.

They came down to find the two ghost hunter gearing up for combat, "THE GHOST SCUMS BACK," checking the gauges of a large weapon.

Maddie was checking her own weapon, "what your father means is the ghost and his wolves showed back up and we're going to go after him, you kids stay her. Jasmine your in charge, keep them safe, call Sam and Tuckers parents and tell them they're staying here till this is over. With luck we'll catch the ghost boy as well."

"YEAH AND MAYBE THAT FREAKY GHOST BIRD TOO AND THE MONKEY!"

At that Jazz had to control her desire to do something stupid, "and how do you know this," keeping her voice as even as she could.

Throwing a thumb behind him, "IT'S ON TV, NOW BE GOOD," grabbing his wife and running out of the house.

As soon as the door slammed all four dropped down in front of the TV, Tobias flying down and landing on the back of a chair. "Well so much for waiting," twin rings running over Danny as he watched Skulker fly over the city and launch blasts of weapons at various buildings.

"It's kind of like what Technus did but on a smaller scale."

"Yeah I'll be sure to tell him that Tuck," Sam shifting into her hunter garb, "so anyone for stopping this guy before this gets out of hand?"

"Sounds good to me," feathers sprouting from Jazz's body.

"On it," Danny grabbing the girls and rising into the sky, "be back for you guys in a second."

(Question,) the bird staring at the screen, (is he suppose to be moving like that?)

Coming back down, "moving like what?"

Nodding his head forward, (that, I haven't gone up against him much be his movements seemed smoother the last few times.)

Tucker moved closer and pulled up a recording on his PDA from before everything started. After studying them for a second and looked back at them, "he's right, the movements are all wrong and the right leg isn't even moving."

(And the wolves are gone,) pointing out what he'd originally first noticed, (not to mention the hole in his chest is still there.)

(You think this means something birdie?)

Puffing himself up, (it means what I've been saying all along, those little buggers are going to make us nuts.)

Flapping over to him, (hello again Ahab,) hitting him with a wing, (seriously birdie you have to get over this.)

(Helmacrons up the nose, nearly killed Marco, you expect me to believe they couldn't swarm inside this guys body and take over him. He's just a machine and despite everything else they can build ships that transverse the galaxy, that think can be much more complicated.)

Danny looked from the TV to the birds and back, "I think your reaching there rat breath."

"We are the mighty Helmacrons Empire, rulers of the cosmos, bow before us and prepare for you rightful place as slaves licking our boots! Surrender slaves or be rendered dead by your great superiors who are without equal! All males are scum, you are scum there fore males and slaves, surrender the power source and enemy of the empire, give us they who change forms and your enslavement will be filled with as little death and torture as possible!" The voice came from the screen as Skulker screamed in his own voice, but obviously not in control.

He looked at them, (so still think I'm nuts?)

Jazz hit him on the back of the head with her wing, (no one likes a show off birdie.)

"How do you do that," Tucker looking back at him.

(Because I've dealt with them before and I know their insane mind, so anyone know how to blow up that suit?)

"Well the first model was taken out by a gorilla, by it's been beefed up since then so not really," Danny thinking back.

Tapping his PDA, "we could get the Eclipse and just open fire till there's nothing left."

"And they could take over it like that took over Skulker," Sam pointed out checking her gun, making sure the charge would be enough.

(In other words you don't know right?)

"Pretty much sis."

(Which means I'm going to have to go in and take them out one by one,) flapping off the chair to the TV and bending over and staring at it. (Ok I'm going to need a lift to get in there,) examining the hole as best he could, (most insects will do the job, they're the right size, well bigger than I need really, but better that than to small.)

At that Sam snapped her fingers, "I might have something."

(Unless it's a can of super bug spray I don't care.)

"Actually it might be a way of getting you help," looking over at the half ghost, "does that thing your dad was working on actually work?"

Spreading his arms out a blank look on his face, "my parents make a lot of crap Sam, you need to be a little more specific."

"The shrink ray," folding her arms.

(The what,) snapping his head up.

Floating back, "whoa wait pause, that thing doesn't work," doing the time out motion with his hands, "and I mean at all."

Looking from Danny to Jazz, (why do your parents have a shrink ray and more importantly why am I just now hearing about it?)

"Mainly because it doesn't work."

"How do you know that thought, last time you talked about it you only said you weren't sure."

"Well we still aren't sure Sam mostly because we can't find anything."

Pulling Tucker up, "so let him run a quick test see if it works, if we can do this lets go ahead and do it we have nothing to lose."

"People are getting hurt Sam, we can't wait around for something that won't work."

"And if we can't get through his armor we won't be able to stop these guys so that needs to be the primary things we need to work on."

"And if we die when we get shot by this thing?"

(Then test it on me,) the bird cutting them, (let it rip, let me see what happens, I got the best chance of surviving anyway and if something does go wrong unlike you people aren't going to look for me.)

That got Jazz's attention, (birdie that's not true.)

(Aside from you four, your parents….maybe, Nikki other than that no ones going to look for me.)

"How about," Tucker jumping in the middle, "I actually see if this things works before we go to far into this argument. Like Danny says we have to do this fast, the more time we waste the worse things are going to be for all those other people."

Danny's eyes glowed the others knowing an argument was coming, but stopped what Sam put a hand on his shoulder, exuding a calming influence on him. "Alright but make it fast," grabbing Tucker and phasing upstairs to the command center, the others following on foot.

After a few minutes and examining the device with his PDA and using it on a pen on the table Tucker looked up at them. "Ok it does work, I'm not seeing any problems but we're not using living matter in the tests, I think I can adjust the size, give me maybe two minutes, and there's a lot I don't know here so don't hold me to anything."

"Just say the words Tuck will it work," her mask off and tucked into her belt.

Shrugging and tapping his PDA, "I have no idea Sam, it might but I'm not sure."

"Alright lets fire it up," Jazz clapping her hands, having already demorphed, while Tucker pried open a panel on the Fenton Crammer and poked around with a screwdriver.

(Your not coming,) Tobias snapping watching Tucker closely.

"Why not, your going to need all the help you can get."

Nodding, (inside and out, look I've been shrunk before and I know one thing from it if nothing else, communication is really hard at those sizes.)

She ran that over in her head for a second, "you lost me," her brother and Sam adding a few words of agreement.

(We'll be really small which means out voices will be really small and I'm not sure we can count on technology to balance things out. By the same token the people that are normal sized will have voices are going to have voices that can barely be understood some times. Thought speech isn't effected or at least wasn't the last time it happened, which means we need a person on each side to talk to the other, and since we're the only two here I think that limits us.)

"Then I'll go, you stay."

Shaking his head and turning around to look at her, (I've been this size before, I know the rules to it, it's better if I go.)

"Rules," Sam asking, between nervous and excited.

(Jump higher, run faster, super strength, can't be hurt by falls from pretty much any height, it's complicated.)

"You joking?"

(Worked last time Sam, something about, being smaller makes your muscles more effective, I don't know Cassie understood it better than I do, I just know it works.)

Sam throw up her hand, "I'm in, I'll be with the bird, you guys have fun with the outside I'll be on the inside."

(You sure?)

Sitting down next to him, "I'm sure," whispering so only he could hear, "that and I don't want to deal with Val and you know she's going to show up, this just gives me an excuse."

Still looking at his PDA, "then you two can have fun, I'll monitor you guys from here, maybe take the Eclipse and help Danny and Jazz as best I can."

(Actually your coming with us.)

At the announcement Tucker dropped his PDA and fumbled for it, grabbing it firmly just before it hit the ground, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M GOING WITH YOU!"

Looking up at Sam, (we're going to be in a giant machine and I've only done that a few times,) still staring at Sam, (but I don't know squat about the inside of this guy or even a toaster for that matter.) Looking at Tucker, (you on the others hand know just about everything when it comes to machines and have a device that can hack into just about any device on this planet so I think we need you.)

Pointing at the Crammer, "and whose going to work this then?"

"I'm guessing anyone can pull the trigger and if something goes wrong Nikki can be here in maybe ten minutes," Sam threw out.

(Pretty much, beside we'll need someone monitoring us while we're in there and you're the best qualified.)

Hanging his head in defeat, "I don't believe this."

Waking over to him and putting an arm around him, "well you were complaining about not being respected and appreciated for you skills," a sickeningly sweet smile on Sam's face.

"This is not what I meant," he whined.

(To bad, your in, pull the trigger lets get this over with.)

"I hate you all, can't we get Nikki to do this?"

"Nonviolent," Sam saying it before Tobias could, "we need you since you have no morals."

Turning back to the machine and doing the final few adjustments, "I don't even want to know what that means, I really don't," tinkering a little more, "you did say they were a sixteenth of an inch high right?"

(Bingo.)

"So how high do you want to be?"

(Given we don't know the inside of the, I'm thinking the same height, any more and we might not be able to get around which makes what we're trying to do pointless.)

Rolling his eyes and making the final adjustments and slamming the panel down, "great we'll be the same size as those nut jobs. Can I at least get the Eclipse down here, give me a little protecting?"

Jazz threw him a Fenton Peeler, "all the weapons you can need," then looking at Tobias, "this is a bad idea birdie, I mean it makes no real sense."

(Hey if I could use the anteater body I would but we have to get into that suit, and unless someone has a better idea this is all we have. Besides if we fail that's why you guys are out here, to save out butts if things go bad.)

"And now I want to stay here even more."

"Shut up Tucker," looking at the bird, "any idea how we're going to get inside?"

Looking at Jazz, (someone well have to fly us up after we shrink from there well, it's up to luck and Tucker to guide us.)

"You're dead."

"Thanks a lot Danny," giving him the Fenton Crammer, "look pull the trigger and lets get this over with before sanity comes into play."

Pointing the weapon at them while the three got as close together as they could, "you sure this is the going to work?"

"Nope, but if it doesn't your going to have a real mess to clean up."

Sam's eyes grew wide, "and I thought Tobias said the scary stuff."

"You guys sure about this."

(Just pull the trigger man.)

* * *

**Tobias POV**

By the time the bright light faded I was in the realm of the giants again and what was in reality only a few feet from them, but now seemed far longer. (Time to get going,) spreading my wings and flapping getting further now than I had before, simply powering through the dead air and swooping onto Tucker, literally.

"AAHHH MONSTER," as I tore him off the ground and pulled him into the sky.

Flapping and heading off to Sam, (cool it, it's just me,) winging over to Sam.

"C…r…a…p," speaking it slowly, "what happened to you?"

Given I was the same size as he was that was a good question, "let me find Sam first," putting him down a moment later and landing next to them, now at their eye level, essentially a giant micro hawk.

Sam looked me up and down, while sitting on her board, letting it just float there, "of all the….why are you huge?"

(Best guess when he set the size it shark everything to that size instead of keeping thing in proportion to what was hit.)

"Which makes you huge?"

(Yep, think of it this way, I can fly Tucker around if I have to now, and my other forms should be in proportion to this size, which means I can become a really big cat, or a really small flea.)

"Cat yes, flea no, any idea how to do things from here."

I scanned the sky, trying to place the others, my eyes still much better than the others but it was still hard to distinguish things from this height. Finally I picked out the shoes of the others, (guys,) calling up the legs, (turn to the left and take a few steps forward I'll tell you to stop when your close enough.) I looked back to the others, (there's going to be an earthquake now.)

"What," Tucker looker around as the feet started moving, the floor under us shaking violently.

I kept the hawk in me down as the room shook, (another step, watching the feet come down,) a blast of air that could keep me flying for a week coming off the foot as it hit the ground. A quick look back saw Sam spinning out of control from the wave before gaining control of her board. (Ok and stop, give us a hand, we'll get on, and be careful not to such us.)

The rumbling began a moment later, from where we were it sounded like thunder and the roar of an angry god, "what is that," Sam zooming up next to me.

(That would be Danny,) as the hand came down next to us, (like I said when your this small it's hard to understand some things.)

(You guys ok birdie,) Jazz hitting me, in what form I couldn't say.

I swooped down on Tucker and moved him to the hand, Sam on my tail, (I'm here, so are the rest of us and for the most part we're ok.)

(Most part,) doing little to hide the nervousness in her voice.

(Tucker screwed up a few things, we're all the same height, other than that it doesn't really matter, we can still get this done.)

A new rumble filled the air for a dew seconds then Jazz cut back in, (Danny wants to know how we're going to do this and hang on.)

"What does she mean going," Tucker asked looking around.

Feeling the flesh under us rumble, (take a wild guess,) the world going dark as he shut his hand over us and from what I guessed was phasing through the ceiling and into the sky. (Well sit back enjoy the flight, reality will come all to soon and we'll die horribly when we get there.)

I guessed Sam was the one who hit me in the dark, given the strength of the blow it seemed like a good guess, "your not in your up state of mind are you?"

(Going into a fight against the most annoying, but at this size very dangerous, creatures I can think of, that's enough reason not to be happy.) Turning my attention to Jazz, (same idea as I told you earlier, get us in there, and try and stop the tin car from the outside, it's all we can do, hopefully one side will win and if not… will at least we tried.)

(I really hope you came up with better plans when you were fighting for the future of Earth.)

(Nope, these are the same one I use to use. They suck but they work if your lucky enough.)

"I'd like to get off the giant hand now," Tucker whimpering in the darkness.

Sam said it before I could, "never thought I'd hear something like that."

Hunkering down and leaning into the flesh as best I could, (don't worry, you get use to being carried around.)

"You've only been this small like once though," Tucker hissed, a mix of anger and anxiety in his voice.

Thinking back, (oh yeah this is much different from the time I was a fly being carried around, or a mosquito, or a flea. Looking we're just being carried around, after a while it starts to feel totally normal,) a little surprised that it did after I said it.

I stayed quite most of the trip, focusing my mind for what was coming and let the others do what they wanted, carrying on with light conversation, both clearly nervous, occasionally a word would slip out that made them sound like they were on the verge of a panic attack. Occasionally Tuckers PDA would light up and fill the darkness, but for the most part it was more of a distraction than anything else. What felt like all to soon, light intruded on us as the hand moved forcing us onto a new landscape, rough, odd, but wholly familiar, at least to me.

"Ok what is this," Tucker running his hand up what might as well have been some kind of mutant tree.

(That would be a falcons feathers,) not needing to look at it but doing it anyway, amazed by the detail from this height, just like I had been the first time.

"We're on Jazz," from the tone I guessed Sam was speaking rhetorically.

Focusing my mind, (I'm guessing we're ready to go,) a new wave of thunder hitting us, from what I couldn't be sure, even the wind seemed to be my enemy when it came to hearing.

She paused for a few moments, the world shaking, for my own sake I bit my talons into her flesh, doubting it was more than a flea bite to her. (Ok right now your on my head, and I'm about to so something that will get it cut off so when I tell you get off, do it and make it fast.)

(Ah crap I know that kind of plan,) bracing myself, (she's going to do something stupid folks get ready,) biting more into her head.

Next to me Sam was holding onto a feather for dear life as the wind kicked up around us, feeling like we were in the middle of a hurricane. "What do you mean stupid!"

(It's a plan formed by two Fenton's what do you think it means,) feeling more wind hit me, Jazz pulled into a dive and the sky turn to fire. (Well we're being shot out as if you couldn't tell.) From where I was I could see but I knew what was going on from the feel of her, divining down, arcing up, twisting turning, doing everything in her power to keep from going upside and possibly throwing us off, not realizing that it wouldn't have been much of a difference at this point.

"WE'RE GOING TO FALL AND WE'RE GOING TO DIE!"

(Calm down Tuck if you fall you won't die of course someone might step on you but the fall absolutely won't kill you.)

"Not helping Tob," Sam barked.

(Just saying,) suddenly coming to a stop that nearly threw me off.

(END OF THE LINE, MOVE IT NOW!)

With a jerk I pulled my talons free and flew off her, Sam right behind me after peeling Tucker off the feather he was holding onto for dear life. (Lady, gentleman I think we're here,) feeling a wave of air shoot at me along with light as Jazz was torn away from the hole. Looking back, (good luck red,) keeping my thoughts on a tight beam to her.

"Whoa," Tucker bringing me out of my concern for Jazz.

I hop-flapped over to him, (something wrong,) looking up, like he was only seeing an endless maze of machinery and lights of various colors illuminating the area.

"It's beautiful," staring up, "I never imagined I'd ever see something like this before," pointing his PDA towards them, "I have to record this, this must be what heaven looks like."

Sam sighed and hovered over to us, her mask back on, "the geek has arisen and this is his paradise," shaking her head.

(You paraphrasing something?) the words sounding familiar.

Shrugging, "not sure."

"Yeah like you don't do this in every haunted house you go too."

I let the sound of machinery reverberate through my body, the hawk side not really thrilled by being here even if it couldn't really understand it was enclosed, then again the human side wasn't all that happy either. (Can we save this for later, we wasted to much time getting here so now we have to make it up, Tuck can you work your magic?)

I looked over as he started tapping away doing things I couldn't even begin to guess at, "drop the macho in charge thing, your not and it doesn't work for you."

"I hate to admit it but he's right, whatever's going on with you right now drop it, it just doesn't work on you and it's getting annoying."

I could feel my feathers ruffle, (sorry,) staring up, (I'm just….)

Sam put a hand on my back and spoke softly, a tone so rare for her that I doubt even Danny heard it much, "demons we get it, just calm down ok, it's just the three of us now and we don't need to be snapping at each other. So for our sakes can you just relax and go with it, go back to being the Tobias who isn't obsessed with these guys?"

(Girls,) I corrected.

Rubbing my back, "whatever."

(Calm, down, got it boss.)

"Alright," the gentleness leaving, her voice growing louder, "alright Tuck stop messing around lets get this show on the road, now get us a freaking map."

"Ask and you shall have it," pulling up a hologram, "I managed to hack into the core processor of the suit and pull out his schematics." Focusing in on the middle of the body, "this is where Skulker usually controls everything from, but I managed to tap into the internal security array and found this," a new image lighting up about where the neck connected to the head. "From what I can tell this is a bypass to everything else, and there's something in there, I'm guessing that's our guys."

"Girls," Sam restating, "and that's amazing."

Closing the hologram, "not really, the systems running on part of my old PDA it wasn't that hard getting into the system and finding everything. That and I really am that freaking good."

I looked up while he rattled on, (ok we're impressed directions.)

Lifting a finger up, "that way."

(All I needed to hear,) flapping my wings and grabbing him by the shoulders and tearing up into the metal labyrinth, Sam on my tail.

* * *

**Jazz POV**

I didn't know where Tobias was but I really hoped he was having more fun than I was, (this sucks beyond words.)

"Just keep moving," Danny doing his best to avoid being shot, whoever was controlling Skulker doing a better job of aiming than the hunter had ever done.

I caught a headwind and shot higher into the sky, thankfully they weren't that interested in me even if they did occasionally throw me a stray shot. (We're not getting anywhere are we?)

"Shut up red," letting lose a blast of ectoplasm at the ghost, knocking him back, but not really stopping the battle suit but leaving a few impressive blast patterns.

(Bow down before the Helmacron Empire, give in to our demands, surrender the vile one and take or place as slaves.)

"Boy do you not know who you are talking to ghost," Valerie firing a blast of purple energy at the machine, hitting it in the shoulder and making it spin. I doubt anyone else could see it but with a sift of her foot on the relays a set of chain guns popped out on either side of the board and opened fire on the shell, pelting it with enough ammunition to take out a heard stampeding elephants.

My brother hovered over to me his expression saying he was glad for a little help even if it was the hunter not to mention the momentary reprieve, "I can see how she's take offence to that."

(Careful Danny saying things like that will get you killed all over again.)

"I'm just saying," looking down at her, "better her than nothing."

(Being short handed doesn't mean this is the best idea.)

He shook his head at me, "you sound like S….our partner," catching himself before I had to yell at him.

(Maybe because she's right, letting her get close isn't the best idea for any of u….crap,) folding my wings and falling out of the sky till I could regain my balance.

That didn't last long as a barrage of weapons fire came at me the battle suit, (you are the hated one, surrender. You will be returned to the glorious home world where you and all your kind will answer for the crimes against the greatest power this existence has ever known, the living gods of the galaxy.)

"Here's and idea, SHUT UP," the girl suddenly appearing above me and putting herself between me and the fire and pulled me down out of the way.

Looking up at her, not that thrilled she'd grabbed me by the feet, although considering I kicked when she did it, purely a reaction from the falcon side of me, she wasn't that happy either. (Sorry about that, I get spooked easy.)

Jerking her hand away, "your not the other one?"

Regaining my balance in the sky, (nope in case you weren't listening to the ramblings of the machine there's more than one of us.)

She looked over at Skulker's body, "I don't guess you know what the deal with him is, even for a ghost he's acting insane."

(He has parasites, we have people working on it, we just have to keep him occupied till they can figure something out.)

"That's a crappy plan."

(I know but this is how he operates and we have to trust something will be pulled out,) I didn't bother to let her reply and folded my wings again, falling and turning it into a dive, letting the speed build up like I'd been taught and just let it loose flying through the attacks from the armor, the targeting system just not up to the task of hitting me. Without looking back I focused on Danny while the machine followed me, (I'm going to try and get this guy out of here, trail us, help me if he gets to close, I don't know if it'll work but at least it's something.)

"Good call," the words small as the wind screamed in my face, my attention divided between what was in front, and the weapons fire behind, nothing else entering into the equation except seeing my parents down below me, mom forcing dad to help her get some people out of a building which had one wall slightly knocked in.

Powering my wings straight ahead, (do something quick birdie cause I'm not sure I can live through this.)

* * *

**Tobias POV**

(Well this is completely insane,) doing my best to carry Tucker though a death trap of gears and lighting. Alone I could make this easy, with him, my balance was thrown off and every shift of my wings could've been my last.

Of course Tucker squirming in my claws didn't help, "amazing, I knew it had to be weird in here but I never imagined this much of a mix of high tech masterpieces and ancient-obsolete clockwork."

Sam sighed next to him, "old doesn't mean useless Tuck, if anything this kind of integration makes him even more impressive."

"Like you would know anything about this."

"My mom has a collection of clockwork doodads, she never lets me touch them, or for that matter go near them, but I do know a little about them. Making them is nearly impossible, every piece has to be exactly right, one broken piece can ruin everything, nearly beyond repair except by a master craftsperson."

(Renaissance woman, ghost hunter, historian, mechanic, anything you don't know?)

"How to get away from you idiots for one," powering up while I shot down through a web of lighting blasts.

(I'm wounded,) dropping down to an outcropping, who's function I couldn't guess.

I let go of Tucker dropped down next to him, "why'd we stop?"

Rolling my shoulders and stretching my wings wide, (your heavy and your hard to fly with and I'm not totally recovered yet.) I looked up at Sam, (you mind taking him for a while, I'll be able to get where we need to be faster without a squirming anchor.)

Coming down next to us, "sure throw him on."

"I think I'll walk," sitting down on the end of her board, pulling out his PDA, "besides this way I can actually read the map I have," scanning where they were, "we need to take that passage over there," pointing to the left.

(Do I want to know what's in there?)

Doing a little more tapping, "no clue, not really on the schematics I have."

(Wonderful,) rolling my eyes and spreading my wings, (lets hit it,) slipping into the large hole, pulling my wings close to keep from clipping the sides. What I saw inside made my feathers rise in shock, (what the heck is this,) flaring my wings and coming to a dead stop and flapping trying to hover in the air as best I could.

Sam whistled looking at it, "saw something like this in a movie once, I think everyone died before making it across."

"Don't have to say it," tapping away, "I'm looking for another way just give me a few."

At this point I was use to the arcs of lightning, even the gears and pistons, but this was another matter entirely. About what for me ten twenty above was about thirty tendrils each one ending in a serrated claw, each one moving like a snake. (Crap,) shaking my head, afraid to set down, (this has to be the internal security system, metal antibodies, white blood cells of the apocalypse.)

"Oh boy," something about Tuckers tone making me want to turn around and run.

"Don't say that Tuck."

"Then how about this, I think I tripped an alarm and we're about to be swarmed by something I can't identify."

The shifting sound of the tendrils above caught my attention before I could yell at him, getting a good look as the metal stopped moving randomly and started seemingly looking at us. (BIGGER PROBLEMS,) I yelled.

Sam looked up then turned her board, I was doing likewise ready to bolt down through the hole we'd come in on. "We need a plan now Tuck and make it fast," powering forward.

"NOT THAT WAY," one hand gripping the board, needing it as Sam jerked up.

"WHY AND MAKE IT FAST!"

"Them for one," green metal drones popping up in the passage way, they looked more than a big fly's with buzz saws for hands.

(Well this day gets better and better, insects below squids above,) turning in midair and powering up, (time to pick the path of least resistance,)

"You have a weird definition of least resistance," Sam on my tail, I couldn't turn but I really hoped Tucker wouldn't slow her down to much because speed and agility were all we had going for us.

I managed to get just above the first of the tendrils, the claw on the end turned out to be bigger than my head which did not bode well, worse was that I heard it turn and come after me while three more came at me. (Well this sucks, time to shift into something a little better for tight spaces,) calling on the bat DNA in me. Like the birds it only to a few seconds to change, the basic shape staying the same, shrinking a little, new organs growing while other faded away, but more importantly gaining echolocation a little skill that might save my butt.

"What's with the rat with wings," Sam shooting something behind her, probably one of the killer drones.

(This,) firing off a blast of clicks, each one coming back and forming a black and white and painting of the world, letting me see everything and giving me the edge when it came to small places and no up drafts. The mass of tendrils became nothing more to me than group of ropes as I passed by each coming killer clawed cords. This was the bats world, quick arcs and shifts, tight turns, midair direction changes, I was built for this and just let the bat take over as it flew, guiding me through without even losing a tuff of fur.

Down below my ears told me Sam wasn't doing quite as well, her blaster working over time, occasionally a shot of the energy flying up in front of me. "These guys are everywhere!"

(Don't fight just fly,) flapping as hard as I could to get over everything and get to the hole.

"Easy for you to say," more shots filling the air.

In front of me two tendrils loomed and I could hear one of the drones get closer, I let them come and flapped as hard as I could, shifting my direction and jumping back, letting the drone shot past my chest and into the claws, letting lose a small explosion. That was big enough for me to dive through and get to the top of the chamber. The a groan and grabbed onto the side of the hole at the top and fired off several blasts of clicks to get an idea of the room.

I waited for a few moments but the others didn't follow me and the explosions and yelling kept up, (great,) dropping back down the hole and getting an idea of what was going on. Sam was blasting wildly, Tucker now had the armor on and was shooting almost as randomly. (Watch out below,) flying over to a wall and grabbing onto the remnants of the tendril I'd damaged and ripped it out of the wall, (I love the small strength,) letting it drop down. It bounced off a few of the walls then got tangled into the active cords slowing them down, the next one I tore out took out one of the drones. With the few held still I could rip those out of the wall, the fifth one enough for the two to get up next to me so we could take a break in the next chamber up.

Tuck dropped off the board and laid down, letting his armor suck into the handheld device, that again I could never understand. "That was nuts, I mean those things…."

(Will be coming after us and chances are in greater number from now on and we still have a long way to go so don't get comfortable.)

"Not going to let us enjoy winning one are you bird," sitting on her board, from her posture I was guessing she felt more comfortable on it.

I looked down the hole and fired off more clicks to see how many drones were still there and if they were coming after us. (At this point I'm not going to sugar coat anything, and I recall telling you something like this that last time I jumped in a giant robotic body.)

Coming over and looking with me, "that was a while back, maybe you should've told us again," tapping the side of her head, my guess was accessing some come of visual aid, night vision or the like.

(And look like an idiot twice if we never found anything,) not liking what I was seeing from the natural radar, maybe two dozen of those killer metal bugs flying around, swarming ready for the next assault.

"Any idea why their not coming after us?"

"Do you really care," barking from the ledge.

She grabbing a quick look back, "yeah a little, if their about to kill us I'd like to know before that, if for no other reason than to tell you what to say at my elegy."

(Sam Manson, goth, intelligent, beautiful, not that it matters,) dropping in sarcasm mode, (cause we'll all be dead.)

She did a double take at me, "you think I'm beautiful?"

If I could've blushed I would, (I refuse to answer that on the grounds people named Fenton will kill me in way to horrible to think about let alone name.)

"If we live I have so much blackmail material now."

I started flapping as I noticed the bugs starting to come towards us, (wise man say, don't tick off the horse when death's a comein'.)

"WHAT!?"

"Killer toasters are coming and we're leaving hope you can fly," Sam rising with me.

He ran over to the side and looked down then looked back at us, clearly shocked, "OK I'M SORRY DON'T LEAVE ME AND I'LL FORGET EVERYTHING I HEARD!"

(Now that's what I like to hear,) watching Sam go off and rescue him before the machines got through the hole.

After a few seconds they got up next to me, "any idea where to go?"

"Ok we're in the upper chest," tapping quickly, "we need to be higher," more tapping filling the air, "top passage on the right…I think."

(Not a time for I think man,) still moving up, going as fast I could, and laying a few tight blasts on the holes, attempting to get a feel for what was inside each.

"Definitely the right, it's faster but more dangerous."

"Define more dangerous Tuck, more drones, more cables, the aliens?"

"Really, really big drone, city stomping monster big."

(And how much further is the other path here?)

More tapping filling the air, "maybe two hours unless we cut a hole in his body and I'm not sure we'll get there any faster if we do that."

I started demorphing as soon as he said that, (Sam your call.)

"What the heck certain death beats becoming a steel worker slash miner."

With a few more flaps, just staying ahead of the drones we popped through the hole, me first Sam and Tucker a moment later. The second we got through I really wish we had stayed where we were, (oh crap, what is that, I'm having flash backs to Visser Three here.)

"Tucker you're an idiot," the dark haired girl hissed.

"I'm in agreement." The thing coming towards us looking like a stainless steel house on metal spider legs, five cannon turrets on each side, a giant wedge on the front that went half way up it, everything above the wedge looked like some kind of multi barreled missile launcher.

"Well we're dead."

I heard the drones coming before I saw them, (ok you guys take the guys behind us, I'll take the one in front and we'll meet in the middle.)

"And your going to so that how," Tucker hissed at me.

(Like this,) letting fur replace my feathers as I called up the dog in me, (I just hope this place can hold the extra size.)

* * *

**DP Style**

"So are we on plan F or G here?"

"Thank you great ghost slayer," Danny hovering in the air sweat flowing down his face and dropping onto the road below, just barley at the city limits.

With snarl Val pointed her gun at the half ghost while keeping her eyes trained on Skulker's infested body, "keep talking I know at least one ghost I can deal with right now."

(Not the time for this, the others are still counting on us,) Jazz's thoughts broadcasting her exhaustion to the pair while she sat on her brothers shoulder, like her companion her eyes where still on the mechanical body.

Lowering her weapon slightly, "I'm beginning to think these friends of your's don't exist."

"They're in there," Danny taking a deep breath and whipping a few stray beads of sweat from his face, "but right now I wish they were out here, at least we might've been able to mess with that tin can a little bit, at least send him away from us."

Jazz shifted her gaze from the exoframe to her brother, (you lost me there.)

"Before your time," a spark of green energy glowing in his eyes, "the first time he came after me he absorbed some equipment he couldn't control, after that we could kind of control his actions wirelessly."

A few feathers rose on the back of her head, (your telling us this now,) staring daggers at him, not that he could tell the difference given that was how the hobby always looked at him.

"Well it doesn't work anymore he got it fixed after that," shrugging, "more or less any way."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN MORE OR LESS," Val snapped, the words coming out loader than intended.

His eye once more glued to the battle suit fearing it would continue it's attack on them, "the second time I saw him, I think it was before the guy who controlled it chained us together it was still slightly out of control and going after the last thing we programmed into it."

(Being Danny,) ideas flashing in his sisters mind as she spoke privately to him.

Looking to Val then to his sister and lowering his voice and hoping she wouldn't hear for fear of giving her to many clues as to who he really was, "Purpleback gorillas, it's complicated."

That was all Jazz really needed to hear, (I got and idea, it's a long shot but it might work.)

Danny knew what she was thinking before she spread her wings and grabbed her by the neck, "that's not going to work. Look Skulker got rid of that stuff a while ago what your planning is a waste of time."

Involuntarily she snapped her beak at him, the bird hating being pinned down, regaining control quickly, (have you ever listened to mom and dad when they get a virus on one of their computers, with computers some times things never really go away. Look it's a long shot,) gazing at the Helmacron controlled battle suit, (but it's possible, everything we've seen aside, they don't have ever system under control and maybe me going out there will cause some kind of reaction. Whatever happens it might be enough, at least it might give us some time, and face it at the moment that's all we need.)

"Assuming those three can figure something out in there."

(Either way it's worth a shot little brother," dropping off his shoulder like a rock and heading for cover below them as she spread her wings and took control of the decent. (Keep everyone up there busy I don't need Val finding out it's me in here.)

Watching her fall, "let me guess the bossy bird taking a worm beak."

"Just shut up and follow me," moving to the ghost armor both his hands igniting into flames of green energy, "time to go a little primal on this thing."

Growling something under her breath Val followed him, chain guns popping back out of her board as she moved her feet while she flipped a few dials on her gun, altering the setting hoping to find something that would punch a hole in the armor. "Keep barking orders ghost see where it gets you," letting lose with a volley of purple ecto fire from her board, the shots sailing under Danny by a few inches while she fired her cannon, a missile launching out of it and roaring over Danny's body.

"WATCH IT WITH THAT THING," keeping his eyes on the ghost armor, the heat of the rocket still present on his skin. In front of him the projectile hit the armor dead on in the chest and sending it tumbling end over end for a few seconds till it regained stability. That didn't last long as Danny let loose a punch across the face denting the metal as green flame bounced off the metal scorching it. That was followed by a second at the same point as the ships entry point widening it and launching a much of it inside the body scorching it's internal machinery. Kicking off the body with a blast of green from his feet and did a corkscrew in the air and let loose with a barrage of scatter shot from her hand slowing the body and finishing it of with the strobe flash to slow down it's reaction time.

After all that very little was done to the armor that could be seen with the naked eye. "What does it take to stop this thing," tapping her weapon again and releasing a blast of white energy the sparked and ran over the ghost metal for several seconds.

"I don't know you got a piano on you that always works on the cartoons."

"For about three seconds than they jump up like accordions."

A tiny laugh slipped past Danny's lips at that, "good one."

"Shut up ghost when this is over."

"I know, I know, shot me, lock me up, blah blah blah."

"FOOLISH MALES WE ARE THE HELMACRONS THE UNDISPUTED MASTERS OF EXISTANCE YOU CANNOT STOP US YOU WILL ACCEPT YOUR DESTINY AS OUR SLAVES OR YOU WILL KNOW OUR WRAITH. FOR EVERY STRIKE LAID ON US A THOUSAND OF YOUR WORTHLESS MALE KIND WILL PAY THE PRICE OF YOUR INSOLENCE!"

"I'm really starting to hate these girls."

Flipping a few more dials, "at least we agree on that much."

"FACE OUR RIGHTEOUS FURY MALE INFIDELS," compartments on battle armors shoulders popping up and releasing a torrent of projectiles or various shapes and sizes careening towards them.

The pair scrambled Danny going high, Val dropping to her board and cutting power and she dropped like a stone for a few seconds, "THEY DO KNOW I'M NOT A MAN RIGHT?"

"From what I understand everyone is a male to them," avoiding a shot pass him and getting a look as Val powered her board back up and zipped by a few shots her self.

"That makes all the sense in the world."

(From what I understand nothing about these girls makes any real sense,) a white gorilla knuckle walking into sight. Turning her attention up (hey girls,) her thoughts on a wide broadcast, (I'm down here come get me.)

The head of Skulker's former body turned to look at her and for a second nothing happened other than the light gleaming off the mechanical eye, then slight hiss came from the launchers on the armors shoulders, "DIE MALE SCUM."

(Crap,) turning on her feet and trying to run but not making much progress, simply not built for high speeds or fast starts. Behind and above her she could feel the missiles gaining on her, (this is going to hurt so much,) knowing there was a good chance she'd survive but not in how many pieces she'd be in.

"RRRRRROOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRR," the sound causing the ground to rumble, and for a moment the sun was blocked by a threat all three had become familiar with.

"Oh course," Val sighing and shaking her head as a full sized Cerberus came down on them.

Danny meanwhile was more concerned with his sister who was doubling as a moving target but barley has time to make a move before Blaze, Strike and Bolt were literally on top of her and to both their surprises pulling her to safety as all four went intangible and the weapons went right through them and collided with the ground and destroying the road around them.

Scratching behind his ear, "well never seen than before."

"RELEASE US MALE!," the armor locked in the jaws of the enlarged Cerberus and trying to keep them from closing, "WE ARE YOUR MASTERS!"

Val dropped down next to Danny, "you helping me, them helping me, talking animals, I really miss the times when my life was normal."

"You and me both."

"You will be hunted soon enough," Skulker's voice echoing in their ears as he jumped up to them and hovered at eye level as he rode bareback on Gash's back, holding the scruff of his neck like the mane of a horse.

Val could only laugh at the small green frog like thing on the wolfs back, "what is that thing?"

"Skulker Hunter, Hunter Skulker, there we're all up to speed."

Looking from the green ghost to the battle armor, "your telling me that little shrimp," pointing at her with a finger, "is really what's been going after me in that thing for all this time," jerking her thumb back to exoframe.

"Bingo."

"Somebody shot me."

"I will as soon as I reclaim what is mine from those…things," Skulker's hands balling up in Gash's fur.

Danny rolled his eyes, a slight whine slipping into his tone, "I can see this ending badly already."

* * *

**Tobias POV**

"Well I can honestly say I was never expecting any of this when I got us this morning."

(Then that means despite everything your still sane Tucker.)

"I'm clinging for my life to the back of a giant German Shepherd while being attacked by tiny alien amazons inside Skulker's body, nothing about me anymore is normal."

"Just enjoy the ride Tucker and keep the directions going," Sam was a few feet behind me, literally watching my tail in case the Helmacrons didn't get the message, or did, I don't really know what we're going for at this point. All I know we had torn apart a lot of the little psycho's and more than a few mechanical antibodies getting this far. The fight had been ugly and I'd sacrificed two legs in the fight and had to do a quick heal to keep from bleeding to death. At least I know knew Champ could get through the tunnels that crisscrossed the bodies interior and we were making up time, and I admit I felt better being one of the biggest things in the body.

It was times like this I was glad Champ was breed to work, I had a feeling most dog's wouldn't have gone through these tunnels without me grabbing a tight rein on the instincts. With that advantage I was able to divert the rest of my thoughts to what was going on around me, (any idea how close we are now,) trying to keep the creeping exhaustion I was feeling out of my thoughts.

I could feel him move on my back and heard the tapping as he looked through information, "up about two….no three levels and….," a slight shiver running through him and to me.

"Don't keep up is suspense here Tuck," Sam zipping up next to me, Champ wanting to swat her away like a fly or a flea, much the way he wanted to do with Tucker.

I could hear him hitting the machine, "sorry, weird readings, we're getting near something that's messing with…something," confusion coating his voice, and when he was confused about computers it made me nervous. "We have to get away from this thing, it's not horribly messing up my PDA, but it's doing something," tapping it again, "give me some time to try and work this thing out, there are a few things I want to run that might do…."

(If you say 'something' one more time I swear I'm going to throw you off.)

"Sorry," tapping again on the machine.

I could hear the soft mechanical thumb of the board as Sam crept up next to my ear, "relax I think we're clear for now." The strength and certainty of her words helped a bit, but it didn't change the fact that I didn't like any of this situation.

A soft growl slipping through my muzzle, (I'll relax when I see the sky again,) coming to the end of the corridor we'd been traveling through and into an intersection running up and down Skulker's body. Like previous version claws on cables along fly antibodies moved up and down it and something that looked like five legged spiders that roamed the walls. And of course to make matters worse small groups of Helmacron of stood along various other opening, more than likely waiting for us. (So you were saying about things getting better?)

A few words slipped past her lips that I was surprised she'd say but seemed appropriate given the circumstances. "Tuck tell me we don't have to go up this slaughter fest?"

"Considering I can't get the map up I think so but I could be wrong about it but at the top we should be near the control center."

(Ah yes the illustrious should that's always reassuring,) adding a little shake to my head.

"I'll take the flyers and the girls you take everything else," her tone making it sound more like a question than a plan of attack.

Getting one more look at what lay before us, (how about you take Tucker and I'll draw their fire and you two make a break for it and I'll catch up?)

"That's suicide."

(Half the things I do are suicide to most people,) a growl slipping out, (now lets get this crap over with it feels like we've been in this things for months now.)

Tucker shifted on my back and slipped off to the ground below, "don't I get a say in this?"

"Only if you have a better idea."

"None at all, I just feel useless here."

(We're the brawn, and so far that hasn't helped in this fight, we're counting on your brain to end this once and for all,) feeling the muscles in my legs tense for a jump and feeling them cry out, my whole body starting to feel the strain of to many morphs and to much stress, a sharp burning starting rise in my chest.

"Alright if your going to do this lets do it right, on three," I could see her but given where she was I was guessing she was picking up Tucker.

I didn't bother to let her say it, (THREE,) and I jumped up into what I knew would hurt as suddenly everything turned it's attention to me.

Down below I could hear Sam scream, "DON'T JUMP THE GUN," I wasn't sure what it meant but I guessed it made sense in her mind at the time, personally I don't have much time to think about it as I caught a cable with my jaws and tore it out of the wall and hearing a group of screaming Helmacrons at the same time, probably caused the junction to give way above or below the metal tendril. If I felt any joy at that it was killed as blade cut into my back, trying to take my out like I was an infection, not that I could really do anything about them. To make matters worse the spider like thing came at me a few moments later, stabbing me in the face, the five legs encircling my eyes and blinding me.

(Oh I so don't need this right now,) as fire from the Helmacrons rained down on me, giving me a target. With a growl almost physically burning in my throat I dove at them sending my muzzle deep into the hole, the crest scraping the spider things off me at least partially, part of the legs still embedded around my eyes. The harsh removal of the machines sentinels cause blood to run feely, not really blinding me but causing everything to take on a red tint.

(DIE SCOURGE OF THE EMPIRE!) the thoughts filling my mind as the aliens opened fire on me from close range. Driven by canine instinct as well as self preservation I jerked my head and pushed the attackers aside, crushing my nose against the wall in the process and losing a few layers of it in the process.

Where they ended I wasn't sure as I pushed my legs against the wall and leapt back into the flay, my back hitting something and feeling it come apart under my weight. It was a feeling I had come to love, I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not but some part of my did love to cause carnage and let lose the beast from time to time. Letting loose a howl and giving Champ his say in the fight I could feel my hackles rise and restraint start to slip away. I heard something buzz by my left side and snapped not caring what it was and was rewarded by the taste of metal and grease. A cable passed to my left and was caught in my jaws and ripped from the wall and with a snap of my head the cables turned to whips and took out half a dozen of the flying attackers at once. Given the screams below me I guessed a few of the machines had bounced down into some of the Helmacron encampments and done some damage.

The more I fought and thrashed the better I felt, the more the frustration I'd felt since I first discovered the Helmacrons were on Earth. I felt free, I felt justified, I felt like I did years ago when I didn't have to worry about anything but getting out of the fight in one piece and taking as much of the enemies face as I could before the darkness took me forever. The more I gave into the anger the more I could feel the fire burn in my body, an the less I cared about it.

Very quickly I found myself running on pure instinct, unable to really see anything as the blood started to grown thick over my eyes. To my left I heard something fly by me and jerked my head and snapped by missed it and tried again only have it dodge and weave away. After the fifth snap or so I lost track of it but didn't really care, I had other things to take apart, other things to vent on and let the rage escape on.

* * *

**DP Style**

"What's wrong with him," the words horse in Tuckers throat as he held onto Sam's back.

"I don't think he can see," the words sounding false in Sam's mouth, she could see the red mass that was now his face but she could tell by his movements something else was going on and she prayed it was just the dog's instincts carrying him away.

"Seeing during a fight what A NOVEL IDEA," barking the last part and following it with a scream as the two shot past the nightmare around them and shot up through the passage above them that had very little in the way of opposition, almost everyone trying to deal with Tobias.

Doing a quick loop around Sam got a lay of the land, "so now where," holstering her gun, having taken it from Tucker before they entered the killing field.

Pulling his PDA and tapping it, "this is getting weird," moving it left and right, "the higher up we get the more interference we're getting."

"Can you fix it," trying to stay calm but feeling a know in her stomach grow as not knowing when something below them might follow.

"I've been trying," watching the static and glitches increase then drop off then spring back up as he moved it around. "I think it might having something to do with Skulker's operating system, or maybe some power supply, it's over powering my something inside my PDA."

Looking back at him, "you didn't know this was going to happen?"

"I've never been this small or this close before, who knows effects being this size could have, but it's not unheard of, stronger signals over power weaker signals all the time."

"So where do we go?"

Waving his PDA one more time, "the signal gets weirder from that side," pointing up and right, "whatever it is it might be the place to start. If I remember the map right this is the general location we need to be at anyway.

"Good enough for me," powering her board towards where he was pointing, more than a little surprised that nothing was around to stop them. More to the point there wasn't anything left to stop them, something had already torn apart what looked like it had been a fairly impressive security system, sliding reinforced walls, mechanical solders looking far more imposing than the previous ones torn to shreds, cannons that had previously been attacked to walls now hanging by scant wires and missing all together. "Horror movies 101 the spooky tunnel always leads to death."

The words caused Tucker to still, "what," not sure what had prompted her to say that.

"Line from some movie, maybe it was a TV show, I don't really remember it just seemed appropriate given the circumstances."

"No, talking about kittens and bunnies is appropriate not us ending up as paste."

She just shook her head at that, glad he'd broken the stress she'd been feeling up to that point, "shame I didn't get that recorded."

"Can we please just get this over with before we end up food for the giant killer dog," still furiously working with his PDA trying to cut through the interference and return it to proper working conditions, not an easy task while trying to hold on to Sam.

As much as she wanted to come back with a sarcastic remark Sam was just to busy taking deep breaths in an attempt to stay calm. If Tucker was right somewhere above them was the override for everything around them with some unknown thing had been inside it and probably still was. The fact that she didn't know if it was an army of Helmacrons, Skulker himself or some unknown thing that was living in the machine weighed heavy on her mind. Reaching down she felt for the comforting reassurance of her weapons, hoping she wasn't flying into something worse than her nightmares and hoping they could get her out while the sounds of battle raged below her with the threat of fighting a battle on two fronts.

Awareness of the situation came all to soon and it was not quite what she expected, what either expected as they came to the end of the tunnel. The room was darker than the rest of the body, most of the normal source of light destroyed or only working at a fraction of their normal power making everything seem more threatening than it would've in day light. Helmacrons were running around screaming, blasts of energy coming from their weapons but not at them, at the giant glowing white blades stabbing in above and below them along with a sound that felt like thunder and was nearly deafening. In addition there were bright flashes of lights coming from all around them, particularly where the blades stabbed into the metal, where the light landed small fires flared up and were cut down. These source of light made the shadows jump and move adding to the horror movie feel of the world. Situated in the middle of the room was a large rounded protrusion with lights flashing on and off, quite a few of them red, with cables coming out of it connected to a smaller box that didn't look like it belonged there, given the style differences and the lack of a ghostly glow both could guess where it had come from. Next alien device stood a few Helmacrons working furiously on it, seemingly unconcerned with what was going on around them.

Despite the mask Sam shielded her eyes, "well I'm totally lost here," zipping around the room, trying to stay away from everything that could conceivably hurt her.

"Just get me to the console," looking at the round protrusion, "we can figure everything else out later," holding onto her for dead life.

"On it," shifting her weight and diving down, only to be targeted by a group of Helmacrons, their energy blasts just missing her as she pulled the nose of her board up and moved away, slipping her board into a quick loop before going into a dive straight to the floor, the blasts trailing right behind her. At the last second before she hit the floor she pulled it level with the floor and shot forward while ducking down, pulling a strangely calm Tucker with her and did a quick barrel roll, the energy now sailing over the bottom of the board while the humans scraped their heads on the metal floor before coming back up. Shifting her foot the board picked up more speed, the engines not yet up to full power but moving at a speed she rarely had need of. Bolting next the most prominent feature in the room and moving in close enough to run her fingers against it she hissed, "go to work," pushing back against her, dropping him unceremoniously to the ground. If he said anything she did hear as she shot forward picking up more speed and pulling her gun and fired off a few random shots to bring the aliens attention to her in the hopes of making them forget someone had been with her a few seconds ago.

Suddenly light flashed into the room, or at least a different kind of light as the white things pulled away from their hold letting natural light stream in, only to be cut off as they stabbed in again filling the room once more in darkness. The return of the blades took out a dozen of so Helmacrons from the fight, not enough for Sam to feel better though. "Now I get it," the all the brief moment of light letting her understand, the white things were teeth, from what she wasn't sure but they had to be teeth, "whatever is going on out there gotta be crazier than in here." At that moment a Helmacron bounced off a wall in front of her and erupted in a blaze of gold and green fire as she hit the ground and started running around in circles trying to put herself out, "or maybe it's not."

Spurring her board on and laying down a few blasts to suppress the Helmacrons forces, at the moment not sure what else she could do. It was clear to her that there were way to many fights going on at the same time and at any moment one of those fights could spill over into this one and depending on which one it was she wasn't sure should could do anything about it. Down below her she could hear the one man war raging and it made her nervous, maybe more so than the fight outside knowing Tobias was the only thing keeping a large number of potential threats at bay, and given his state she wasn't sure him being alone was a good thing.

(DIE MALE SLAVE!)

"WOULD YOU GIVE IT A REST!" the scream slipping from her lips, the cold calmness that had surrounded her suddenly slipping away for a moment as she let loose a quick barrage of shots at the voice. The few shots did little as the aliens easily moved away, but it helped her regain her composure, sighing deeply, "I don't care if it's Danny or Tucker but someone has to end this before we end of smears on the inside of these walls."

(FALL BACK,) the words screaming in her head, coming from Helmacrons she couldn't identify but knowing in her gut it wasn't a good thing.

Shifting her weight she did a quick midair spin on her board, gun drawn, ready for the onslaught of blue creatures to start moving, in any direction. "I must be hearing things," her quick look not showing any kind of retreat as the fighting raged on around her, only to quickly be answered as a small group shot up from the hole she and Tucker had emerged from. The Helmacrons however looked worse for wear, liquid dripping from wounds, their clothing torn apart, a few missing limbs, a distinct look of panic about them and none of them looking capable of willing to fight. All this together threw her for a moment, these were the ones Tobias was suppose to be holding off, "if they got past him what are they running from," resisting the urge to fly down after him.

(Where do you think your going,) the thoughts calm, and all to familiar in Sam's mind, calming her, knowing the bird was still alive. His thoughts however made the Helmacrons flee faster running into several of their own warriors, causing a massive disruption in the fight.

Cries of, (STOP HIM,) (GET HIM,) (HE'S A MONSTER,) shot up from the fleeing women, their former confidence slipping away.

For a moment Sam didn't understand why, only to see a white light rising from the hole, "this can't be good," she hissed to herself.

(This hunt has only just begun,) his part hawk, part human form rising from the hole and tearing after them, at what seemed to Sam to somehow be a leisurely pace.

Barking at the top of her lungs, "TUCK GET THESE THINGS OUT OF HERE HE'S GONE NOVA AGAIN!" Shifting her weight and powering her board she shot after him, following in his wake as Helmacrons turned their weapons onto him, or at least tried. With a quick shift of his wings he moved by tiny margins slipping between the shots and forcing Sam to get out of the line of fire. Raking his talons forward he cut through four on his left side and three of his right without so much as thinking about the consequences.

From around them the glowing blades that had dug into the metal were torn away letting light stream in again, accompanied by the sound of an inhuman scream that sent a chill running up Sam and Tuckers spines. "Well at least we have a way out of this mad house now," the black clad girl whispered when the blades didn't reappear.

(Stand and fight, stop the male scum,) one brave Helmacrons spread her thoughts to everyone as Tobais' kept up his assault. This was enough to rally the warriors as four fired in tandem at him, yet missed the mark as he fell from the sky and tackled one. This was not by choice however as his wings vanished from his body in a flash.

Getting to his feet, the Helmacrons below him out cold, he continued on foot, but without his wings his agility was cut down taking multiple shots to the body. The shots sliced though his body, one seeming to be designed more for fore than penetration sent him sailing into the sky that had just rejected him. Rather than coming to land of the ground, he was nabbed by Sam, who pulled him into the sky and away from a few follow up shots.

"You ok?" not sure what was going on.

Looking from her to the amazons that were after him, (not sure.)

"Meaning?" dodging a few more shots.

(Meaning I don't know what happened to my wings,) mentally panting as his breathing grew labored, (and I'm slowing down a little).

"I'm guessing this hasn't happened before?"

(Different tech last time, not to mention whatever is going on with me,) looking down at the fight, (Tell me there's some good news here.)

"We're working on it."

(Then put me down, I'm not doing much good up here,) flinching as he tried to move, the new holes in his body feeling like they were on fire.

Not having to be told twice she dropped down from the sky, moving past a few more shots that were coming in her direction. Before he could hope off she forced her saber into his hands, "don't argue," she hissed, "at this point we need anything that can slow them down and your missing your biggest asset right now."

Looking at the rod for a second he finally accepted it, feeling strange in his to large hand, having seen it used enough times, popping the orange blade was easy enough, (I'd really prefer my claws here.)

"And I'd prefer being my normal size so I can step on these girls, we don't always get what we want," squeezing off a few shots to give him some help.

(But who says we need this,) running into the fight, his claws clicking on the metal as he approached a squad of Helmacrons and ducked down, shifting into a spin and turning the blade a around so the orange light cast it's glow by his elbow and slashed hitting three in the legs, dropping them to the ground. Using the momentum of the spin he leapt up, his muscles gaining extra power from the strange power flowing through him and came down, catching one in the face with his claws, driving her to the ground. Kicking forward with his claws he knocked one to the ground bringing the one behind her down as well.

The savagery of the attack caught the group off guard, the tight formation worked well for firing but left them venerable to in close fighting while letting Tobias systematically take him time, dealing with them one at as a time despite the frantic pace of the war. Within a matter of moments the tight formation was gone, in it's place was little more than a scattering of unconscious alien warriors.

"I'll say this, wings or not he knows what he's doing," the small number he had dealt with meaning little over all, but still giving Sam hope they might just get out in one piece. That hope only lasted as long as it took for his right to shift back into a wing, the saber dropping to the ground. Catching the falling blade with his foot he flicked it up and continued to fight, moving onto another Helmacron. Above him she shook her head, "nothing like making this complicated."

Away from the fighting Tucker was working like a man possessed on the console, his PDA still not working at full strength due to the interference, but at the same not truly needing it. Despite the fact that the machine was meant for someone larger, operating it hadn't proven that hard. "Come on," he hissed, not for the first time, trying to find the right command to get the firs suppression system working. The fact that he had to use it almost like a jungle gym didn't help, coordinating the location and movement of his feet along with what he touched with his hands.

A growl slipped past his lips as he pissed the right sequence with his foot and ended up activating something in the machines foot. "Come on you over grown scrap heap don't do this to me, we gotta get these girls outta here," beginning to input the code again.

(Surrender male,) the words meaning little to him as many times as he'd heard it, (I said stop,) feeling something pressed into his back.

"Crap," a mix of frustration and anger filling him, mentally curing himself for having been so focused on his task rather than paying attention to the world around him.

(Did you truly think an inferior male could best the mighty Helmacron empire,) tapping him with the weapon, emphasizing that he needed to move.

For half a second he considered it, wishing to live, but it didn't last, he had a job that he had to do. "I don't always offer much," talking to himself move than to her, "I don't have special powers, I'm not three steps from being a ninja, I'm just good with machines," looking over the machine while trying not to move his head. "And right now," seeing what he needed to see, "that may be all that matters for everyone," pushing off with his left arm and turning into the machine, moving the gun away from his back as his free hand back a section near his right, the weapon going off and hitting the machine sending sparks flying. Pushing off with his feet he twisted his body and planted both his feet into the chest of the girl and sent her falling to the ground despite the additional legs she stood on, her gun spinning on the ground and away from her

(Impudent male,) she spat, going after the weapon.

"Girls have called me a lot worse," slipping back into his former position and started working at double the speed. "Come one baby, help me here," tapping his foot and hitting panels in sequence, less by thought than by instinct.

(You dare resist the orders of your better, you will know your place,) the lone alien reaching for her weapon and aiming it at him.

Forcing her from his mind he hit the last few combinations to the code. For a moment nothing happened, looking around the world seeming to slow down to him as every beat of his heart seemed to take an hour. "Don't let me die here," the words slipping out of their own accord.

(Suffer for you insolence m….,) the rest of her words fading it as a siren started blaring, seemingly coming from all directions around them. A moment later lights from within the walls started flashing, at places entire walls were dead, to much damage having been done to them during the fight.

A smile formed on his lips, knowing he'd done something even if he wasn't totally sure what, and knowing his life was now forfeit. "I am the man," knowing any second she'd strike him dead.

A flash of red lit up the area as a shadow appeared above him, "nice to know your ego is still completely out of control."

Trying to laugh and breath deeply at the same time, "Thank you Sammy!"

Hovering down next to him, "call me that again and I'll shot you myself," holstering her weapon, "now tell me the lights mean something."

Hopping down from the console, pulling off his beret and scratching his head, "Did something yes, what it is exactly I'm not sure, I think I turned the fire suppression system on but considering she shot it I can't be sure till something happens. For all I know I just turned on the self destruct sequence."

Rubbing her temples through the mask feeling a headache beginning to rage, "and here I thought things couldn't get worse."

His voice growing defensive, "I said could've I didn't say I did," trying to mask his own fear of the unknown.

"In other words you don't know," equal parts sarcasm and anger tinting her words.

Shrugging his shoulder, "yeah w…," falling on his butt as the world around him started to shake, "ok that's not good." Looking around, the Helmacrons like himself had lost their balance to varying degrees, the walls started to rise, and all the humans had the same feeling of a booby trap having been activated.

Shifting over and pulling him onto her board, "well you did something alright," a moment later glowing blue slime shot out of the risen walls covering everything like a tidal wave. Powering her board the pair shot above the on come substance, watching it flow over everything and flow down the passageway and fire out the sides of the holes made in the metal. Along with the various bits that had been torn up in the fight the jell carried Helmacrons, antibodies, and Tobias with it.

"I really that's the fire suppression system and not something radioactive," even without seeing her face he know she was now giving him a look that could kill, "I'm pretty sure it's not lethal anyway."

"I'm working with a mad man," turning her attention away from him and to the material looking for the bird before he was sucked out with everything else. Whatever is was it was keeping anything in it from escaping given how badly the Helmacrons seemed to be struggling. "COME ON BIRD GIVE ME A SIGN," hoping he hadn't already been sucked into another part of the armor.

(GET ME OUT OF HEAR,) almost pure panic hitting Sam and Tucker, as he let out a hawk's scream to let them know where he was, the sound cutting though the noise already flowing around them.

It only took a few second to spot him thanks to his vocal flare, his body covered in smile making him nearly impossible to identify if not for the shape of his head and quickly being pulled to the hole he'd come from. "We're with you," Sam and Tucker both grabbing him and pulling him up while the board added power. After a few second they managed to pull him out, though not in the from they expected. He now sported the wings and body of his normal hawk form but his legs and head were still the size of his mutated form making him quite a bit larger than them.

Tucker looked from him to Sam, "ok this is getting weird, first blood, now this."

(Try being on this end,) trying to find some way to grab on to them, but not making much headway thanks to the adhesive power of the ooze covering him. Breathing was proving to be hard enough, part of it covering his beak.

Sam looked from her companions to the sight below her, the Helmacrons now all but a bad dream most of them having been sucked out of the section of the armor with the promise of the rest to soon follow. Part of her didn't want to go till everything was over now that things seemed to be going her way, but the condition of the others worried her. Without his PDA Tucker was blind and she couldn't be sure Tobias wouldn't start shooting blood at any second. "Unless you two have a problem," she finally said having weighed the options, "I say we get out here and figure out something else."

"I don't remember the last time I wanted something more."

Tobias was more hesitant, looking at the world around them, then relented, "do what you want I don't want to slow you down," pushing against the ooze, trying to get free and finding that didn't seem to be an option. For that matter nor could he morph, something stopping him as he tried to call up another creatures DNA in hopes it could free him.

"That's all I wanted to hear," much of the slime having slowing it's flow around them, more than enough to slip out of the hole that had been forged by the outside forces. After a few seconds the trio was shot into the sun and a world that to them seemed horribly out of scale.

"I never thought I'd miss fresh air this much," taking a deep breath.

"Considering how many times we've had to drag your butt out of you room from a some multi day online game marathon I didn't think you liked fresh air."

"Funny Sam," taking a few more deep breaths and enjoying feeling the sun on his skin.

Ignoring him and looking around, "any idea where….," only to be cut off as something flew over them and sent them tumbling end over end, all three trying to hold onto the other two. The ooze covering Tobias ending up being the source of their salvation as it kept them together.

(Well this day just gets more and more fun,) his legs vanishing, replaced by those of the proper size for his form.

"Can we go back in the killer robot, I think it was safer," Tuckers face now stuck to Tobias chest.

(I'd prefer the safe embrace of talons,) turning his thoughts on a private beam, (Jazz we're outside, SAVE OUR UNDER SIZED TAILS!)

(Birdie,) her thoughts hitting him like a hammer turning, (you ok?)

(Hard to say, but we won't be at this size.)

(Give me a few to get better eyes and I'll be with you,) with the robotic body no longer on the attack and now under three ghost wolves, she slipped away in the woods, out of sight of Val and demorphed and called up her Hobby hoping the eyes were sharp enough for the task at hand.

Spreading her wings she took off only to be met by her brother before she could get very far, "something up?"

(Birdie called for a rescue,) laning on his shoulder, (you think you can handle things from her, I want to get them before Val or Skulker get any hint of them.)

Grabbing a quick look back at the area, Skulker still on Gash barking orders to his wolves while Val covered him a few feet back, ready to fire on the ghosts if they tried to double cross her. Looking back and nodding, "I think they're pretty distracted."

(Then I'll find them and then see where things go,) hopping off and spreading her wings, looking for her three tiny friends, scanning the area carefully trying to take in everything. After a few sweeps of where the body had been before it cut out she finally found what to a human would look like nothing more than an underdeveloped mosquito. Swooping in she grabbed the trio in her left foot and shot away from the group.

(Shut up Tuck,) Tobias thoughts hitting Jazz hard.

(Birdie?) a not of caution in her thoughts.

(Sorry,) a little embarrassed, (Tucker was panicking a little please tell us your what just garbed us?)

She wanted to blush, realizing that for them it must have been terrifying for a giant shadow to swoop down and grab them without warning. Trying not to let it slip into her thoughts, (it's me, everybody alright,) coming into land in a tree.

(Relatively speaking, I changed again and it's knida weird, I'm not bleeding, at least I think but something going on with my body. It's hard to tell, I'm wrapped in something I can't break so I don't know what's going on.)

(And the others?)

(Tired, hungry, little jumpy, but they think they're both ok, but we all want to go back to normal size.)

(I'll see what I can do,) looking over to the others, (looks like you turned the robot off, so we should've have to be here much longer unless someone decides to double-cross us.)

Growling a little, (that's it Jazz jinx the whole thing.)

(Shut up birdie,) focusing in on others and hoping this would end so she could get him back to normal and hopefully before the downside of his ghost powers kicked in.

Several yards away the others had gathered around the stationary armor, Skulker carefully examining it from the outside, Gash and Bolt close to their master while Strike and Blaze kept their attention trained on Val with Cerberus keeping tabs on Danny.

"So is it dead or not?" Val very much aware the situation was not in her favor

Without looking at her, "it's out of commission yes," the small ghost moving the shirt covering the metal aside and tapped a section, a door to the internal control room opening. His brow furrowed as he looked at the blue liquid now covering the inside of the chamber, "this is going to take a while to clean."

"Really," shifting her large cannon slightly to him only to be stopped by Danny as he took a hold of the end. Getting a glare from the hunter she mouthed the word, "why?"

Shaking his head, he mouthed back, "truce remember," and moved over to the ghost. Using his full voice, "can it be fixed?"

Looking up at him, "in time," reaching his hand in and tapping a few buttons and switches, various monitors coming on as a result. After a few moments of studying the data he pulling it out, letting the muck drip from his fingers in little streams. "Most of the damage appears to be minimal, but it will take time to fully repair everything. More damage was done by the uncontrolled release of the self sealing jell than anything else."

"The what?"

"This," flicking a little of the muck at Danny, "it's designed to seal the armor in case of damage in environments that would prove dangerous, it's generally released in controlled burst in selected regions, releasing it everywhere made a mess but it did solve several problems."

"Your joy riders."

"The same," tapping the body, "where they are is another matter," shaking his head, "I suppose you'll be wanting them?"

The half ghost looked over at the hole in his chest, that was now covered in the hardening blue jell. Looking over at his sister, who nodded, knowing what he was thinking and already talked to Tobias about it. "Don't suppose you now where their ship is?"

"Damaged and in several pieces and that was before my pack decided to make sure there were no other creatures in it."

Val still in hunter mode spat, "you expect us to believe that," obviously thinking he was lying just like Danny but choosing to be more blunt about the accusation.

"Have you ever known me to lie child?"

"What about the bombs in the mall, you said they were toxic."

"I said you should deal with them and they might be dangerous, you assumed the rest."

Danny mulled that over in his mind, looking at it from many angles before finally coming to a decision, "I hate to say this," looking at him, "but if you can keep them out of my hair you can have them, from what I understand they might do well being someone else property for a while."

"You surprise me."

"I'm not proud of this decision but someone has to keep them locked down and it's either you or Walker and you have more reasons to make sure they don't go anywhere."

Smiling at the half ghost, "I already have a special place in my collection for them, although I'll have to find a way to keep them quiet," his smile growing crueler and making Danny uncomfortable. "And there is the matter of what they did to my pack," looking at his wolves, "they should have a say in what I do to them," getting a few yips from Strike, an obvious agreement.

"You can't just let him go," Val finally hissed, "not after everything he's done."

"What else can he do," the ghost smiling at her, "lock me away in the ghost Zone and I'll escape, don't and he and more than likely you will have these little ladies to deal with."

Gripping her gun ever tighter, "and if you don't he'll just come back after us, again and again destroying anything and everything in Amity Park till he gets you."

Laughing lightly, "that is the nature of the hunt, it doesn't end till one is stopped, and how much he can do to me is relative. Besides I haven't enjoyed a prey this much in a long time and a good hunt is always worth coming back for, it makes victory all the sweeter when I finally get him."

"What if I give you something better," an idea forming in the half ghosts mind, thinking back to the events of the last few weeks.

"Better," not bothering to hide his interest, "you mean you bird friend?"

"In a sense….."

* * *

**DP Style**

"I can't believe you did that," his sister shaking her head and leaning back on the couch, several hours having past since they had agreed to go their separate ways under peaceful conditions. In that time the others had been returned to their normal size and Tobias freed of the slime, surprisingly no worse for wear despite tapping into his ghost power.

"What's so hard to understand," glad his parents still weren't home, now in the midst of a massive investigation from the day's activities.

Jazz ran her fingers through her hair, "all of it, if we know anything we can't trust Skulker."

"Sounded like you were trusting him while we were gone," Tucker tapping on his PDA looking over this and that.

Countering the redhead hissed, "that was short term and a matter of convince for both of us."

"Either way," not looking up, "at least it's something, besides we didn't do anything that wrong.

Counting off points on her fingers, "you let Skulker go, with his armor, let him take the Helmacrons, and said he could repay us by going after David," a slight look of disgust on her face.

Her brothers eyes glowed for a moment in irritation a little at that, "I don't know sis, we send a guy with a few redeeming qualities to hunt down a guy who has no problems raping, torturing, not to mention torching, and murdering people. Sounds like win-win to me."

Up till now Sam had been quiet, continually thinking back to what she'd just done and listening to both sides, "I don't have a problem with what he did and I understand it might come back to haunt us, but it's David, and getting him out of the picture and away from Vald might be worth whatever comes next."

"Exactly, Vlad makes out life miserable with ghosts all the time it's about time we returned the favor, and it's not like we're making Skulker do anything, I just said if he wanted to thank us, go after David and told him how great a hunt he'd be."

"It's still dangerous Danny," shaking her head, the red hair shaking in waves along her back.

"Lets face it on his own David is dangerous," the goth rationalizing more for herself than the others, "now that he's basically Vlad's zombie someone needs to keep him check," looking over at the redtail, "he was bad enough without a mind who knows what that psycho will be like. As for the Helmacrons, after being shot at by them a few hundred times I don't care where they end up as long as it's away from me. Did I want them to go free, yes, but unless you wanted to give them the Eclipse there weren't a lot of options and at least this way we have some degree of safety from them since they don't know how to get back here."

(In a situation with no good options pick the one where you save the most lives,) the birds words holding a haunting clarity that even Jazz had a hard time arguing with and for a time no one spoke, just rolling over that thought, each finding a bit of comfort in it.

The silence was finally enough for Tucker, "so any idea what happened to the Tobias back there," not looking up from his PDA.

"Tests are still running," Jazz grabbing a quick look at Tobias, "but given how little they've told us so far I'm not sure what good they'll do."

"You think he could be stabilizing or something?"

Shrugging, "no clue Sam, what you described was totally of the mark for what's come before," leaning back into the couch. Leaning her head back and lacing her fingers through her hair and coving everything till her mouth she mused, "the only thing I can think of is that it was some kind of interaction, either with the Fenton Cramer or something he came in contact with inside Skulker. Birdie's been shrunk before and nothing like this happened as I understand…"

(Not to my knowledge,) he commented

"…so it's possible whatever my parents made isn't morph tech compatible and who know what all that stuff in Skulker was."

"Great, one more mystery to add to the list rat chaser."

(Not really in the mood for that Danny,) Tobias himself still running over what had happened to him and despite what he was willing to show was scared about the changes go in in his body and his own inability to understand those transformations.

"Sorry," understanding what was going through his head, having experienced something similar after he'd gotten his own. The continuing question of whether or not they might get out of control or if someone could be hurt by them. Those thoughts were interrupted by Tuckers constant tapping as he flipped through something the half ghost couldn't see. Finally snapping, "what is so important," making a mock grab for the PDA only to have it yanked away.

Finally looking up and turning the machine around, "your not going to like this," his voice growing deadly serious.

"What," looking at the small screen from several feet away, not everything being that cleared.

(Well this sucks,) Tobias' sharp eyes making out everything the humans couldn't.

"What," Danny grabbing the PDA, his face shifting from sickly white to red in the shape of a few seconds.

Shaking his head and leaning back, "yeah kinda what I thought when I ran across the link," looking over at the girls and summarizing, "basically all the points Danny got for beating Pariah Dark, he just lost for scraping the mall. That and," spinning his fingers around each other slowly, feeling the need to do something given the news, "everything that might conceivably be a ghost now has a price on it's head."

(Everyone on the planet wants me dead again, the world has come full circle,) delivering the statement in a deadpan manner.

"Just when you think everything couldn't get worse," the words slipping out under Sam's breath as she leaned her head back into the cushion.

* * *

**DP Style**

Dawn was breaking and Val was on her latest of the many online articles that had sprung up in the aftermath of the battle, and slowly shook her head while sipping a cup of coffee, not sure what to do next.

"I need to do something," setting the cup down and closing her eyes, "the question is what." Thinking back to what she had seen, and the words the ghosts had said to each other, the deal they brokered, and what she had seen them do. Truth was she wasn't happy about the deal, but she had to admit turning one ghost on another wasn't a bad plan even with the risks. "The ghost boy's a pain in the butt, and dangerous beyond question but he has humans on his side, and their either nuts, brain washed or know something I don't. Skulker needs to be stopped, but if I lock him up those things get loose and I'm responsible for what they do. Who know what sides those animals are on, or even if they are ghosts, part of the time they seem like allies then they turn around do things I can't understand."

Sighing she took another sip, these were questions she just didn't want to think about. "Some of them have to be dealt with though," thinking back to all the damage some of them had done, "problem is I have no idea who's doing what at any given moment." Looking over at a beat up notebook that largely held her observations on ghosts, "how do I even know anything in here is right," picking it up and flipping through a few pages. "I have got to get some kinda score card going, I need to know who's on what side before I go after any more ghosts." Looking through the pages, each one reading 'must stop' in one place or another, "problem is I don't I can make that call any more."

Tossing it aside she downed what was left in the cup and looked at her cell phone for several long moments. It almost seemed to taunt her before she finally grabbed it and punched in a few numbers before turning if off after looking at the time. Sighing deeply she wondered if what she was thinking made any sense or if it was just a crazy idea formed by her sleep deprived mind. Looking at the notebook again she knew what she had to do, "he might not help, but Tucker's eyes might be fresher than mind, question is what do I tell him when he asks why I need this.

* * *

**DP Style**

"You are sure that's all of them," looking up and getting a small grown from Cerberus in return, "just asking," admiring his collection. For Skulker it had been a very long day, and he was glad to be back in the Ghost Zone, in his own home. The Helmacrons had been easy enough to track down for his wolves, each and everyone collected and now locked away in a small cell that only a ghost could get out of, that or perhaps the bird. Either way he doubted his little joy riding aliens would be going anywhere.

Cerberus laid down and whined slightly as he looked at the cell, "I know," patting the larger ghost on the nose, "but I don't plan to keep them here for long, as soon as I figure out how to preserve them I have a place in the East wing for them."

He wined again, "no they will be staying here indefinably, they've earned my ire more than that I don't trust anyone else to guard them, these trouble makers will learn what happens when they interfere with one of my hunts, much less stealing from me."

Grabbing his fur Skulker climbed up the wolf, Cerberus knowing instinctually what he wished and heading out of the room. Making a small bark he lurked through the halls, "the boy has earned something for his hand in getting my armor back." The wolf barking again, "no I'm not going soft but there is something to say for breaking up the pace a bit, a little time focusing on something else could prove beneficial, a chance to back at this hunt with fresh eyes." Getting another bark, "alright this does have a bit to do this the description of the ghosts abilities, going up against someone like that could provide useful insight." Getting a huff from the eyeless wolf, "yes Vlad's connection is playing a factor, that arrogant fool released Pariah Dark, disrupting my life and nearly destroying the ghost zone in the process. The chance to pay him back no matter how indirectly is something I've wanted for while now, and I can always deny that I knew of any connections between the two." Another bark, "don't worry you'll be getting a piece of him as well, I promise, after everything you've been through you deserve something as well," patting him on the head.

The wolf slipped through an open door and crossed the floor, hopping up onto a table so Skulker could get off. Letting off another yip, "ok I admit there is another reason," crossing the table, slipping onto several sheets of paper, each covered in intricate plans. "Considering all the damage done to my armor, it's a good time to put in these upgrades, and this ghost sounds like an excellent way to test them out before going back to capturing the boy and that blasted bird."

* * *

**DP Style**

The grey case shook with rage, violent and terrible, the light blue chains and black ropes around it snapping one by one, but all to slowly. Around that the frame work bend and screamed as it was slowly twisted out of it's ancient position. From within a deep haunting laugh echoed from the case, though none could hear it given none dared go near something that radiated such malevolence.

* * *

**Notes**

Yeah a long time between chapters, part writers block, part a non desire to write, and part the fact that my computer completely crashed to the point or replacing the hard drives. Thankfully I had everything backed up on an external hard drive but when I put everything back on I turned out it turned out I didn't have the right software when I got the computer fixed and for the life of me could've remember or figure out what the hell the writing program was to even get anywhere. Through luck, chance and a friend who's more tech friendly I was able to find out and finally get to it.

The whole thing with Tobias' power at the end was a nod to the problem Danny had when he was shrunk in the actual ep.

Why the Helmacrons, I just wanted to bring in the most annoying creatures in the Animorph series and just let them rip, and everything kinda evolved from that, shrinking, Skulker, whole nine yards all came from finding a way to bring these girls into the story for at least one round.

When I was writing everything inside Skulker's body I kept flashing back to Transformers the movie and an episode of the Swat Kats.

Provided I can actually keep going next chapter is kind of a payoff for me in term of what I've been setting up for the last few chapter

Please R&R


	26. Showdown p1

**Tobias POV**

I balled my talons up, blood squishing between them, between the suction and the consistency they stuck together slightly. The feeling was so invigorating I threw my head back and screamed, a deep primal roar, part hawk, part something else, something dark, something neither human or beast. I was alive, I was free, I dove my head down into the body of my prey again, sinking my beak back into it and tear off a large amount of meat in the process, warm blood spraying everywhere, soaking my feathers, turning them deep crimson. Woofing down the meat I looked down at the corpse, the dead blue eyes, the ruby lips, the black red blood flowing from her neck and my clawed fingers resting on her chest. Admiring my work I went in for another bite of Jazz's still warm flesh.

"TTTWWWEEESSSEEERRRRR!"

(AAAAGGGHHHHHHHHAAAA!) the scream both mental and physical as my eyes snapped open, the darkness of night still all around me. I took in slow deep breaths, trying to force the all to real dream from my mind, to push it back with it's twins I'd been having for the last week. (This is getting really old,) looking up at the night sky, wishing this this would just stop.

It had started after my fight with the Fright Knight, whatever had happened, whatever gave me the powers I was exhibiting was doing something to me. I wasn't sure if the dreams where connected to the power, some kind of vision of the future, which would make sense given how primal I went when I changed, the crystal clarity I only got when I was hunting, when I only saw things as prey. Or maybe it was just my mind trying to translate my fears into images or whatever dreams are suppose to do or be. (Shame I can't talk to Jazz, she'd know before I could even get the words out.)

All I really knew was since the dreams started I hadn't had a real nights sleep, granted that wasn't new, back when I was fighting the Yeerks I couldn't remember a time when I didn't have a dream filled with deaths of some sort. That didn't make this new stream of night terrors any easier to deal with though.

(Where are you when I need you Ax,) looking up into the section of the sky I knew the Andalite home world was, the closest thing I had to knowing where Ax could've been. Back then when I had the dreams, or anything I could tell the others, I could just talk to him, let him help me work through everything and get me back on track. Now though it had been Jazz I talked to, or even Sam at times, neither one I felt I could talk to at the moment given the nature of the dreams. (I am one screwed up bird,) shaking my head and closing my eyes, the same thought coming to me before the abyss of sleep came, 'go before whatever is inside you kills them all.'

* * *

**DP Style**

The burning candle before him brought him no piece, no insight, only confusion, something he was growing more and more accustomed to. With a silent snarl and a flash of green metal the wick was cut, the flame flickering as it hovered in the air before burning itself out after a moment.

Sheathing his blade he turned from the candle, a flash of pain coming from his face as an old scar ignited in fresh pain. For a lesser creature the pain would've dropped them to the ground in agony, he however flinched but a moment and pulled the black metal helmet over his head hiding everything but his eyes. The pain mixed with his inability to meditate was enough, what he had tried to deny for the last few weeks was no longer a matter of the possible, what he had hoped was a figment of his imagination had become reality, and he had to ready himself before it was to late.

"Never have I known a battle I wished more would never come more than this, and nor have I ever known a battle that had to occur as surly as this one."

With those words the Fright Knight pulled a book from the ledge and opened it pulling the small pick from it, knowing the tiny implement was in truth the Lightning Blade in a transformed state. He was not foolish enough to leave it in plain sight, he continually shifted it's form and hid it here among his limited possessions in case Vlad had dared to look through his room. For fear of the power carrying the Blade was a risk, and keeping it anywhere he could not reach out and have it was to far in his mind.

"So much power," admiring the weapon, "so many wish to claim it, perhaps I alone am the only one fearful to weald it for I know the price that it exacts and the destruction that can be forged with it." This moment of infliction was all to short for him, knowing time was now of the essence and he had far to little of it in front of him.

Phasing through the walls of the castle and flowing to the surface, moving without sound or trace, unwilling to ask permission or deal with any in the half ghosts employ, this was a matter that could not wait, and could not be mediated, it simply had to be done regardless of the consequences. "Now if I can just get what I need and I might have a chance."

* * *

**DP Style**

"The world has gone insane."

"Stop being dramatic"

"Your sorta friends with Paulina and your helping Val, we're slowly losing you to them."

"It's not that bad."

"The only way it could get worse is if you threw Dash in the mix."

"Never going that far."

"Still……"

Try as he might Danny couldn't filter out the arguments of his friends, not that them going off about something wasn't new, but this one just wouldn't go away and he was getting tired of it. "Round and around," the words barley audible, as he looked through his locker trying to find the notes he'd written down a few days ago and had just tossed in only to be buried under books and more papers, now needing them desperately for his next class.

"I'm telling you Paulina's not that bad," slamming his own locker door shut, "at least not once you get her alone. As for Val, this is the chance we've been waiting for, her confidence is shaken, she might actually be willing to listen to reason about ghosts. If you would help me she might actually…."

The goth cut him off knowing what was to come, "you might want to check her record Tucker, every time we have any kind of truce with her it falls apart almost as soon as it's made. As much as you may want her, we can't trust her, not in the long run, and when that happens everyone near her becomes a target."

"Not if we're sincere."

She just stared at him when he said it taken aback, the comment stalling her for a seconds, but only a few. "Your spending way to much time around Jazz," turning away from him and just walking away to her next class, not willing to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had a point.

Looking over at the half ghost, "tell me you agree with me."

"I agree with you I tick Sam off, you can see the problem right," not pulling his head out of the locker, his voice bouncing off the sides slightly giving his voice a slight echo.

"But you do agree with me," seen the loophole.

Turning a look over and finally finding the sheet, crumpled into a ball and pulled it out, trying to straighten it out, the words still partially legible. "I see where your coming from, but Sam's right and I'm the one she shoots at, not you. Between her history and what's gong on out there I'm not sure this is the best time to try and win her over."

He wasn't happy with the answer but at least it made more sense than what Sam was spouting, "again that's not a technically a no."

Opening his mouth to say something, then just giving up and putting his hand on his friends shoulder, "I gotta get to class, later," and walked off.

"Still not technically a no," pulling out his PDA while he walked down the hall, pulling up his own notes.

* * *

**Jazz POV**

I wasn't ease dropping, I hadn't even heard the bulk of the conversation but I knew it's contents implicitly by the way he walked. "Another argument," shaking my head, "it's times like this I really wish I could treat family." I'd been around all of them to know exactly what was going on in their heads even if they didn't.

Sam's almost pathetical distain, anger and mistrust of anyone or anything popular was tainting her ability to see what was going on around her, the need to grow as the circumstances changed. This was coupled her the fear of possibly losing her Grandmother and the stress that accompanied it. She'd been through this enough for it to almost be common place, but Jazz could tell it stung deeply each time it happened. Add that to her run through Skulker and things she had seen and done, it was a whole need type of stress. Her need to put up a façade of confidence and control in no way helped her. Not to mention her internal debate on the consequences of trusting Skulker that had yet to reveal themselves. "She needs out," the words unnoticed by those around me but none the les true. I could see that, if Sam didn't get some legitimate time off from her life she was going to snap or crater or any of a dozen other endings, none of them good.

"Tuckers no better," thinking back to his inferiority complex and need to be popular, things in direct conflict with the ever confidant Sam. It was true his reaching out to either Val or Paulina weren't totally based in self severing desires but they were tinged with it even if he didn't consciously acknowledge it. That tinge was in turn blinding him to the dangers of his actions. That in turn played into his need to be needed, to prove himself in the eyes of others, "a dangerous need given the rest of us," thinking back to our powers and skills. Despite his acknowledgment that his contribution was his technological know-how, that tied into his piloting of the Eclipse, I could tell he still longed for more. "That's not going to happen till he gets comfortable in his own skin and I can't fix that."

Danny was a whole other story, the pressure of being responsible of all of Amity Park was daunting which thankfully we'd helped lesson, but in turn he was now worried about our safety every time we went out even if he'd never admit that to himself. Add to that the constant threat of Vlad and grow danger that surrounded him and the price once more on his head and I was surprised he wasn't hiding under his bed like any normal teenager would do with that facing him. "I'm surprised I'm not doing that right now," rounding my way into class. "More problems out of my control unless I can somehow change the minds of everyone in town at least concerning him."

Looking out the window to the birds flying in the sky I couldn't help but go back think back to Tobias wishing I could do something for him as well. The stress of not knowing what was going on in him was almost as bad as the after effects of the use of his powers. My early hope that it was getting under control was more or less crushed after the tests came back showing there was a good chance his ghostly energy had been rapidly suppressed by the Fenton Crammer, an effect my parents failed to mention. Add to that the fear he'd professed to me about not being one hundred percent in control, and my own fears that he didn't seem to be sleeping much any more only made things worse. All that in a normal person could be dangerous, with birdies unique mental state I couldn't even guess where it might lead. "The only way to help is to get everything as back to normal as possible," shaking my head not having a clue how to do that.

"Well maybe you should stop talking to yourself Jazzy," Heather snapped at me, using the nickname Dad still occasionally called me and had unfortunately used at school one day. She knew got under my skin, and her usual catty manner didn't help much, but it did bring me back to reality.

"You'd be surprised how many highly intelligent people talk to themselves," not bothering to look at her, finding joy in the knowledge I could rip her head off in over a dozen creative ways if I wanted to.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

The warming effects of the sun held little interest for me, the dream from last night constantly nipping at the back of my mind, unlike it's cousins refusing to simply go away. Not even morphing had helped, the instincts of the other creatures not enough to dispel the lingering memory. The closest I'd come was the Hork-Bajir body, which I now rested in, sitting in the sun, resting on my knees my blades digging into the soft earth, trying to let the serenity of nature calm me, unfortunately the wilderness was not complying.

For the last several minutes something had been moving out there, something I couldn't identify but wasn't quite ready to seek out. My tail absent mindedly twitching with the sound of whatever was out there, all I could be sure of was that it wasn't native, that or was to old to bother with stealth. The more it rumbled and clanked, the more I was glad I had something to take my mind off my own thoughts. I knew I wasn't so much in danger as simply in the path of a great annoyance that would have to be dealt with. Finally the sound of metal on metal and an all to familiar crackling told me who I was dealing with, though I did surprise me to say the least and put my slightly on edge.

(Looking for round two?) letting him know I knew where he was, wanting to see how this would play out before I committed to a plan of action.

"I'm here to speak," the Fright Knight's voice burned into his mind, "warrior to warrior."

Focusing on the sound of his voice so I could place him exactly, (take six steps forward.)

"Why?"

(Humor me,) listing to him comply getting a reading on him, (I'm to your left, about thirty feet.) I listened to him walk, equal parts curious why he wasn't flying and why I couldn't hear anyone with him, that being the only thing keeping me trusting him.

After a few moments I caught sight his purple flame, his black armor coming into view a few moments later as he emerged from the trees. I didn't rise to meet him, but I did keep my eyes on him and bowed my long neck ever so slightly as a sign of respect, very aware I was offering my unprotected neck to him in case he wanted to cut off my head. I could feel his eyes linger on me before he dropped to his knees as well, facing me, the threat of his presence lessened but still there.

"I've come alone."

(So I can hear,) not feeling a need to lie to him.

"Will you hear me?"

I closed my eyes as I thought that over, it wasn't unreasonable, but every time I'd been near this ghost it had ended with me in pain and I wasn't thrilled with the idea of a repeat performance. However curiosity got the better of me, (it's not as though I can stop you but skip the recruiting pitch I didn't fall for it then I won't fall for it now.)

I was a little shocked when he started laughing, not a dangerous sound like I would've expected but you of pure amusement. "I've missed being near one who didn't fear me, who speaks without concern for what I could do to them."

(I know what you can do, I also know I can't stop you, so I don't have much to risk.)

"You are an amusing person Tobias, pity we didn't meet sooner."

(I had enough problems back then without having you trying to kill me too.)

"Who said I wanted to kill you," something about the way those purple orbs that passed for his eyes made me wonder if I wouldn't be better off with his sword in my brain rather than listening to him.

(Get to the point) deciding it was better to pull the proverbial trigger than keep waiting.

The fire around his head surged for a moment than dropped down, "I need your help."

I almost laughing out loud when he heard it, but didn't not willing to push it that far, (so this is Vlad's new plan, asking me to kill my friends, what's wrong David get out of hand?)

"This has nothing to do with them, this is something I have to do, but I need your help to do it."

(And I should trust you why?)

"You have no reason, but it is in your best interest to do so."

(Because you say so,) realizing I was walking the line between defiance and insulting.

"Because I know what's happening to you, that you've gained power you can't control, that every time you use it you risk censing to be."

It was easy to know what he was talking about, (you've been spying on me?)

"It was inevitable, the power you now hold isn't being regulated and was never meant to be in the hands of a living creature."

(You know this how?)

"I've spent more time than you've been alive studying the Lightning Blade, I know it's touch and I know you've felt it and I know what it will do to you if the power is not removed."

(You mean I'm going to die,) stating the obvious.

The fire went out around his head, "no, the power within you is slowly eating away at you every time it's used, at you essence, at what will become your ghost. If it continues you will eventually cease to be and that energy will be lost forever, crippling the Lightning Blade."

(And you want the power,) seeing an answer to my problem despite the consequence that came with it.

"It do."

(I'm guessing you have the sword?)

"What would make you think that," his fire flaring again.

I weighed my option for a few seconds then mentally shrugged it off, (you wouldn't ask unless you had it. Besides if what I have is even the lions shares of this energy, and I doubt that, there probably aren't a lot of things that can hold this given how few individuals even know the sword exists. Put that together with the fact your no fool means you wouldn't come here unless you knew without question you could move it and do so safely.)

He didn't speak for a few moments, time that felt like an eternity, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, the possibility of him striking me dead very real. Finally his hand relaxed, "none of that says I have the sword."

(True, but that would be how my life goes, a deadly weapon in the hands of the most potentially dangerous person on the planet)

"Me or Vlad?"

I wasn't sure if it he was daring me to answer or not but I was willing to see, (a weapon is only as strong as the person wielding it. Vlad may have the plans but a weapon like this is beyond him, what he's seen of done, you on the other hand could actually burn this world to the ground with this power.)

"Interesting answer, do you think I would?"

(I don't know, but I get the impression there's more to you than death and carnage, I felt it when we fought, I hear it when you speak to Vlad. You want something, I don't know what it is, but you want it, and your smart enough to wait till you get it.)

"A benefit of a long existence," another small laugh slipping out of him, "and you have the instincts of a warrior, the ability to read an opponent once you've crossed blades."

(A lot of things have tried to kill me, I've gotten good at reading them to know how best to survive the encounter.)

"I was right about you, you do have the makings of a warrior in you, even if it isn't quite as developed as I would like."

(Thank you….I think,) not sure where he was taking this.

Moving his hand to his belt he pulled what looked like a small metal tooth pick from it. The pick began to glow after a second and slowly expanded, forming the Lightning Blade in all it's terrible glory. For a second I weighed the option of lunging for it, I could striking him in the neck with my tail, lay one of my elbow blades deep in his chest and rip it from his grasp, only to have him lay the Soul Shredder into me and throw me into a nightmare before I managed to get a good grip on it. "You considered it didn't you," practically reading my mind.

(You could tell?)

"I could see it in your eyes."

(Your taking a big risk showing me this,) my mind now alive with possibilities, knowing something was up if he was willing to show me this.

"A necessity for what I have planned, I can take the power from you, so that you may live, in turn I trust you not to speak of what you now know to anyone," looking at the sword, "I've thus far kept this out of Vlad's hands I'd like to keep it that way."

My tail twitched at that, to much information given to freely made me nervous, if it were a movie it would mean the bad guy had no more use for you. (How do you know you can trust me,) trying to stall while I looked for a way out of this, getting the sword no longer a priority.

"You are a creature of the wild, but I think you know something of honor, I believe you will respect my request," moving the Lightning Blade near me.

With my options gone I whipped my tail out, not at him but at myself, pushing the blade into the soft spot under my jaw. A tiny trickle of blood slipped down the wound that mesmerized him and made him pause. With a growl in my throat, (try it and I send it into my brain and unless I choose to heal I will die and I'll take this power with me, so tell me what this is really about. Your not doing this out of the goodness of your heart, or whatever you have, you want something, need it, otherwise you wouldn't be here and speaking so frankly, what is it.)

"It doesn't concern you," his fire rising, the tone of his voice growing steely and deadly.

Pushing the blade a little further in, (you want to rip something out of me, put it on the most dangerous weapon in the planet, and then go back to a psycho like Vlad, or worse yet in arms reach of David, both of whom want to hurt the only people I have left. Yeah it just became my concern.)

The fire seemed to grow brighter, almost making me want to shield my eyes, but any move on my part could set of the situation. "This is a personal affair, it has nothing to do with Vlad or you," my tail blade not moving, "you have my word Vlad will never have this weapon so long as I exist."

(Not good enough,) pushing it further in, feeling myself grow light headed for a second, (I want answers and I want them now.)

For several tense seconds I wasn't sure he wouldn't just try and over power me, the fire around his head growing larger and brighter, looking like it would start a forest fire all be itself, but finally dieing down, his shoulder slumping, suddenly looking very tired despite the armor hiding his form. "Long ago I made a mistake," seeming very old and frail, "I have to fix it and I fear now may be the only time, and this weapon may be the only way to ensure it happens."

I slowly pulled my blade out, not enough so that I could insert it again if need be, but enough to let him know I was serious listening. (I need more if I'm going to trust you.)

The fire around his head now completely gone, "when I was younger than you can imagine, yet still far older than you will ever see I grew bored with my place in the Ghost Zone. I was warrior, yet my greatest fights seemed to be behind me as the Zone became what was then considered civilized. Formidable opponents grew hard to find and my time seemed to be at an end, that's when I decided to take matters into my own hands."

(Don't like the sound of that.)

Adding an edge to his voice, yet also having a hint of guilt as well be continued, "I found a man like me, a skilled combatant growing lost in a world that was rejecting him. He was wild, dangerous, a force of nature when angered, yet still far below me to offer a challenge of merit and wanted by growing governments for crimes he had committed, at least crimes in their eyes. Had they caught him they would've contained him, locked him away, I couldn't allow it and stole him away long before they even got close to him. I took this lost warrior and offered him a choice, continue his acts of destruction, acts without reason and purpose, at which point I would deliver his head to those who sought him, or he could come with me and learn what it meant to be a true warrior. Unsurprisingly he took the latter."

(It wasn't much of a choice.)

"No it wasn't," averting his eyes, "for many years we traveled together, all the while I taught him everything that I knew. How to fight, how to plan, the philosophy of combat and everything that fell between. I watched a barbarian with potential become one of the more skill warriors I have ever had the privilege to know."

(So what went wrong?)

"I was blind to what he was," looking back at me, "I saw his skill, his potential in battle, but I failed to notice the kind of person he was. I had planned to train someone to fight, someone to make me feel alive, so to speak, what I ended up with was a monster. He had no concept of right or wrong, all he knew was battle, all he cared for was death, in truth I was little better in those days, but through him I saw what I was, the emptiness of meaningless combat, the pointlessness destruction without reason. I came to understand these thing, he did not, and in that time I realized what I had really made. He was a monster, an instrument of battle, not a ghost, I watched him lay waste to everything around him without with out thought or care as to why he did it, simply reveling in the outcome of the fight."

(Really not liking where this is going.)

"To make matters worse, he would slip to the living plane and continue his works there, thankfully though a ghosts ability to open such rips was in it's infancy and could only be maintained for brief periods of time. That alone is the only thing that kept humanity from extinction. When I finally came to an understanding of what he was, and what I really wanted I stopped him," his words taking on a finite quality.

(Must have been a serious fight.)

"Parts of the Ghost Zone still carry the scars of that fight, and yes it was a great battle but I took no joy from it. He took everything I knew and threw it back at me, perverted it, it was like fighting a twisted version of myself, one who even now is difficult to look at. The battle took weeks, possibly months of your time and engulfed the many villages and peoples, altering their existence forever and throwing the Zone back into another age of darkness."

(But you did beat him?)

"Yes and no, in the years we had traveled together his powers grew immensely, becoming a force rarely seen in the Ghost Zone, and something I was not properly prepared for. Finishing him proved difficult, no matter what I did I could not truly vanquish him, so in the end I had but one choice, seal him away just as I would one day be. I had hoped it would be enough, that he would never again be free…," a growling slipping from him.

(But for those with long lives, nothing lasts forever,) finishing his thought.

Nodding his head, and running his finger over his mask, "what you do not see is a scar given to me by him, one that hurts when he moves. It his tinged and pulsed from time to time, even when I was in my pumpkin tomb I could feel him, and now he is coming, like me he feels the power emitted from the Lightning Blade and wished it for himself, I have to stop him before that can happen."

(By bringing it to him?)

"By killing him with it, by destroying his spirit and ending his threat once and all," looking down at the Lightning Blade and growing silent.

I mulled over his words for what felt like a long time and as much as I hated it, I felt he was telling the truth but at the same time part of me was screaming not to trust him. Given what he wanted I wasn't sure that was a bad thing, but if what he said was going to come to pass not giving him what he wanted would result putting everyone in harms path. (You take the power out of me, you kill this guy or I refuse you go after him and who ever comes back with the sword comes looking for me and rips the power out of me. Either way this things coming out of me isn't it?)

"If it doesn't kill you first, yes."

I exhaled slowly and loudly, a hint of a rumble in my throat, (regardless of what I do things get ugly, typical.) Yanking the blade out of my neck and demorphing, (as much as I think your being straight with me, I can't risk it, I'm hoping you can understand that.)

"It was expected," standing and gripping the Lightning Blade in his metal covered hand, ready to strike.

(Then here's the deal, we both go, you show me this guy, if he's what you say we take him together, if worse comes to worse yank this crap out of me, I'll run you take this thing out and I trust you not to come after any of us with the sword. By that I mean you, whoever you could give the sword to, the sword itself somehow gaining consciousness on it's own, anything that could somehow happen. Deal?)

"You can't come Tobias, you aren't….."

(Don't even think about telling me I'm not capable,) snapping my beak and fluffing my feathers reflexively. (I've seen more than you can imagine, gone toe to toe with things from your nightmares, I can handle myself. You wants what's in me,) starting to feel that familiar burning and growing sensation in my body that signaled it was on the verge of coming, (you have to prove this thing is out there because I'm not willingly handing this over to you.)

Not for the first time since he arrived it felt like time moved very slowly, I could feel every heart beat, savoring them knowing each one could be my last if this guy decided to shut me down. In those long moments I could feel the energy die down, growing more neutral but still there pulsing in my body, why I didn't know, possibly the result of being so near the sword or maybe I just couldn't relax being near him. Finally a sound slipped from him, one I couldn't identify at first. It was kind of a hiss or a cough that quickly mutated into a full scale laugh, similar but different from the one earlier, this one was deeper, carrying more weight, it made him both more frightening and somehow more human. "I don't remember the last time I identified someone so completely, it will take time and training but you could become someone truly magnificent, that is if you survive this fight."

(I'm in ) needing to hear the words.

"As I planned from the beginning," turning form me and rising into the air leaving me for a second both I flapped and followed him. Looking down at me, "had you refused me I would've simply taken the fragment from you."

(I figured as much,) catching up to him, (any idea how we're going to get to, I'm assuming the Ghost Zone?)

"We'll need a portal, I trust you can arrange that?"

That one sent off sirens but I ignored them, (I know one.)

"I take it you'll be recruiting you comrades," heading off towards town, going invisible after a moment.

Despite his appearance, or lack their of I could hear him ahead of me, making sure I didn't lose him,(not a chance. If this is what you say, I don't want them anywhere near this fight.)

"You'd die alone?"

(I'm use to doing the things no one else should have to, I did it I did it in the last war, I got no problem doing it in this one.)

"You think this is a war?"

(You don't,) my thoughts hanging in the air as was traveled without sound for the rest of the trip, I couldn't be sure about him but I was trying to find whatever nerve I had left and hold onto it. Thankfully the hawk helped a lot in that area, the instincts not understanding what was going on, and because of that it didn't understand it should be afraid, really wished the human side of me was like that as well.

Luck was on our side when we hit the Fenton Works, everyone was gone, which meant Jack and Maddie wouldn't get involved in some crazy attempt to stop us. Ahead of me slightly the knight slowed down and grabbed me with an invisible hand and phased me through the door, the walls and everything else till we were in the basement and standing next to the portal.

(Did you have to do that,) hopping off his shoulder and calling up Jazz's DNA and turning into her exact copy. I was glad she'd made me take some of her clothing for this body, it was weird being her otherwise, to much temptation to look or dress her a certain way if I'd had the option. It took a second to find the right panel and put my finger on the scanner, the DNA matching exactly and opening up for me as if I were the real deal.

With a slight hiss the doors slid open, a green vortex appearing in the emptiness of the gateway, "I couldn't wait for you to change forms and we need to make up time," looking at the swirling plane of green, "are you ready?"

"I'm not one for goodbyes," demorphing, feather covering my body, looking at the vortex as well, knowing that if I left some kind of message for the others, for Jazz, I'd never be able to go through with this, that I'd break down in front of this ghost that had every reason to turn me into a sandwich.

"Then we go to meet our destiny together then bird."

(Guess we do at that,) staying on his shoulder as he floated through the opening.

* * *

**DP Style**

The high pitched whistle made her smile, one of the few times the sound ever did since it was usually was accompanied by catcalls. "Not as nice as the old place, but better than where we had to move to."

"Yeah Danny told me about it," Tucker still looking around at the home. It was very simple at least to most eyes, but he could sniff out hi-tech gadgetry a mile away and this was crawling with it. Her dad wasn't skimping on the security for his family, more than a few ghost catching or stopping related pieces of machinery on display before him.

"Yeah," pushing some hair behind her ear, hiding her face from him so she didn't see the flash of disgust and shame on her face. She'd come a long away after her fall from popularity, but living in that old apartment building was still something she didn't like people knowing. "Anyway can I get you something, drink, chips?"

"No I'm good," trying his best to look nonchalant even though he was practically drooling over what he saw. He couldn't help but note compeered to the Eclipse everything here was obsolete, but it was still impressive to see what humans could do, at least those not named Fenton.

"So down to work then?"

Putting his backpack on the ground, "it's why I'm here," dropping down on the couch, for a second wondering if he could ask for them to go to her room. Only to be followed by the image of her throwing him in front of a train flashing through his mind. "Not checking out what kind of gear she has in there then," the words having no force under them, being little more than his lips moving.

"What was that?"

"Thinking of all the ways your dad kill me and dispose of the body."

That got a smile for her, her face lighting up, "you've seen to many movies."

"No I've gotten the play by play from Danny every time a boy came over to take Jazz out, Dad's with access to ghost hunting gear is never a good thing for guys caught near their daughters."

"Well mines going to be out for a while so don't worry, besides I told him I was having someone over to help me with the work," dropping down next to him pulling out the beat up note book. "Besides," nodding her head over towards the tv, "that's why he has the camera over there, and for the record we can't move from this spot and be together or he will hunt you down."

"Again dads with hi-tech toys, never good."

"Then I hope you never have daughters so they don't go through that."

Tucker had no idea how to take that, part of him thinking she was hitting on him, the other side thinking it was a sincere warning not to fall into the same trap he was currently in. Pushing it to the side, "with that in mind, lets get this over with before he comes home."

"You're the guest," opening up the book, the pages filled with hand written notes, newspaper clippings, photos, and articles printed off the internet.

Tucker flipped through a few of them, amazed by the shear amount of information and also the fact that it seemed to be assembled randomly, strictly as found. "Tell me again what this is for," amazed she could do anything with this mess, keeping his face down, his lips moving, "no wonder she can't tell good guys from bad guys."

"My dads in charge of security at Axion, and he's been working on making the building ghost proof as well as human proof. Normally that's not a problem, except it was attacked a few weeks ago and after what happened at the mall no ones really sure what to do or which ghosts should be stopped on sight and which they should try and turn away. I've been trying to help but I have no clue which ones are which either. I've tried to get him to talk to the Fenton's but he has to much pride and he's a little worried given he's just gotten his position back. I'd ask Danny but I don't think that's a good idea given Sam's not thrilled when I'm around I don't really want to mess up anything that might happen between them."

That one caught him be surprise, "I don't know what your talking about."

"Please they like each other, yeah Paulina says that to make fun of them, but anyone with eyes can see they like each other."

"I'm not answering that, I'm not even getting involved," doubting she was digging for dirt but not wanting to run the risk. He was also kind of amazed that was the best story she could come up with, it was pretty obvious as the dates got further back she'd been at this for a lot longer than when her dad got his position back. "So why me then?"

"Well I can't think of a time you and Danny weren't together, so if I can't talk to him I'm betting you're the next best thing to a Fenton when it comes to Ghosts."

"Well I don't want to brag…"

"Don't please," cutting him off, her voice rising slightly as she started to sound like she was mock crying, "just help me."

Flipping back to the first page, "alright but get something new out, this is going to take a while and you don't have much room left in this book."

Pulling out a new notebook from backpack, "had a feel that was going to be the case."

Tucker flipped a few pages forward till her found the right image, "first off," tapping it, "this guy always seems to be bad, if I remember right he's called Plasmius," not seeing a name near the guy behind most of the problems in his life.

Val looked at the shot, remembering when the ghost had stormed the town, and how he'd been an ally to her. "Are you sure," beginning to wonder if asking him was a good idea.

"If I remember right," trying hard not to give to much away, "he's suppose to be the most dangerous ghost out there, but he likes to work behind the scenes, organize things, let others do the work, that kinda stuff."

"In other words if I see him…"

"…run," finishing the thought for her.

"Got it," ripping the image from the page and taping it into the new book and jotting down the info he'd given her.

Watching her work, "if your going to rip things out mind if I do that so I can organize this a little."

"Go ahead," not looking up, her writing barely legible to the tech expert.

Turning back to the book, "thanks," and started ripping out pages holding the biggest pictures of various ghosts, hunters, and those like Tobias and Jazz in morph. After a few minutes he had a few piles laid out in front of them, "there good, bad, and neutral, at least as far as I can remember."

"Him you kidding," picking up a picture of Tobias in hawk form, "this thing destroyed my dad's building," her skin growing darker as she got mad. "Are you trying to mess with me, this thing has to be one of the top ten threats in Amity Park."

"I'm just saying what I remember, and that is the animals are fairly benign," getting him stared at for a long time, "it means not dangerous," translating.

"I know what it means and that's crap, if you don't know what's going on just tell me I can do this myself."

Pulling the image from her hand, "I'm just telling you what his parents say, the animals are annoying but they don't seem to want to hurt anyone unless they get hit first."

Even as he said the words Val, was really questioning her choice to ask him, what she'd seen them do while she was the hunter didn't seem to work with what he was saying. This in turn made her remind herself that was why she'd asked for his help, she needed a new set of eyes, someone that wasn't involved in hunting ghosts to help her figure out who was the real threat out there and who wasn't. "Doesn't mean your right abut this," speaking to herself.

"Trust me I am," thinking she had been talking to him.

"Well my dad wouldn't take this seriously unless I listed him as a threat starting her own pile above his own, putting it where she thought his threat pile was."

"Fair enough," trying not to push it, reminding himself that it didn't matter what he really knew he had to play like he only knew bits and pieces and wasn't that concerned either way with what she did.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

Going through the Ghost Zone without a ship wasn't my idea of fun, nothing was where it should be, up was down, everything constantly moved, and what wind there was came and went randomly. If it wasn't for the Fright Knight I probably won't be able to get anywhere, which didn't sit well incase I was heading into a trap.

I could feel him through the armor, just as he was feeling me, knowing I was tense despite never having work together, just as I knew he was likewise. It was creepy, this wasn't the first time I'd been in sync with someone like this, I could tell Ax's moods by the tilt of his tail, or Rachel's emotions by how she wore her hair, or what Jazz was thinking just by looking in her eyes. But that had happened after a long time, something like that, this fast, it wasn't right, made me wonder what was going on or if I was just imagining things.

I wasn't sure how long we traveled, all I knew was I didn't have a clue where we were, then again it wasn't like I ever did in this place. The only thing that really stood out was that nothing stood out, I mean that literally, there was nothing around us, it was like space but creepier. If this was some sort or ambush it was either the worst place of the best given most ghosts could be invisible, another thought that didn't sit well with me.

Closing my eyes I forced the hawk to the surface even more than before, not that it helped, it was just as freaked out by this place as I was. Only difference was it tracked things a little better, if something was out there it would tell me long before I could've picked it up with the human to hawk balance I usually had. It didn't come back with anything but even so that didn't mean much. All the while I though back to how this had happened, my fight in the castle with this ghost and what it had given me, and how very much I wanted to give it back.

I could still feel my talons wrapped around the blade, holding it my hawk form, trying to pull it away and knowing I didn't have the strength. I wanted him dead, or whatever I could do to a ghost that could stop it permanently. I didn't hate him, that would've been easy, but I knew I couldn't let him go, not as long as he could turn this weapon on the others.

"This isn't s fight you can win," the words still ringing in my ears despite the time gone by.

I didn't respond, I couldn't all my thoughts on the weapon, the need to pull it away, only two thoughts in my head, burying the blade in his head and getting back to Jazz. Looking back I have no idea why David wasn't somewhere in there, but he wasn't, he was simply a non issue at the time. Then something jumped off the blade, energy, not unlike lightning but different, it had a form, like a snake but different, something that still could ID. It moved slowly and fast at the same time, somehow peering into me without eyes and somehow knowing me just as I knew it, not sure how that worked either. It was like looking into this force of nature, something that was there and concert yet ethereal and impossible to grasp at the same time. Part dream part reality, that was the only way I could describe it because there were no other words and even those barley explained what was happening.

Then it was over, it was gone, like it had never been there at all, the Fright Knight back at the forefront of the fight. In an instant I forced back what I had seen, only focusing on the ghost and Jazz, nothing else mattering, at least not in that moment in time. Then came a ripple, a shockwave of invisible energy flung from the sword itself that felt like it could shatter a planet, how I held on and remained alive I don't know. It was like the weapon itself was trying to drive me away, to make sure I couldn't wield it, something I couldn't allow. If the knight felt it as well I couldn't be sure with his helmet in place, hiding his features and like me refusing to relinquish control of the weapon.

Then the flash of light, so intense it was like the world went white then totally black, all I knew was what my other senses told me and that I couldn't let go, couldn't stop. I held on for all I was worth, which felt like nothing, I was drained mentally and physically, going on by pure need to fight. (No,) the first word I had uttered in a long time of traveling on the Fright Knights shoulder but he didn't respond. It wasn't the fight keeping me going, it was Jazz, the others, my need to get to them, to protect them as best I could, that was all that was left, the only things that mattered. Everything else be damned I was going to protect them, they were all I had, I wasn't going to fail again, I wasn't going to run. I'm not sure why I didn't know that then, but it seemed so clear to me now and now I regretted not saying goodbye when I had the chance.

In this realm without sight, it was before me again, the snake creature, rising out of the sword, or at least seemed to give where it was and what I could feel with my feet. It looked at me again, the same but different as before, something different about it this time but I still don't know what. Before I could move, before I could even think about reacting, it struck like the snake it resembled, somehow biting into my neck despite not seemed to have a mouth. The bite turned into something else, like it was burrowing into me but never seeming to get smaller, but I could feel it in my body, burning me from the inside out. It felt like it took forever but ended suddenly jerking out of me but the fire remaining, seemingly growing stronger, feeling like it was going to tear me apart.

That feeling stayed as my vision returned, but my body felt dead, I felt like I weighed as much as a whale, a whale moving through tar. Now good jerk from the Fright Knight was all it took to throw me off, part of me was glad when I hit the ground, done with the moment. Finally free to rest, to sleep, to stop.

"You fought well," looking down at me, admiring the blade, "courage, commitment, will, put in the proper hands you could be magnificent. When this is over think about what I said, I would find great pleasure in training you, in bringing out your full potential." All I could do was growl at him despite the hawk not being built for that, something that caused him to laugh, the fire around his head jumping and flickering as if it were happy. "Still willing to fight, good," walking towards me, "there's still one outside that needs you," walking to the wall, ready to join what I assumed was a melee out there.

(No,) all I had behind that word as the burning got worse, fire and needles stabbing into every part of my body, feeling like it was being ripped apart. Within a few seconds my ability to see went down, everything getting brighter as the pain intensified, every part of my body feeling like it was going to explode mixed with a feeling of rage and total calm coming over me making things more confusing but somehow totally clear. I let out a scream as bones and muscles shattered almost making me pass out from the sudden onslaught of unexpected pain only to get worse as my whole body seemed to be wracked by it. The wings in my bones ripped in half, some going up some staying in place, the familiar sense of regrowing coming in, but unlike anything morphing had done before. What I wouldn't have given for the numbness, I felt every bone shatter, snap, regrow, some simply vanishing some growing from nothing, always on the verge of collapsing yet unable to, the pain not letting me, and something else, something that made me stay awake and watch, to be ready.

What I was becoming I couldn't be sure, but it did stop the Fright Knight from leaving, his attention now on me, on my change. I thought he was saying something but I couldn't make it out, all I knew was I had to stop him before he could get out. When the pain stopped I struck, moving with speed and power I'd never known, slimming him into the far wall with such force I thought it or he would shatter.

Holding him I was able to come to awareness of the change, a form I'd never been in before. I was part hawk part human, a perfect mix that was alien to me and yet I knew in totality, this was me without question, what I was inside. I didn't get it, I didn't care, all that mattered was helping the others and that meant keeping this guy pinned.

I don't even remember the sound I made, just the impression that it wasn't normal, it wasn't me, but my claws sank into his armored chest as I yanked him from the wall with one hand, shifted my weight and crushed him into the floor. The force was so great the floor cracked beneath him and imbedded him in it several inches. Sinking my foot talons in I raked his body forward cutting a deep fissure in the self healing tower, the sound in my throat growing loader. Jerking him up, I threw him to the wall, my other hand cutting into his back, the flames burning my hand, forcing him face first into the ghostly stone causing more cracking in the tower.

He said something to me, I don't know what, I got the impression it wasn't good for me, but I was miles away by that point, not hearing anything but the sound in my throat and pounding of my heart beating in my chest. Then like a knife it was cut through, truly hearing for the first time, "KILL," the word coming from outside the tower, from David. A moment later it was joined by "Back off," a slight hint of panic in Jazz's voice, how I heard either I wasn't sure, they should've been to far for me to hear with any kind of clarity but it was like they were next to me.

Looking down at the Knight, at his weapon, "gotta go," my free hand grabbing his scabbard and tearing it off him while I let go. Holding it in my hands it seemed to come alive, jumping up and attaching onto my back, settling between my wings, somehow feeling natural there. Spreading my wings I bolted from the tower, all thoughts of him gone, the others were my concern, for all I cared at that moment he could rot, but the further I got the more I felt like myself, the clearer things became.

"There," the ghost's words snapping me from my memory, the sight before sending a quick chill down my spine. "You believe me now?"

(Getting there,) looking at the cables hanging in midair attached to something that might've been a coffin, beyond that we were still to far for me to get a clear look, even with my eyes.

He slowed after a few more feet, "that is my shame, you would be wise to give me what I wish now before you become drawn into this fight," a slight waver in his voice. I was guessing the pain the scar gave him was in full force, assuming he was even telling the truth about it.

(You'll excuse me if I still don't take you are your word.)

"Your need for proof may end your life."

(Given what your asking for I'll take the risk.)

"You're a stubborn one bird, at times a noble trait but you need to learn when to let some things go."

Focusing on the sight before me, (you'd be surprised by the things I can walk away from,) trying to add a bit of darkness to the thoughts to give them weight.

"Nothing sane I assume," floating forward, moving slower than before, an air of caution about him, adding weight to his story, but just as easily a trick to gain my help.

I kept my ears trained on the world around me, ready to bolt as best I could at any second, while my eyes remained focused on the object before me, growing more defined with every second that passed. (I can see why you put him here, this place feels like death,) I didn't need to say it, but for a moment the tenseness of the moment made me try and cut it.

"A fitting place for him," his words obviously controlled despite how he said it.

After about half the distance I could tell something was wrong, cables leading to what I now looked a lot like a coffin were cut, (no snapped,) keeping the thought to myself. My sharp eyes made out a thousand details on the casket, tiny scratches, indentions, some old, other new, what I could only assume was the Ghost Zone equivalent to moss or mold growing in patches. Somehow though the chains around it seemed to be in place, a sign that everything that should be in still was.

"We're not to late," his words coming out as we got even closer, needing to cut the distance to see what I did, almost sounding like a prayer. I had to grip him tighter as he covered ground faster, now in a rush to finish what he started to long ago.

The closer we got the more the hawk grew nervous, knowing a threat even though he didn't understand what was before him. The feathers on the back of my neck rose as the feeling swept through me, cocking my head slightly I understood why. (BACK NOW,) privately screaming into the knights mind with such force he had no choice but to obey. The second he did flame erupted where he was about to me, the heat so intense I wasn't sure about him but I would've been cooked from the inside out before I could even try a healing morph.

"Foctx lohhiz yurstx miloxitd zziks rofyys prellfids," the voice speaking was smooth and pleasing to the ears, but what I could only describe as emotionless. Not cold, not menacing, not threatening, not anything, they were just there. A moment later a form shimmered into existence, not the typical ghost becoming visible, the air around him rippled and churned as he slowly formed, like he was walking into this world rather than just growing color.

I didn't bother sparing a look at the Knight I just spoke, (that him?)

"Indeed."

(He's not speaking English is he,) just needing to hear the words.

"As I said he's been locked away a very long time."

(Just checking, I thought something was wrong with me…you do know what he's saying though right?)

"Indeed."

(Does he know what we're saying?)

"Possibly."

(He going to hurt us? )

"You could assume that."

(Wonderful,) I loved being in fights where I had no clue what the guy was saying.

He didn't however attack right away giving me time to look him over and take in his image. He wasn't exactly what I was expecting, picturing someone that looked like the knight, dressed in armor or maybe a guy in a furry loin cloth with long hair, but not this. He was human in form despite the grayish color, but bits and pieces were wrong. His head was human enough if you ignored the sweeping horns rising up from his temples and following the slop of the skull meeting half way back his head and twirling together somewhere along the lines becoming one horn. His left ear had a slight sharp point to it, his right missing the tip having been ripped off, the hair a striking white color pulled into a lose ponytail. Perhaps the striking detail of his face though was his eyes, or lack there of. He didn't have any, not that they were colorless, they simply weren't there, he had eye sockets but no eyes They were just empty shaded holes in his head, but somehow I knew he could see, and given how they looked, the way the skin naturally flowed made me think he never had any as apposed to them being torn from his head.

This flowed into a broad shouldered body that wore a breastplate of what I could only think of as Roman in origin. This was helped by the sweeping white cloak long on his right side, going to the left where it lost a some cloth and was held together by a gold clasp. This is turn hid his right arm but freed the left, the appendage looking human enough except for the twin bladed spur rising form the elbow and twilling into on blade like the crest on his head. This lead to hands that seemed fine except for the metal claws ending on his fingers. Around his waist was a small loin cloth of the same fine white cloth as the cape and left his legs bare, his feet ending in sandals.

"Grelld Shruck," practically spitting the words, the Knights Voice making me jump.

"Grelld happca," the emotion still gone from his voice, his left hand balling and sending up the sound of knuckles cracking. "Musddly fyuds kioddof."

"Fugg trcklood," the sound of his armor moving hit my ears but I didn't bother to look and see what he was doing, all my attention on the ghost before me. The idea of them trading words wasn't something I was thrilled with, I couldn't help but think they were crafting a plan to kill me.

At that he started laughing, it was a sound more frightening than David's, simply because it had no emotion, it was dead and that made it worse. "Jusccluds, trinonn shuaklla," suddenly spitting in his face, a small clang and sizzle rising as it hit the metal and was evaporated by the fire burning within. "racklal kooka," charging at us, throwing his right arm back, the clock flying off letting me see something that made things a little clearer. On his hip was a sword, thin, unassuming but somehow I could tell it was dangerous, somehow fitting his name. That however was not what I was really focusing on. Where his right hand should've been was a double sided battle ax, large enough that I wasn't sure how I hadn't noticed it hidden in the cape. Surrounding the appendage was fire, ordinary red and orange fire, it was almost funny that something so comparatively normal looking was terrifying me to the core, not because of the weapon but the eyes behind them. Just like his voice, they were dead and I had a feeling I'd be too in a very short amount of time.

(I really should've stayed home.)

* * *

**DP Style**

"You want to know what I think," not bothering to hear a reply, "I think I need the help of someone that won't lie to me, and guess what that amounts to you."

"Talk to your brother," Sam not looking up from her book.

"I said someone that doesn't lie to me."

"Then talk to your boy friend."

"He's not my boy friend and he lies at the drop of a hat," dropping down next to the younger girl with dark hair, the cold stone of the bench still felt despite her pants.

"Now who's lying," still flipping through the pages

"No he can lie like you wouldn't believe, it's biological in men, I think it's an ancient survival mechanism."

"That's not what I….," slowly exhaling an annoyed sigh, "what do you want Jazz," still not looking at her, growing annoyed by her presence.

Smirking, knowing she was wearing the other girl down, "I told you an unbiased opinion, complete bluntness, and total honesty. All things you have in spades," looking up at the sky, "at least most of the time."

Part of her wanted Jazz to go, knowing she was baiting her, but she couldn't help but fall into the trap, "what do you mean by that?"

"Bluntness and honesty you have no problem with but lets face it we all remember your little vegetarian protest."

"It's ultra recyclo-vegetarianism, and what's your point?"

"You were far from unbiased there, if anything you were over zealous." Folding her book and spinning around on the bench she walked of without saying a word to Jazz not needing to be insulted. "Ok I'm sorry," the redhead catching up to her, "I know your beliefs are important to you and I wasn't belittling them, believe me I understand being different." Not getting a response from the other girl, "your passionate, I respect that I was just pointing out the truth, you can't fault me for that, but all the same I could've chosen a better way to go about…."

"What do you want," the snarl cutting her off as she stopped dead in her tracks, looking her square in the eyes, fire burning behind those purple orbs.

Refusing to let the look of death effect her, "I need your help, ok, I just need your help."

"Why me and get to the point."

That was something Jazz didn't have an answer for, she'd planned out what she was doing almost to the letter and now she had nothing. "You're the only other woman I know," saying the first thing that came to her mind, a hint of embarrassment undercut by dark resolve.

That took Sam back, she had been ready for anything but that, she half expected this to just be a set up for some experiment or to get her to help train with her powers. Finally she found her voice, "there are only a handful of things that could mean, and there almost all bad," giving her a look of concern and unconsciously grabbing a quick look at the girls stomach.

She followed the girls eyes not understanding, "what," realization coming a moment later, "NO, NO, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU, I'M SMARTER THAN THAT!" Shaking her head not even sure how she had jumped to that thought.

"Oh thank you," her eyes rolling slightly up into her head, "we have enough to worry about without that."

"I'm going to forget you even thought that," her mind clearing and trying to come up with a way to use that to her advantage.

"Sorry, it's just, girl problems and all the time you spend with Tobias, all the crap my parents throw at me about boys I went to the worst thing possible."

That was news to her, "your parents?"

"They want me to be more feminine but they're warning me of every possible thing that can happen because of it, it's like living in an after school special, it's a freakish double edged sword that reeks of hypocrisy. I can't even believe I thought that about you, I mean your right, of all of us your smart enough to know better."

"Thank you," a mix of sarcasm and sincerity on her words, glad Sam was now on the defensive and a little loser even if not the way she planned. "Now about what I needed," not willing to give up the advantage, hoping to pin her into a corner and force what she needed from her and hoping it was what Sam needed as well.

Running her fingers through her hair, blushing slightly in embarrassment, "well now that I feel like a complete idiot how can I say no."

"How indeed," looping her arm around Sam's and pulling her gently to her car.

Looking from the teen to the car, "your not going to tell me what's going on till we get there are you?"

"Not a chance."

"You think I'm going to run?"

"No, I know you will," still trying to work out how to use this moment to her advantage, knowing it could get her only so far

* * *

**Tobias POV**

(Thanks so much for inviting me.)

"I didn't."

(Please like you expected me to do anything else.)

"Just shut up."

(At least tell me the name of the guy trying to kill me.)

The only thing he got out was, "Shruck," before being hit again by the ghost, and barring anything else that was the name I was going to give him unless he learned English or the Fright Knight could spare a few moments.

"Hooj ralood titoo woofing."

"Rocldof yazzen wavin shouow," the Soul Shredder locked with Shruck's burning ax, neither weapon seemingly capable of besting the other. Despite his bravado in his voice I could tell the Fright Knight was using all his strength to hold him back and that wasn't a good sign for my survival. All I could was hold out behind the coffin and wait till I had some clue what to do, I wasn't stupid enough to think a blind charge with no plan would do us any good.

Shruck did something with his hand Ax, I wasn't in a position to see, but it and the Soul Shredder jerked right and Shruck delivered a punch to the knights face, indenting it and sending him hurtling away did he managed to regain control of his flight. "Yuoderven huds poolesty dystrn caaccus nalvan srvef Naviq rerak."

The knight didn't respond, flying in and stabbing with his sword, the blade being deflected by his ax and kicking him in the stomach and turning into a spin and slashing his ax at the knights head. The Knights response was so fast I couldn't even track it, but his sword was suddenly up, catching the burning blade before it could connect. "Huxiz muuca jiff yretk lusfftx Shruck hyssg poocuds."

"Hyussif muhif hyflled," his face illuminated by the fire, casting a haunting glow on him.

"Hufeends ryu…." I couldn't listen to them anymore, turning my attention away from the words and more to the emotions behind them, or lack there on in Shruck's case. I know some people can pick up a language quick, but I wasn't one of them, and somehow I doubt those that could would do all that well in this situation.

Shruck slashed the blade on his left elbow at his opponent, missing it's mark as the Knight flew back. He sprouted a new stream of gibberish but given his lack of emotion it was hard to know what it meant but the stream of fire that erupted form his ax gave me an idea. It was in turn intercepted by some kind of purple construct that was thrown from the Knight's hand. When they met, energy and flame erupted and shot in all directions, the light and debris so intense I had to duck down to stay safe. In those few moments I wasn't sure what happened but the sound that erupted set me on edge, metal clashing, but the noise shook me to the core followed a moment later by the casket being rocked by what I guessed was a shock wave of the weapons meeting and sent us sailing through the Ghost Zone.

I couldn't risk moving while the coffin was in motion, my talons still clinging to the chains and cords, unsure what was going on between the two ghosts. Even knowing that I was still gathering information on the fight. This guy was either really strong in which case the Fright Knight had been holding back on me, that this was a set up, or these guys knew each other so completely they had no choice but to go to their best trick right away. That meant I either had to hold back and hope they finished each other off, or at least weakened each other for me, then again given the damage they were doing I could be dead before they got to that point.

After what felt like a minute the coffin finally stopped and I got a good look at the two before me, the black clad warrior several yards away from his opponent and hurling more of those strange purple objects. Each one got swatted away by his ax, ricocheting in different directions. (Crap,) letting my grip go and flew as hard as I could away from the scene, one of the orbs of ghostly energy heading my way. Given the nature of where I was I could only more so fast and with limited precision but it was enough, getting me out immediate danger. The weapon hit the casket sending another wave part shock, part energy that caught me and sent me hurtling, ripping off my top layer of feathers and causing part of my feathers to ignite.

(Then again maybe pointless violence maybe the only chance I have,) correcting what I had thought earlier. I had no clue what those two were capable of and I wasn't in the mood to really find out, especially if this was only the opening out. My options were limited considering what they were throwing out, most bodies would be cut to pieces in a matter of seconds and given what I had on me that limited me to two options and neither one was all that good. I could try and force the energy inside me to change me into that killer thing I kept becoming since my interaction with the sword. On the upside that body gave me incredible power, on the other I had no idea if I could force it and given what happened when I changed back I'd pass out and bleed to death before someone helped me. Option two, Denoxgo Lihnep, equally insane, incredible power, ability to burn through ghosts, on the other hand how much control I had was unknown, usually the instincts just took over and I woke up sometime later, and hoped I still had time to demorph. Then again the last time I'd used that form, I'd gained control of the mind, but that had only been thanks to Jazz and her talking me down and the words somehow cutting through all the insanity.

Looking back at the fight I could barely see anything, just shadows hidden in a near blinding light of red and purple energy. (Yeah getting my mind back won't be a problem cause I'll only be a head when this was over,) calling up the DNA of the alien bird. The size change kicked in first, causing me to grow quickly, doubling in size every few seconds, about at the ten foot mark the trademark chemical started being secreted from my body that caused my whole body to burn. (Oh great the reaction works here too,) keeping the thoughts to myself, biting back the pain, trying not to scream, slightly hoping that whatever caused the body to burn didn't exist in the Ghost Zone. The feathers that hadn't been touched by the earlier blast of fire from the ghosts now found themselves popping and sizzling as they were incinerated off my body along several layers of flesh, that never seemed to end as new flesh kept growing as my size increased. The second toe grew from the back of my foot and my eyes adjusted to the burning world in front of me, (any day now with the feathers,) trying to keep my beak shut and urging the morph to finish. At the twenty foot mark, just as my size had reached it's climax they finally sprouted from my body, specialized feathers that couldn't burn and every one as sharp as razor. The last change finally came after that, my wings ripping in half forming four perfect ones, two on each side, one above meant for cutting and slashing, the lower set meant for flying. Well partially for flying, the burning chemical did a lot to help, somehow creating lift for my large body, I was never in a position to really test out what it did exactly, but I knew that was part of the reason a creature so large could fly.

When it ended I held my breath, waiting for the moment I'd either be able make a move or my body would literally take on a mind of it's own. After several ticks of the clock, I felt it, the mind in the back of my brain, not screaming in my head, not totally, but there and not going away. (Ok,) keeping the thoughts to myself, a little shocked, (thank you Jazz,) the only reason I could think I had any control over the body. Then it lunged, the instincts assaulting my brain, screaming, ripping, tearing at my control, trying to take it back, not understanding what was happening to it. It didn't however gain control, this wasn't the fist mind to try and gain control of me and it wouldn't be the last, but I had a foot hold now, I knew how to force it back, how to make it do what I wanted.

Talking to it as much as myself, (you want to fight, there it is,) spreading my wings, and surging into the swirling green wasteland, heading right at those two. (This is going to get so ugly,) letting out a scream, not caring if they knew I was coming, giving I was giant flying flare they would've figured it out anyway.

If they in fact noticed me I couldn't tell between the light show and the fact that I was virtually deaf, that didn't stop me from bearing down on top of them, feet open, ready to tear them apart. The plan and the reality were very different however, I came down on them, twin shadows separated, one going to either side of me, screaming pain hit my body and the next thing I knew I had to wings, and was moving forward by my own momentum.

As I floated away from the fight, I started spinning slightly, facing them every few seconds, getting a new idea what was going on. Their blades were still locked together, at least that's what it looked like thanks to the light they were putting off. Floating off above them were my four wings, each twitching, life still in them despite no longer being attached. If I had fingers I would've drummed them on anything I could find, rage and annoyance mingling forming something new and dangerous. (This may very well have been the worst, most moronic plan I've ever conceived or been a part of,) a few old ones flashing in my mind, (ok worst plan I've had recently.)

With nothing else to do and my ability to cut quite literally cut away, I started demorphing trying to figure out a real plan because I was essentially a dead man, or would be if either one of those two got to me. Floating there, slowing spinning around, the two disappearing from my vision, my back now to them, I was able to see the now blatant holes in the plan, holes I had seen before, but didn't care about. (Yeah going to have to come up with something better,) watching them fight, (unfortunately I don't have a clue what that would be right no….crap,) seeing them again but not being able to do anything as the purple energy ball slammed into my face and sent my fly and spinning with enough force to make me puke. Puking in a world where gravity is relative, not a good idea as that hit me a moment later and of course the fire had just gone out so it had no problem hitting me. This wasn't normal puke either, that would be bad enough, this was raptor puke, which meant it was full of mice, rats, a raccoon that had been sitting on the side of the road for about three days and probably had a smell that would send a human running away as fast as they could, and even with my bad sense of smell the new concoction was pretty bad. (Perfect end to a perfect day,) nothing around me to stop me, my wings still not growing in.

I wasn't sure if it was the indignity, the spinning, or the fact that I felt helpless and humiliated, but I felt the anger start to rise, and the fire start to burn. My body grew hot, and I could feel that thing at the back of my mind again, whatever it was that kept coming out and I didn't care. I was hurt, I was mad, and I felt like an idiot, I couldn't fix most of those, but I could at least make them feel some pain before I went out. I knew I couldn't win, that they were in a league way above me, I knew that now, didn't mean I couldn't take a piece a them with me before they snuffed me out. (Come on then,) talking to the energy inside me, the burning fury that had taken residence in me, surrendering to it, (if I'm going lets make this a moment they won't forget.)

* * *

**Jazz POV**

"So?"

"This is stupid."

"Not what I meant."

"I don't care, this is stupid."

"Sam," doing my best not to sound condescending.

"In all the time we've known each other what has given you any clue I would know or care about any of this?"

"Nothing at all, that's not the point."

"Then what is the point?"

"You're a girl, your pretty much the only friend I have and that's pretty much the only thing that matters at this moment."

"Still why me?"

I rolled my eyes slightly, no longer looking at her through the mirror and turning to her, "I'm not trying on dresses in front of Tobias," putting up my fingers as I listed names, "my mother or my brother," thinking for a second, "and I will chain Tucker to a wall before I even consider asking him."

"For someone that wants to listen to people for a living your not hearing me," my victim sitting in a chair, arms crossed and on her knees, heading leaning on her arms. "Why. Am. I. Hear."

"Because I need you."

"I don't do dresses, why do you even need a new dress?"

I drew a blank there, I was making this up as I went along and had no clue why I was actually here, I had just been the first store I had seen and I new she'd hate it. More to the point I knew she'd fight me tooth and claw to get out of there and it that time she wouldn't be thinking about anything else, not her grandmother, not ghosts, not her parents, just me and getting away. And really that's all I wanted, her attention away from everything else and hopefully just getting some of her frustration out, and better it be at me than at someone else.

"I'm waiting," tapping her foot and looking up, but not actually changing positions.

"You have taste," the words slipping out, yet somehow sounding completely true and then racking my brain to try and back that up. "That dress you had on," a vague image in my mind of her in a black dress springing to mind but with no actual details of context.

"The one from the dance where I became a dragon," I couldn't tell if it was a statement or a question, her voice essentially dead.

"YES," barking it out, things snapping together, regaining my composure, "that dress was beautiful, more to the point it was you."

Rolling her eyes and putting her head back down, "anyone can pick out a dress."

"Yes," walking over, kneeling as best I could in the dress, knowing I had to be careful or else I might end up having to buy it. Putting two fingers on her forehead and gently pushing it up so I could look at her, "yes anyone can do that, it takes someone with vision and taste to pick one out that's them. Yes I could pick out a dress in the latest style, but finding one that's me as completely as that dress was you is hard. Honestly I can't do that, after everything I don't know myself that well anymore, I'm not totally sure who I am, I need someone to keep my honest and someone who can still see me."

"Your buttering me up," the words without emotion.

"Is it working," giving her a little smile and cocking my head.

"It's a really good thing I like you," sitting up and leaning back in her chair, I could tell she still didn't want to be here, but she was willing to play along with me for a while anyway.

"Thank you," walking back to the triple mirrors, and looking at my reflection from multiple angles, "so?"

"Red isn't your color, it's to tight and you can't walk in it," her words painfully blunt as they always were, and cutting me to pieces as I realized she was right. Up till then I'd liked the dress, but as she said it it all seemed true, making me realize part of what I said might've been true on an unconscious level. Either way I stored it away to examine at a later date.

Walking back to the dressing room, "ok what do you suggest?' trying to shrug it off, really realizing that I couldn't walk, making me whisper under my breath, "what was I thinking when I tried to put this on."

It took me a few minutes to fully get the dress off and place it back on the hanger, knowing someone working there would find it, do something with it, and making it appear as though it had just been pulled off some runway somewhere in the world. I had no clue how they did that, didn't really want to either, I had enough problems without trying to answer questions I had no right trying to figure out. By the time I was done someone knocked on the door, "try this," Sam's voice attached to the knock.

Not quite in a position to really go an get it I cracked the door and grabbed the dress and pulled it in, slamming the door. "Sorry," realizing how rude that had been after I'd done it.

"Yeah, yeah," her voice far away as she walked away from me.

Listening to the sounds of her foot steps fade for a few moments till she was gone I turned my attention to the dress she'd given me. "Wow," looking down at the material in my hands, even folded in my arms, hanging flat I could tell this girt had picked out something special. "She…she really does have it," holding it up, almost a little afraid to put it on, expecting something horrible to happen as a result.

After a few moments I finished slipping it on and looked down at myself, wondering if I should walk out the small room, afraid she's tear me apart, seeing something I couldn't. Swallowing my pride I walked out, Sam leaning back in the chair, same as she had been when I walked away from her.

She whistled slightly as I approached, "wow."

"That's what I said," blushing slightly going to the three mirrors and looking myself over, glad to see she approved. "You have a talent Sam no question about it," looking over the dress. It was blue, half a shade darker then my eyes, and relatively simple ending halfway past my knees. This was countered by a slit up the right side that came up mid-thigh, showing off a tantalizing amount of my leg yet still perfectly riding the line of decency. There were no sleeves, and the cut was simple, being tight enough to show off the figure I'd gotten from my mother, yet still remain modest. The neckline showed little, not coming far enough to reveal anything, but ended with a slight excess of fabric, causing it to fold over itself several times, hiding what wasn't there but giving the appearance that with a little work there was more to see. It was a style I'd seen before and always liked but didn't know the name for, how Sam knew I liked it I couldn't even hazard a guess. It was flattering but subtle, showing off the best I had to offer, but not distracting enough that anyone speaking to me would forget I had a mind. Running my fingers through my hair, I pulled it up and looked at the effect it had then pulling it back into a ponytail, trying to find a hair style to match the dress. Regardless of what I did it still worked and it surprised me, shifting from elegant to simple and sexy without any real effort.

"So," Sam asked, shocking me, not only with the undertone of eagerness but the also the fact that I'd forgotten she was there so enrapt by my own reflection.

"Tell me again about how your not into style and fashion."

"Why," trying her best to sink into the chair, a distinct air of mistrust rising from her body language.

Pulling my hands away from my hair, letting it fan back out into it's normal appearance, the dress looking better that way, "I want to call you a liar."

She smiled at that, "you like it."

"Everything I said about you knowing me."

"Yeah."

"One hundred percent right, you could do this professionally," looking at her reflection and seeing her tense up, "take it as a compliment Sam," trying to undo any damage it caused her.

"Your not just being nice," her body still screaming that she didn't trust me.

Looking at my butt in the mirror, "how can you despise this stuff so much and yet be so good at it?"

"I'd say it was genetic but my mother has no taste."

"Or maybe she's given you a hyper acute sense of taste."

"Hyper acute?" her eyebrow lifting.

Shrugging my shoulders, my hair falling forward in waves over them, "I've been hanging out with birdie to much and it sounded good at the time."

"So you really like it." watching me, still not believing, but more trusting now, her body more relaxed.

Turning to look at her, "this is perfect, this might be the best dress I've ever worn, you nailed me Sam, completely."

"Ok," a very genuine smile on her lips as she looked up at me, "why do you need it?"

I froze after that, I'd really hoped she'd forgotten about that because I did and started scrambling for something to say again. A thousand options seemed to shot into my mind in the space of a second, date with Tobias, date with someone else, formal dinner for something my parents did, formal dinner because Vlad was sucking up, school dance, and endless mutations there of. Finally I just blurted out, "a girl has to have some secrets."

That caught her by surprise, I'm not sure why, but it did. She just looked at me, I guessed she was trying to read me, but I was guessing had little luck because she finally backed away, still curious but unsure how to go about getting her answers.

With a smile I trotted back to the changing room, I don't know how a person trots, but I know that's what I was doing. I slipped out of the dress and came across a slight problem as I was doing so, I knew I had to have it, on the other hand, buying it would get me in serious trouble with my parents. I did have money saved away but it was meant for college, not something that was essentially frivolous, and yet I knew I needed to take it with me.

"This is going to be a problem," slipping on my normal cloths and looking at the problem from all angles. "Call my parents, dip into my fund, ask birdie if he's willing to spare some crash, which meant spending Nikki's money and I wasn't really comfortable doing that after everything else she had done for me already. Finally I pulled out my cell phone and dialed up my mom, hoping I could sweet talk her, granted dad would've been better since he was easier to convince but he'd think I was buying it for Tobais which opened up a whole new breed of problem.

After the rings she picked up, "yes dear," her phone IDing me.

"I'm going to ask something your not going to want to hear," hoping she didn't jump to any conclusions.

"I'm listening," curiosity mixing with her usual intensity coming over the phone.

"I'm looking at a dress…."

"Really," her shock was understandable, it wasn't something I did much.

"I know this is big, and I'll understand if you refuse, but just hear me out…"

"How much," cutting me off, not wanting to hear the song and dance.

That was a question given I hadn't seen the proverbial price tag anywhere, "I'm not sure."

"That bad?"

"I don't think so," looking the dress over, not seeing anything that would make it to expensive, "I just don't see a price tag, Sam gave it to me."

"Sam?" that one taking her by surprise.

"Yes that Sam," making it clear for her.

"Is this for Tobias?"

"It's for me."

She sighed loud enough for me to hear and was obviously thinking everything over, "tasteful?"

"Very."

"Return policy?"

"I think money back if you bring it back within a week with no damage."

"Are you going to wear it someplace?"

That one caught me, I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, "sure," lying through my teeth.

"Can you wait on it?"

Looking down at the dress, "a few days but I can't be sure how long it'll stay here."

"Alright, if I think it's appropriate we'll discus what you have to do to get it."

"Deal, thank you mom."

"Don't thank me yet, love you dear."

"Love you to," clicking off the phone and walking out with the dress in hand ready to ask Sam where she got it from so I could memories the location for when I brought mom here. What I got however was a little different, Paulina and the gaggle of giggling ghouls that followed her moving Sam towards the door.

"Finally ready to add some color to your closet," Paulina sneered as though it were an insult

"Nah she's trying to get Danny to notice her," a girl who's name I couldn't remember chimed in.

"Losers in love, life's most pathetic mistake," another twining her fingers together and leaning her head against it.

"Well so much for that plan," hissing under my breath and dropping the dress of the chair Sam had been sitting in. Without a word I circled around, cut past the three in front of Sam and walked between them, putting my arm around Sam and pulling her out.

"Ah if it isn't one Fenton it's another coming to her rescue," the first girl quipped.

"So that's why you never see those two date," the other laugh darkly, "wait till I tell everyone, they'll eat this up." Paulina strangely was quiet while the other two spoke, why I wasn't sure, it was all I could do not to snap, turn and break their necks. I could tell Sam was in a similar position by the way she trembled in rage against my fingers.

Not looking at her, "don't say anything," the words only loud enough for her to hear, "you do they'll use it against you, against us," hearing the foot steps behind us.

"Who knew straight laced Jazz Fenton played for the other team," the second kept going, they followed us for a few more minutes but both stopped when Sam and I walked out the door into the natural light.

"And they say I'm the vampire," Sam still trembling in rage.

"I'm sorry Sam," resisting the urge to look back.

"Why," looking up at me, "not like it's your fault, they were going to do it regardless of you being there or not," everything I'd done, all the confidence she'd built up in those few moments gone.

"Still if I hadn't brought you hear you wouldn't have had to deal with them."

Looking up at me, "no one makes me go anywhere," she snarled like the beasts I could become, her walls going up in a moment, shifting into combat mode. Everything about her went cold, her stance, her voice, even her eyes, "not you, not your brother, and not those princesses back there."

At that I looked back, to the door seeing the girls gone, "it's a shame I'm so mature, anyone else with my resources would be sorely tempted to flip their car." Sam let out a short snort at that, that line cutting her resistance to pieces. The walls were still there but weaker now.

As soon as we slipped into my car she looked at me, "so what was this really about."

"Sam," I started.

"No," cutting me off, "no lies, no stories, no stalling, just the truth, this wasn't about dresses, this wasn't some secret mission, what was this about?"

Despite what she said I thought about coming up with something, anything but the truth but in the end that was all I had. Exhaling and leaning into the cushion of the cars seat , "You were stressing about a lot of things I had hoped if I could get you away, get you to think about anything else for a few hours it would help. None of this was necessarily planned, I just wanted to give you something to think about that wasn't stressful."

"So all the things about me having taste?"

"Totally true, if those girls hadn't been there I probably would've walked out with it."

"I told you not to lie to me."

"I'm not lying Sam, you have taste."

"Whatever," looking out the window of my car.

Putting the key in the ignition, "you want to kill those two?"

The line making her laugh out loud, not a little either, she just reared back and laughed like it was the funniest thing she'd ever heard. It lasted for several minutes, to the point where she was actually having a hard time breathing, and it wasn't a kind laugh either, it had a very sinister edge to it, honestly it sent chills up my spine and made me think about getting out of the car. Finally however she regained a measure of composure, sucking in deep lung full's of air, trying to stop of her own hysterics.

"As good as that sounds, they'd probably come back worse," a slight giggle still in his voice along with a darkness that didn't seem to belong to her.

"Or they might come back as the rats they are."

She looked up at the roof of the car, "that's to much to ask for."

"I guess."

We stayed like that for a few minutes, the car gently growling around us, neither speaking, I wasn't sure about her but I was afraid to say anything for fear of setting her off or making things worse than I already had. Finally she opened her mouth, "Danny put you up to this?"

"All me, if your mad at anyone it should be me alone."

"Why?"

"As I said you looked like you could use some time to think about anything but the problems around you."

Out of the corner of my eye I could see her turn her head to look at me, "so what possessed you to think this was the way to go about it?"

"Again as I said was playing it by ear."

"I meant all this spy game crap, if you wanted to do something you should've just said something."

Looking over, interested in where this was going, "your saying you would've gone along with that, that you would've just abandoned everything to do something insane?"

"When you put it that way I see your point," closing her purple eyes, "everything has just been insane since Danny got his powers. Stuffs been coming at me form every direction, I'm having to lie all the time to cover up what's going on, and now with Saber hanging over my head and my grandmother getting sick…."

I knew she was still talking, and I was listening unconsciously but that bit about Saber connected and started setting off alarms. I remembered her from Danny's story about the possible future, how she was part Sam part Ember and arguably insane. I hadn't even considered that was a problem, she'd been taken care of, those events erased from occurrence, but if Sam was still worried about that things were worse off than I thought, she was in a potentially very dangerous spot.

"…and I really just don't know what's going on. I feel like I wanted to hurt those girls so much, I'm not sure what I am anymore, what I might be. How do I know what she is and what I am is only the result of Ember, how do I know I'm not just one bad day away from losing it and hurting people."

When she said it I slapped her in the face, not hard enough to bruise, but enough to get her attention, shocking her. "Do you want to hurt me?"

"I want to know why you did it!"

"Do you want to hurt me?"

"No," pulling back but a little wary of me.

"Then there's your answer," rolling my eyes, "I had enough of this crap with birdie, negative thoughts don't make you dangerous," throwing my arms to the side as well as I could in the tight space, my left arm hitting the car window. "Your ticked off, that's normal for any person but your in a position that's extremely high stress and there for your going to have a proportionate amount of anger as a result. You need to find ways of letting it out safely and in a controlled situation, I thought making you come with me might give you an outlet. As for Saber that's a non-issue, she's not you, your not her, PERIOD!" barking it at her. "From what Danny said she was a manipulative psychotic demon, you just manipulative and psychotic," getting a laugh from her. "See that's healthy, let it out, talk about it, but it's not going to happen," taking her hand in mine, "not with us here, we're your friends Sam, we won't let it happen."

"If that's your answer psychologist or psychiatrist or whatever you what to be, your not going to be very good at it."

I could only laugh, "I'm beginning to think there's a lot I have to learn too."

"So what do we….," suddenly stopping, her eyes growing wild and dangerous.

I could feel the hair on the back of my neck rise, "what."

"Those two just took pictures of us with their cell phones and are running off."

I felt my heart sink, "this day is getting worse and worse as it goes on."

Looking past me, "didn't you just say I needed to find ways to let my anger out?"

"Yeah," looking back having a good idea where this was going.

"You still want to help me?"

Looking over my shoulder, "I'm thinking about thinking about it, what do you have in mind?"

"I don't know, at the moment I'm seeing designer labels being eaten by whatever you want to eat them with."

"Dangerous, destructive, and while it helps me it doesn't help you," licking my lips instinctually, wondering what would be better a fox or a German Shepherd, and just how expensive their shoes were.

"I'm sure I can think of something," that dangerous smile getting more so.


	27. Showdown p2

**Tobias POV**

Feathers popped and burned as I slashed at Shrucks face, never making contact as he jerked back but it was enough as the Fright Knight used that moment of hesitation to shift his weight and turn his body, Shruck's ax and the knights sword still locked together. In that position the Knight was able to turn his back to his former student and drive his elbow in the ghost knocking him back as I flapped my wings and threw a roundhouse kick at his face, but again missing as he moved out of the way. This in turn allowed the Fright Knight a little room to regain his footing and palm thrust the ghost, this time missing the mark as Shruck evaded the strike.

That was how it had been since I took the half hawk half human form, I struck, Shruck either blocked, evaded or counter attacked allowing the black clad ghost an opportunity to strike at the ghost directly, sometimes hitting him sometimes not, depending on the situation of the moment. It was slow going, and I had no idea if I we were actually hurting him or just making him made since he didn't seem to register pain or even annoyance, he just seemed to radiate this eternal calm that was driving me crazy and made me want to rip his throat out even more.

"Your beginning to understand aren't you," these were the first words the Fright Knight had said to me since Shruck had gone on the attack, or at least the first words I understood. "This is what makes him so dangerous, he can't be read or translated, every move is perfect, without warning, without indication, he simply is. This is a problem he doesn't share, making us open books to him, every move speaking volumes. Combined with his anger and hate, his need to kill he is the perfect warrior, the perfect tool."

Shruck barked out a few mores words, his attention on the other ghost giving me an idea it wasn't good.

(I get it,) focusing more on the black and purple ghost then the one trying to kill me, (skill means nothing, we have to simply over power him or cut off his ability to perceive the world around him.)

"I'm afraid the first may be our only option for I fear the other cannot be done."

(Wonderful, I'm beginning to see why you need my help.)

"But I don't," lashing out with the Soul Shredder just missing Shruck's neck while I threw a left hook at the side of his head and flared my wings putting some distance from myself and the others. All over my body I could feel blisters rising and popping, making every move a new experience in pain. Granted pain and I were old friends but I was use to it coming in the form of potential death, this was just raw annoyance.

Letting out a screech and trying to come down behind him, try to cut him down with the talons on the back of my feet but missing as he punched the Knight in the face and forced him on his back as best he could in this world. After a moment he righted himself and struck at the ghost, his sword meeting his ax. (Ok so you don't need me but you need what's in mew to deal with this guy.)

"That would be true but we're not in a position to be getting that are we?"

(Depends how long would it take,) punching at Shruck's back, it was feeble and I knew it wouldn't hit, none of mine had thus far, but I had to pull it in case the ghost moved and gave me a clear strike at the ghost in black. As expected the strike missed as he kicked back, connecting with my gut and knocking me back, my wings flapping to keep me from being thrown away.

"To long, that's all you need to be aware of."

(Great,) bolting forward, my wings adding speed as I extended my legs and trying to grab the ghost with my feet. That didn't come close to working as he grabbed me with his left hand, the metal claws on his fingers biting into my flesh and simply throwing me away as if I were nothing but a leaf.

He looked at me and rattled off something, but given the look from those nonexistent eyes I could guess it wasn't a complement. the hitting me, even as far away as I was getting, my wings not helping me gain control of the flight.

The Knight in turn yelled something back, the fire around his head leaping up and flaring brightly, looking back, the fight regaining it's light as I moved away from them, both putting off their energy again, purple meeting red and putting off strange colors in this green world.

(This day is really starting to suck,) flaring my wings and flapping, doing everything in my power to slow down as if I were normal, but the rules being different in this body. Focusing down, trying to pull up the instinct to fly that I'd been using up till now to gain control, tapping into something in the process and slowing down as I flew. (Alright better,) flapping one more time and coming to a dead stop and turning in the sky and look back, guessing I was maybe quarter of mile from where I was but still able to see and hear the pair, but with a limited amount of detail. (OK that's plan and A and B gone, I don't have anything else, I never needed anything past that,) watching the light flash and bringing my hand up to cover my eyes from the glare.

Every strike lit up the sky, each one becoming brighter and more intense. Closing my eyes I could still see the sight before me, cutting off the visual and focusing on the audio, the sounds of combat in the hopes they could guide me. Even then what I could take in was relative, I heard the clash of metal, and flare and sizzle of fire, the soft pop and crackle of the Fright Knights energy attacks forming and exploding. Unfortunately that was mixed with the sounds of an intense blaze and explosions that were seemingly random given how little was around us, those noises drowning out the more subtle, more necessary sounds that could guide me when I went back in.

(This just gets better and better,) opening my eyes and shaking my heads, (so much that idea,) folding my wings against my back and diving into the fight again, more feathers popping an burning and the blisters on my body screaming in pain as first and second degree burns mutated into third degrees. I came in hard and fast just like the first time I'd gotten involved and hoped I wouldn't get the same result. When I got close I slashed with talons on hand, as always the strike missing as he dodged left and away from the Knight. This did give me one edge I bought us a little room away from Shruck. I did a little flip, flapped my wings and dropped back next to the Fright Knight and hit as much of a fighting stance as I could given the body wasn't really built like a human or compatible with the training I'd gotten from Sam and Jazz.

"This is not going well."

(No kidding,) pulling my wings close to my body to minimize the damage that could be done to them in a close range fight.

"I expected more from you."

(Yeah I'm a little disappointed in how I've behaved so far as well.)

"Just so we're in agreement."

(I think we are, so got a plan?)

"What we were doing seemed to be working well for the moment."

(Think you can take him like you did before?)

"Possibly, but the damage will be incomprehensible."

(You say that like I care,) snapping my beak.

He laughed lightly at that, "I needed something to lighten the mood."

(Glad I could help,) somehow bolting forward without using my wings to add speed despite having them locked back against my body. Lashing put with my claws I was met by his ax that sliced down the middle of my arm down to the elbow.

A few more ancient words slipped past Shruck's lips but they were so controlled it made me want to hurt him even more.

Letting lose a raptor cry, a mix of the anger and pain of the wound and my own frustration. (Keep thinking that,) bending forward and lashing out with claws on my feet, getting blocked by knee that halted the hit. This position let me kick him in the face at the same moment, his head moving as I tried to force my foot through his non existent skull.

Looking me dead in the eyes, or at least I thought he did he said something that made my feathers rise in fear and I have no idea why, I just knew it had to be bad.

A growl rose in my throat, (try this then,) somehow it felt like the right thing to say as I arched my wings out, the right coming between us, blocking our visions while the left came around the back side of his head. I wasn't sure how long, or if, this would work so I used the time I'd been granted. My claws locked into his leg, the leg near his head arced down, missing his face but slashing down along his unprotected shoulder, actually connecting with his body. Biting into what passed for his flesh I turned it into a flip when my talons hit his loin cloth, I let go with the foot on his knee and slashed it up into his face, cutting into his chin and up along his nose, the rear claws hitting biting into his forehead hen the front talons lost their reach. Coming down I flashed my wings in front of him again, cutting off his vision once more. The claws on my fingers bit into the wound I had just caused digging in further, and turned into a modified heal kick slashing my claws through his neck. At that moment I felt things heat up and powered my wings bolting away from him his burning ax cutting though they air where I had been, slitting the tip of my beak in the process and causing all the feathers left on my face to ignite simultaneously.

Coming down next to the ghost in black, (I hit him, that's my contribution for the fight.)

"Impressive move, more than I thought you capable of."

(Thanks, I think,) grabbing a look at him.

"Don't thank me yet, I think you've just made things worse."

I spared a quick glance at him, (worse, things can get worse?)

"You'll see soon enough."

I sapped my attention back to Shruck as he touched his face tentatively, pulling the ooze off his face. Putting is hand in front of his face he rubbed his fingers together slowly, almost as if the thought of blood or the ghost equivalent was alien to him. While I was watching him my blood ran cold, (this is really bad isn't it,) as though I could see him about to snap.

"I don't have the words for it."

(Wonderful,) somehow taking a step back in the void.

Shruck hissed something and reached to the sword at his side.

"Run," turning tail and flying away before I could even register what he had said.

(Oh…..,) the words not finishing as he pulled the sword, the blade being drawn having no way to fit in the sheath. The width of the blade seemed to be three times larger than the sheath, and twice as long, each end serrated like a saw, adding to the menacing aspect. And to top it all off the blade was deep red, almost like it was permanently blood stained from cutting into to many victims.

The simple act of pulling the weapon seemed to make the world grow even hotter, but that was nothing next to when he swung the blade. It wasn't like he was even trying to hit us, he just moved it causing this emergence of pure black flame to rise out of it cover the area of the arc. Worse yet the fire was silent, no sound at all just making it all the more menacing.

I couldn't run, or fly technically, it was on me before I could even spread my wings, engulfing me, somehow not just burning me, but biting me. Small creatures somehow existing in the fire, each one biting me with thousands of tiny teeth, each one as hot as a needle, the result forcing a scream from my beak. (GET IT OFF ME,) tearing at the fire, the creatures, whatever that thing was, slashing and tearing not caring just wanting it to get away from me.

The look he gave me, eyes or not screamed contempt, his mask slipping, the biting suddenly gone as I was forced out and away, a pain burning in my neck as I hit something sold. Before me was Shruck, his ax, burning through my neck, not severing it from the body, but holding my there pinned. Then the biting began again, this time in my back, realization coming that the black fire wasn't gone it had just solidified behind me, now burning and gnawing at my wings, feeling every feather being torn away one by one.

Somehow I got something between a growl and a snarl out despite the growing hole in my neck, (I am really tired of you.)

A few more words passed his lips as he cut deeper into my neck. After a moment of contemplation he seemed to slip into this monolog, something long and rambling but at the same time seemingly practiced and full of arrogance.

(Meaning,) trying to buy myself some time, I knew thought speech transcended language barriers when sent, to bad it didn't translate worth a damn. At my word his blade stopped, the things biting me a little less important than me losing my head.

That got a laugh out of him, that was really creepy because like everything else it had no emotion and laughter without emotion cuts through you like a knife. He started up his speech after that, this one even longer, more involved, his hands moving back, pounding himself in the chest, with his hand, arcing his ax out, the fire leaving a burning train in it's wake. Whatever he was saying I knew it wasn't good but at least it bought me time to think of some way to get out of this.

(Your nuts,) the words just slipping out, (I have no clue what your saying but even I can tell your totally out of your mind.)

He looked at me at what I could only guess was quizzically and said a few soft words, more grunts and growls than anything else then cutting deeper into my neck.

(You are a complete and total whack job,) snapping my beak in the hopes of startling him, but getting nothing.

He laughed lightly, the biting and burning growing worse and letting a few more words slip out. Even without out knowing what he said I could tell by instinct that he was threatening me. The tilt of his head, the shift in his eyebrow, the way the fire of his ax danced playfully on the metal.

That actually got me laughing, internally anyway, what was left of the things passing as vocal chords now shredded. If he wanted to threaten me that was his choice but I should probably have a little fun with him if he was going to do it. (Yeah you go ahead and try,) hoping I was right about the threats, (first stop, find a girl named Rachel, she works for a guy named Walker, I'm sure she'll love to hear all that.) It was insane but if I was going to die, I might as send him to someone that would cut him in half and find a way to keep him contained incase the Fright Knight couldn't do the job himself.

He spat out a few more lines and somehow I thought what he was saying was nothing but curses but I did recognize one word "Rachel."

(Bingo flame bait,) a better idea coming to mind, (oh in that case start with a couple of guys named David and Vlad, then hit Rachel, I'd hate to think that guys who are like brothers to me didn't get a chance at revenge.)

That one actually phased him, his face screaming he had no clue what I was up to, he'd probably never ruin across someone willing to sell out people he called friends before.

(You have no idea,) driving a knee into his groin, obviously that wasn't something he was use to back when he came from, falling back and howling in pain, the first emotion I'd heard from him since I'd laid eyes on this psycho.

As he drifted back the burning fire-biting thing evaporated, letting the blood drain out of the wounds that use to be my wings. I could feel the power start to drain out of me, the anger fading as the various bodily fluid dripped out and hung in the air much the same way it would in space. (Well I suppose this is a good way as any to die, I always kinda figured it would be as the talons of another raptor, or preferably of old age in a nice warm house.)

"Not your time to die yet young one," the Fright Knight coming down on me and grabbing me and pulling me away from the fight. "By the way," looking back as we covered ground quickly, "I've never seen him show any emotion before, that little stunt is something to be proud of, but you may have doomed us all by doing so."

(Like I care,) fighting back the pain, trying to keep the rage intact and flowing.

"It's something you should be concerned with."

(Not like he can get more dangerous.)

He groaned and shook his head, "he has only unleashed the first of the swords abilities, you have little clue what else it can do."

(Burning, biting, solidifying fire isn't enough of an ability,) I barked into his mind.

"Not for him," pulling us far away from the other ghost, "and we have little time before he comes, if you want to stop him you have to do as I say, you must let me make the Lightning Blade whole so that I can finish this."

I looked back when he said it, wondering if it was the right thing to do, the lingering doubts of this being a trap still in my mind and despite all of this I couldn't help wondering if this wasn't done just to convince me to help him. Then I felt my back twinge, and my sliced hand scream in pain, letting me know if I stayed like this I would die, and if I reverted I would die as well. (If I don't help and your telling the truth there may be no stopping him, on the other hand if I do help you and you've been lying to me I've just given the greatest weapon in the Ghost Zone away to anyone with the power to take it.) The words were more for myself than for him but they did help me come to a decision, (what the heck, my life's always been a long shot, do it.)

"Your faith in me is encouraging," picking up speed an air of hostility to his words.

(Try being on my end, I have no clue if your telling me the truth or not, but right now you're the better of the two choices.)

"I see your dilemma," finally stopping, the light and screams of Shruck no longer detectable. "Can you move," letting go of me.

(I'm hurt not dead,) slowly righting myself, finding it hard without my wings but still manageable. (So what do we have to do?)

"Focus your mind, remove everything from it but thoughts of the power flowing through you, make it burn brighter and brighter in your mind till it as a star in your psyche. Then brace yourself for pain, I won't lie to you, this will hurt more than anything you have ever felt before."

(Trust me, you can't offer that kind of pain,) closing my eyes and crossing my legs, finding that the position helped to steady myself while floating.

I could hear him the clank of his armor as he moved, and knew he was readying the Lightning Blade, "you do not understand pain child."

(I understand more than you know,) trying to see what he had asked, thinking it sounded a little insane and having no real idea how to go about it. The only thing in my mind was darkness, then I tried to focus what he had asked for into a ball, starting out a clear white it quickly shifted to dark red, so dark that it quickly became hard to see against the black surrounding it. Then from the darkness it grew, a creature of light squirming from the middle of the orb. It was the same thing I'd seen when I touched the sword, a snake of light, something unnatural but strong, looking at me with what may or may not have been eyes.

I felt like I could reach out and grab the creature, holding out a hand in my minds eye, only to be stopped as I was tossed end over end, my concentration broken. (What,) snapping out, my eyes cracking far enough to see but not enough to grasp everything around me, that lasted as long as it took to see the world around me.

A few more words slipped out of Shruck's mouth, his voice back to being calm, his sword locked into place with the Lightning Blade in the Fright Knights hand.

"You speak the words but have no way to back them up," I wasn't sure if he was speaking English for my benefit of if he didn't know better both his hands locked around his weapon, then suddenly gripping both holding both weapons, trying to wrest the sword from it's holder. "Your not taking anything away this night, this blade has been tainted by you for far to long my old student."

He spat out more nonsense that I'm sure to him were words and his blade flashed so brightly I had to slam my lids shut to block it out. I held them there for several seconds, my body heavy all over form the blood loss and power once more draining out of me. They were forced open by a screech that made the few feathers I had left on my body rise in pain and irritation. What I saw wasn't something I was ready for, thousands of small creatures, no bigger than humming birds and three times as fist glowing a cool blue but completely transparent. They circled the Knight, now alone, stabbing and striking, cutting through him over and over again, nipping and tearing away at his armor, slowly pulling him to pieces.

"I go tired of these games Shruck," his voice a controlled yet a roar at the same time, slipping the Lightning Blade into his belt as he trust his hands out in different directions, forwards and back, up and down, left and right, moving almost as I blur, the spots taking on a purple quality after a moment and solidifying and jumping out latching on to other similar creations he'd made. With in a moment he was rapped in a cocoon of smooth purple walls that the creatures couldn't seem to penetrate.

Where ever Shruck was he laughed and spit out a few words from a location even I couldn't track down.

"I know when to withdraw now, something you never will," the Fright Knight still speaking English but again if it was for my benefit or for some reason I couldn't grasp I wasn't sure.

Suddenly I become aware of where he was, a combination of hearing and intuition, that and I don't think he was bothering to hide anymore. Even with that knowledge I was unable to do anything as he was on me again, this time from behind, he snarled but I couldn't even move before his sword was at my throat. More words flowed from him, and I had a good idea what he was saying, more than likely making demands for my life, that or they were discussing their next move.

(Run,) I snapped at him, not wanting him to decide. His fire rose at that, definably shocked, (don't argue, run, keep it out of his hand.)

"Watch and learn my little apprentice," thrusting his arms out, the hits sounding like gong being struck in the movies.

(Not your apprentice,) I hissed.

"And yet you sound like it already," still thrusting his hands still moving till the walls suddenly burst forward, firing in all directions, taking out the creatures and given the sound as several of the tiles flew past my head and the sudden removal of the blade, hitting Shruck somewhere in the face. "Now keep focusing, this will have to be timed just right," jumping over me the sound of metal hitting again filling my ears.

Closing my eyes I went back to work, letting the image of the red orb fill my mind again, the snake jerking out again, hovering in front of my minds eyes, staring at me, judging me, scaring me because I had no idea what was going on. This thing, whatever it was, couldn't have been my imagination, it was real, and it was looking right though me. There was no place I could go, nothing I could do but look back, unable to escape it no matter where I tried to go in my mind it was always right in front of me and I found opening my eyes nearly impossible, like they were being forced shut by some great power.

Even with it staring at me I could still see past it, to the orb so dark it was nearly invisible, something that didn't stay that way. Something flickered in it, something I couldn't identify at first, something that made more sense the longer it looked. Shots of my past, people and things I'd torn apart in my life, a thousand mice, endless controls of all shapes and sizes, ghosts' who'd gotten in my ways, even arguments I'd had with Ax about Earth culture or Cassie when it came to animals in the wild. A few of Rachel flashed by, I couldn't identify them all but I could pick out a few from the surroundings, planning sessions, arguments during a fight about what to do, the best way to hurt people that were making her life miserable that she couldn't use her powers on. Mixed with them were shots of arguments while Danny over training or how to deal with ghosts, Tucker and technology, Jazz and her need to try and force me to get my GED.

I had no idea what those all meant, scenes of battle and conflict, obviously, but over all no clue how they all fit into what was going on. (What do you want,) unsure if those thoughts went anywhere.

As I said it the snake jerks back to the forefront of my mind, somehow forcing me to focus on it rather than the inside of the orb. If just stared at me with those empty dead eyes, like it mean something and I still couldn't block them out.

Outside I could hear the fight still raging, swords clashing, fire erupting, and something that sounded like a scream of death, or at least that was the only way I could process it.

(Focus man,) forcing the thought from my mind, I had to get this thing under control, assuming it wasn't under control, when you have no clue what your doing it's hard to know if your doing it right or not. The light snake still stared at me, almost like it was seeking an answer to a question it could ask, that or trying to figure out the best way to kill me. (What,) I growled at it, daring it to speak, to give me some idea what it wanted or how to get rid of it, but still getting nothing.

Focusing down back at the orb, I saw Jazz drilling me about something from a book I couldn't identify, the other me opening his mouth but no words came out even though I had spoken to her. Jazz in turn looked mad, half dropping the book as she pointed at me, her face growing red. Then it shifted, this time with Jazz as a fox running away from me as I darted back and forth in rabbit form. It was from a train session, letting Jazz live out the hunt as a fox, never quite catching me, helping her prepare in case she needed to use the body in a fight.

The snake jumped in front of me at that again, coming back to the main focus of the thought. At that I looked from the creature to Jazz and back to it, having a feeling they were linked but unsure how. (My friend,) the words sounding hollow in my mind , the truth but not the whole truth, but not effecting the snake, (she, they're my friends,) I said again, hoping it would mean something to it.

The snake of light, of energy and something I couldn't place still looked at me, and I thought back to the first time I'd seen it, rising from the sword, it snapped a little idea in my mind but I wasn't sure it would mean anything to the creature. (I fight for them,) hoping it was the right thing to say.

At that more images of me fighting with them flashed in the dark orb and the snake shifting to my right and snaking it's mouth at me, I wasn't sure but I thought it was dare and argument.

I ran with it, (yes we fight, but that doesn't mean I don't fight for them as well,) the snake snaking at me again, this time showing me an image of me as a polar bear trying to kill Jazz, a moment from when Vald had controlled me and made me a weapon.

(That wasn't my fault I tried to fight but couldn't.)

It actually hissed at me this time, fangs dropping down from it's mouth more images of that fight flashing.

(I tried to stop myself, but I didn't have control, I wouldn't hurt them.)

This time getting a montage of me hitting Tucker in the back of the head or telling him to shut up.

(Ok so yes we don't have the best relationship but he's still me friend.)

Now shots of Marco and I arguing in various forms over various things.

(Same problem different circumstances.)

Images of all the fights I'd had with everyone of them, some ending in blood shed from when we'd trained.

(Yes I get it I fight with them, they're still my friends, why not focus on that.)

That seemed to confuse it, cocking it's whole body as if it had no clue what that meant.

(Can you show me other things than fighting or at least let me pick the images?)

It seemed to be even more confused by that, finally looking away from me, back to the orb, them back to me, the orb growing blank.

(I'll take that as a yes,) looking at the orb, it flickering, the image of the reunion, of Danny. Rachel and I fighting David. The snake looked at me over that, not understanding. (We fight together, to stop a common enemy, we come together, I draw strength from them,) this time the image shifting to Jazz and I trying to stop Technus from the inside, (we draw strength from each other, keep each other focused. Things we couldn't do alone we can do together,) this time flashing back to the ghost wolves when I was protecting Jazz when reveled who I was, (we make each other better, give us a reason to fight, a reason to go and face death in the face.)

The snake was obviously still confused by what it was hearing and seeing, or at least I thought it was, it was hard to tell what normal snakes were thinking, a creature like this made it a total guessing game.

(I fight for them, they fight for me, we are all we have out there, and even when they're gone we are beside them in spirit. Everyone has reasons for what they do, but those with other depending on them make the most dangerous fighters for even if they fear death, the fear of losing those around them is worse, and they will do anything to stop that from happening even at the cost of their lives.)

It seemed to blink at me, or at least I thought it did, I really had no clue anymore, for all I knew it was asking my favorite pizza topping and I was just wasting my time.

(Great,) wishing I could tear my eyes open and help the Fight Knight out there, trying to stop Shruck was probably a better use of my time than arguing with something that didn't even speak. (Just tell me what you want and I'll give it youuuuuaaagghhhhhhh…..) being ripped from my thoughts as something stabbed into my back.

Shruck'svoice brought me back to the reality of the moment, his words low, but even controlled as they were I could still hear the undertone of annoyance.

Looking down I say the Lightning Blade sticking out of my chest, (this day has actually gotten worse, who knew it was possible.)

More of his long dead language followed as he twisted the blade in my back, again I could tell he was letting lose more threats.

With the pain coursing through me my anger won out for a few brief moments, (you understand I have no clue what your talking about right? I live in the country but I do not speak the language, got it/)

He spit a few more words and pulled the blade up slightly sending a new wave of pain through my body.

(Ah yes the universal language of violence how stupid of me.) The pain intensified after that, the suction turning to something more substantial, like my bones were being shattered from the inside yet somehow remained in one piece. Those fragments seemed to cut and slash as they worked their way to the blade, nicking muscle, flesh, somehow even my blood screamed as it passed through it. It wasn't the worst thing I'd ever felt but it was like nothing I'd ever felt before. I wanted to scream, to yell, to do anything but sit there but that was all I could manage, unable to even lift a finger.

Something escaped his lips, I didn't know what it was but I could tell it held the promise of death,his words wavering, still calm yet somehow frustrated as well in a way I can't explain.

I had no clue what he meant, it felt like everything was flowing into the sword, my very life going into it, what more did he want. Biting down on my tongue I could feel a new wave of blood fill by beak and closed my eyes trying to call up an image of Jazz, wanting the last thing I saw to be something beautiful, something…someone that gave me piece.

All I found however was the snake of light, still staring back at me, the orb it had grown from now lighter red, a shade lighter than Jazz's hair, and pulsing, growing larger then contracting into itself, like it was alive, something I could only compare to a heart. The pulsing had no sound, yet seemed to be accompanied by a wave of concussive force, that hit me but seemed to have no impact despite feeling like it could shatter stone. Within the orb burned images to fast for me to fully make out but I could guess enough between the flashes of Jazz and Rachel, Jake and Danny, Sam and Cassie, Marco and Cassie, rapped and twined in events from my past I couldn't quite make out with those little bits.

(What do you want from me,) the thoughts sounding like they were from some ancient creature.

The snake just kept looking, then tilled it's head as though that was suppose to clear up everything.

(Thanks a lot,) looking past the creature, back the images flying before me, (I wonder if this is what they mean about life flashing before your eyes.)

As I stared the pain seemed to subside, it was there, but not, at the forefront of my mind at yet far away, I was glad the hawk had all but passed out from the pain, I hated to think how it would've interpreted the events around me. Slow gnawing pain that seemed to last forever, everywhere and no where, inside and outside my body. All I could do was stare at the images in front of me and gain comfort from them, hope that somehow this guy was stopped and they would be safe.

Closing my eyes to the scene I whispered, (goodbye Jazz,) opening them, hoping to see her image flash before me, only to have my real eyes open, the blade still sticking out of me.

Shruck's voice still holding that small measure of annoyance as he once more spoke to me in his native tongue, obviously not use to anyone or anything resisting him, question was how on Earth or the Ghost Zone was I doing it.

(No,) those two letters all I could manage, my vision blurry, the Lightning Blade little more than a silver and red blur coming out of a brown and red blur. I could feel my heart slowing, every beat becoming labored, each one holding the possibility of the being the last. I was cold, so much of my body didn't seem to be there, simply being somewhere else. And yet I could hear, every word, every sound crystal clear in my still perfect ears.

He twisted the blade in my chest a little more letting lose another threat, but it no longer registered as pain, just movement.

I knew he was right but I didn't care if I died I took the power with me, I robbed him, robbed everyone of it and I was fine with that. So long as the sword was incomplete Vlad's plan couldn't go forward, neither could the future ones of all those that would fight and kill for the sword. In that moment I saw all the danger it would cause, all the fighting all the carnage. This sword would single handedly snuff out countless lives as mad men tried to claim it, some as a status symbol, others who were mad enough to use it to carve out their own twisted vision of perfection.

That made me happy, the knowledge of my death serving some greater purpose, I guess in the end that was all I really wanted. It was the same thing my father had wanted, same thing my uncle still sought, a family curse and destiny, I was happy with that connection. All my life I'd sought a connection to my family, I'd lost the chance with my dad, my mom didn't know who the hell I was, but at least I'd had my uncle, a man who was essentially my brother.

My thoughts in turn turned to Jazz, Danny, Sam, Tucker and Nikki, my new family, the ones I'd let down, the ones I would be leaving with questions. I wished I could see them again, one more time, if only for a second, the chance to laugh with them, to cry with them, to hold them. I regretted the things I kept from them, all the times I hadn't told them the truth, held back something I thought was for their own good. If I had to do it again I would've told them everything if just to be able to reflect on those few extra moments together. I wish I had told them all everything I knew, I wish I had told Jazz the truth, how I felt about her, things I was afraid to say, things that needed to be said.

(I should've told you ….,) my eyes opening for the last time, feeling my heart about to give out

He snarled something annoyance, his mask of serenity fading away again as he jerked the blade up, slitting my up to my neck, funny part was it didn't hurt, not at all.

(Jazz,) her face flashing in my mind as my eyes began closing for the last time, taking in a ragged breath, only to catch it as something in perfect focus entered my vision. Out of the blur that was my world the creatures of light slipped out in preternatural clarity and stared at me, then down to the blade in my body and up to me again.

Shruck was obviously happy about this event, that or he was seeing totally different, his voice losing his anger as it danced before him.

The snake looked from me up to him, two little arms growing form it's body, each ending in two fingered hands. The little fingers wiggled at me, and it cocked it's head and I swear it smiled at me with those creepy little eyes.

He actually sounded happy as he looked at the snake and spoke to it, if the creature understood it I had no clue.

The snake looked back at me, came forward and touched me on the forehead not that I could feel it. "Death comes to us all," it's mouth not opening yet the sound having the feeling of wisdom and strength, "but he that would lay down his life for his brother is rare and worthy of existence yet to come. Such an act is worthy of a reprieve," bolting forward and passing through my skull, a cool sensation filling my body, my heart suddenly pounding in my chest as I was filled with life however briefly. Then it burst from the back of skull, somehow I knew it was looking at the ghost on the other end of the blade, "but you who would bring only death, who fights for no one, you deserve something quite different," the Lightning Blade growing hot in my body. "Go away," a feeling of power flowing through the metal and a whoosh of air and I knew Shruck was no longer behind me.

(Thanks,) not moving, afraid to tick this thing off.

"No," the snake coiling around my head looking me in the face again, "thank you for reminding me why I was forged. To ensure life with the knowledge I would never be used except in those situations so dire that no other choice remained, that I exist to save lives and protect those that are precious to my holder not to simply strike down whoever offends them."

(Your welcome, now you mind getting out of me before you kill me.)

"Take the hilt," thankfully I didn't have to reach back, the end of the blade, changing into the sword's grip. I did as he asked, "I will do the rest," feeling warmth grow in my body then flow into my hands and drain into the sword. After a moment it was done, there was no pain, at least none that hadn't been there before, and I pulled the blade from my body. On instinct I changed back to my hawk mode, but where I had bleed before I was normal now, no wounds, no liquids streaming out of my body, needless to say I felt good.

Cocking my head I heard the warning signs before it was on me, Shruck or the Fight Knight I wasn't sure and didn't care. I looked at the sword hanging in the sky, spread my wings and grabbed it in my talons and flew with it as best I could unwilling to let either have it.

I jerked to a halt after only a few feet, looking back as Shruck was staring back at me yelling something that even I could tell meant he was going to rip my head off and shove that severed body part up an another bodily orifice.

Powering my wings and trying to pull away knowing it was useless, he was just to strong for me, (don't you have someone else to play with.)

He slashed his ax hand in my direction, obviously not happy with me, the fire that erupted scorching my flesh and ripped off my feathers.

I didn't scream I just kept pulling, refusing to let him have it, but unsure what to call up in order to stop this guy. He'd torn apart my top two forms, and now I only had one of those in the arsenal, and that had proven to be totally useless in this fight. (If your out there,) sending the thoughts out privately, (get over here I can't hold this guy off for to long.)

At that moment Shruck turned his attention from ma and slashed his ax behind him, only to have it stop, blocked on the downward swing. "I didn't think you wished me to possess the blade," the Knights determined voice coming form the area as he lost his invisibility.

(As the saying goes, better the devil you know than the one you don't,) flapping forward and biting Shruck in the neck, actually taking him by surprise. I wasn't sure if it was the act itself or the utter insanity of it, but I wasn't arguing either.

"That's a dangerous philosophy," swinging his free hand at his former student, missing him as the grey ghost turned his back to his former master and letting the strike past the side of his head.

(This is a dangerous time,) flapping back even harder, still not pulling the sword away.

"Then lets fix that bird," palm thrusting his foe, his hand putting off a purple glow as I lost sight of it past as Shruck body obscured it.

Shruck barked something again, I was long since past caring what it was let go of the blade and pulled his sword again and slashed at the ghost in black armor, more of those small glowing creatures erupting from the blade and swarming him.

I took the moment for what it was and flew as hard as I could the blade still locked in my talons, but between it's weight and my own exhaustion I couldn't get it very far. (Come one Tobias keep going,) keeping the thoughts to myself, urging myself on.

Shruck glared at me the best he could and continued talking, the best I could guess was he just liked the sound of his own voice. Something however sounded like shattering glass filled the air and I came to a screeching halt as something wrapped around my body.

Looking down I was a little shocked, what appeared to be a dozen or so thin stainless steel chains were wrapped around my body. (How much crap does this guy have,) pecking at one of the chains only to receive searing pain in my beak as something cut into it. After a moment it pocked through the hard surface of my beak, a spike the same color of the chain. (You have got to be kidding me,) the chains sprouting more spikes a moment later, each one growing and biting and my body beginning to be pulled back. (Well at least this can't get any worse,) flapping as best I could, one wing more or less immobilized and as if on cue the chain began to turn, to spin in place, ripping little valleys in my flesh, shredding feathers, not enough to kill but still hurting like hell. After a moment they started speeding up, and I could hear Shruck laugh again in that cool emotionless laugh.

Pulling me closer he hissed something in my ear, that I'm sure was menacing to him but just put his rancid breath in my face.

"Would you just shut up," the chains going slack as I pulled away, the ghostly metal evaporating in a puff of smoke a moment later. "Apologies for the delay," the Knight floating back next to me having freed me with his sword, "I'd forgotten how annoying those creatures were."

(Swarmmers usually are,) thinking back to my encounters with ants and bees, (so how about you get this guy out of our hair.)

He laughed a little at that, "we don't have hair anymore."

(You know what I mean,) releasing the Lightning Blade from my bloody feet, the blade having bit into them, that blood mixing with that flowing from the fresh wounds that Shruck had inflicted.

Looking back I saw the blade float right into the Fright Knights hands, the dark metal of his glove wrapping around it causing small sparks, the same color as the rest of the fire rising off his body, to jump off the blade itself almost like ti was becoming part of him. "For so long," his words barely loud enough for even me to hear, "to finally hold the Lightning Blade, complete, and to have an opponent worthy of using it against."

I looked from him to the other ghost, (you want to stop sounding crazy long enough to stop that guy before I end up a fried chicken?)

"If you insist," sheathing the Soul Shredder, "time to see why this sword has the name it does."

Away from us Shruck glared as best he could with no eyes, and barked something while cutting the world itself with his sword, a tear opening up where the tip of his blade touched. From within it something swirled, something dark I couldn't quite see, not that it mattered as it erupted out of the hole. A dark clawed hand, three long fingers each twice the size of the Fright Knight, and casting a dark influence outward making my feathers rise in fear and disgust.

(What is that the worlds first Swiss Army Knife,) looking from the knight to the quickly approaching hand.

The Knight didn't reply, simply pointing the blade forward, the edge of the blade glowing bright white and then it leapt from it. An arc of lightning, pure white as the hard coming towards us was black, thin moving in an almost erratic path yet still heading towards what I knew was the target. It struck the hand in the palm and kept going straight through it, the hand moving forward as well. For a moment I felt panic rise in me, thinking this would be everything and finding a tiny bit of comfort that the hand slightly resembled the foot of a giant raptor. Then the point at which the lightning had hit wavered, spreading out to the rest of the hand till the whole thing became a wavering mass then erupted outward in slime, covering us but other wise harmless.

(I love that sword,) it was the only thing I could think to say.

"Keep watching," the Knight actually sounding smug, the lighting arc still moving forward and striking Shruck in the ax, the weapon raised to protect him. That however did little good as I could see in pass right through the metal, a tiny hole showing it's path and struck him dead in the forehead. That blow knocked him back, sending him flying, smoke rising from the point of impact, fire jumping from his ax, causing him to look a bit like a fire ball.

(Well I'm on a lot of trouble now,) realizing if he gave Vlad the sword or decided to use it himself we'd all be dead before we even knew what was happening.

"Second thoughts?"

(After that, oh yeah,) my mind alive trying to figure out how to get the weapon form him and knowing there was little chance of that given the current situation.

If he responded it was cut off as the same mass of black fire that had come for me before engulfed, causing him to vanish from sight. Shruck, snarled something. his head still smoking, the flame streaming endlessly from the sword in his hand."

That lasted for only a moment as the fire burst away in a flash of white, arcs of lightning firing off in all directions. "That won't be enough, not now," his voice strong, but I could hear the tiniest hint of a waver to it, like he was tired.

He struck his sword down while barking in that long dead tongue, where it stopped caused a swirling yellow vortex to erupt and charge the ghost. The Fright Knight just waved his sword, more lightning jumping from it, cutting through the cloud, the strike almost hitting Shruck only stopped as he blocked it with his sword, but the impact still making itself known.

The Fright Knight returned the words in that same extinct language, the weakness in his voice growing a little stronger, something that didn't sit well with me.

I don't know what Shruck said but it came with him jabbing his sword forward, a giant purple Asian dragon erupting from the tip of the weapon, it's teeth somehow seeming larger than it's mouth as it descended on us. Pulling his weapon back he slashed upward in a diagonal motion releasing a wave of small red balls of energy that surrounding the dragon. Readjusting his grip, the sword turning in his hand he cut the air around him, a flurry of blue fists jumping from the arc, joining the orbs surrounding the dragon.

Without words, the fire surrounding the knight leapt into the sky as he held his sword, the second the dragon was on top of us he cut the beast along the jaw line, slicing it right down the middle which given the length that seemed to increase by the second was a considerable feet. All the while he was bombarded by the seemingly endless number of fists and orbs, yet none seemed to stop him. However when he stopped, the assault over, the fire around his head was now small, and barely flickering, little more than a glow around his helmet.

Touching the blade to the area around his feet he looked over at his former teacher and said something that made my blood run cold knowing it was probably his final words to the ghost. Lashing the blade upwards, releasing an arc of gold energy. Then from every one of the serrated tips a pink chain leapt from it, each ending in a mouth and moved of it's own accord.

I could believe everything jumping out of the sword, (that is the original Swiss Army Knife.)

"You options are running out Shruck," an arc lightning jumping out from the blade, jumping out and bouncing from one chain to the other, and simply side stepping the energy. "And now I'm ending this," releasing twin arcs from the blade, one hitting him at the wrist, knocking the sword from his hand, the other hitting him dead in the chest. "Get the sword Tobias, get it now before he recovers," his words carrying a great deal of weight yet sounding like he was on the verge of collapse at the same time.

(Not telling me twice,) flapping my wings as another assault of lightning struck Shruck, which was probably the only thing giving me the time I needed to get near the sword. Somehow this time the Ghost Zone worked in my favor, keeping me afloat when my wings couldn't, helping me move on momentum over actual power of my shredded wings. Even with that edge I needed more speed, more power, more everything, living bodies just weren't meant for this section of the Ghost Zone, I needed the skills my former body had given me, the vague edge it had in this world.

At those thoughts I felt myself grow faster, my wings tingling, as something warm spread down from them. It took a few second before I could recognize it, which was weird since it wasn't that long ago that I felt it, the same energy that had run through me when the snake pierced my head, but different, mixed with the numbness of morphing and the feeling of power that came with it as the new healthy body taking the place of a wounded one. I flapped my wings harder, picking up speed, bones shifting and melting, my wings growing huge. In one mighty flap they ended up being so large they wrapped around me, completely cutting off my vision and hiding me from the rest of the world. In those moments it was like everything went into over drive. My wings shattered, spit in two, one set still wrapped around me while the second lower set formed arms, my body lengthened, legs shifted growing as well, everything growing larger and stronger. When my wings pulled away I was back in the half human half hawk form, the same but different from how it had been before. The glow was still there, but it was lighter, more like the glow Danny or other ghosts had, and the rage was gone, the over acute awareness, everything was the same as it had been before in my eyes, there was no struggle, no fight for control, no need to fight, I was simply me, it was a little unnerving to be in another form and feel that way.

(Figure it out later,) flapping my wings, moving faster, now in total control of my flight, covering the ground I needed to in seconds. Only then did I realize Shruck was on the move as well, going after his sword, the Fright Knight still on the attack. His hits were now glancing blows, still powerful but not enough to stop him as the others had been. Flapping my wings I put on as much speed as I could, the body similar but different form before, no longer simply doing what I needed. It was now a race to keep him from unleashing more of the swords attacks, I just had to figure out how to do it.

Every second we grew closer, and I was convinced he as going to be there ahead of me, no matter how hard I flapped he was just getting faster. If there had been some hint of wind I could've ridden it, could've added it's speed to my own, but all I had were the wings on my back and the knowledge of flight for a very different body. (Different body,) an idea flashing in my mind, one worth a shot given my options, (different world, different rules.) Pulling my wings close, like I was preparing for a dive I felt myself go faster, it was barely a heart beat but I felt my vision blur and my body was assaulted by g-forces I couldn't understand. I jerked them back in that instant, and as I did the world grew clear, the sword directly in front of me, somehow I'd covered what could've been a quarter mile in less than a second. I didn't have time to think about it, reaching my hand out and pulling the sword with me and away from him, still being pulled along by the momentum of my burst of speed.

I had only gotten a few feet when I heard the sound but couldn't avoid it as my back was assaulted by flames, their source obvious to me, made all the more clear a moment later as Shruck roared something that felt like pure death.

(Whatever flame bait,) flapping my wings and trying to move away from him.

Shruck came after me roaring something unintelligible, even as the light illuminating the Ghost Zone told me the Fright Knight was doing his best to drop the ghost before he could get very close to me.

"This day is over for you old friend," a flash of light went off behind me, far more intense than the previous shots. I didn't have to look to know what had happened I could pick up every detail just by sound. Shruck had stopped moving, metal was melting, cloth was burning, a few other sounds I couldn't identify but I knew it was from the rest of the material on him coming apart, reacting to the powerful strike from the ghost weapon.

Looking back, I saw what I expected to see, his body singed, like a cartoon character after a piece of TNT went off in his face. Cloth was burning, metal dripping and scorched, pieces wielded together. The horns from his head were shattered, now floating near his head, no longer attached to anything. (Yeah,) bringing my fingers to what had formerly been the bridge of my nose, now where my beak ended just below my eyes, (I really hope I didn't make a mistake giving that to him.) Looking over to the ghost in black I was shocked to see him, floating there, his fire almost extinguished from his head and cape. A few flaps and I was over to him, (you ok,) unsure what else to do, considering taking the Lightning Blade and running, but not willing to leave him like that.

"Now you see," his words low, forced, "the price of the blade, the penance exacted for using it," gasping for air, "without the other artifacts."

I looked from him to Shruck, (is it over?)

Barely shaking his head, "no, he is stunned but he will not be for long," taking another ragged breath, making me almost fear he'd die, assuming that was possible. He put his hand on my shoulder, "you must finish him now, before he becomes a threat to the rest of the Ghost Zone."

I jerked away from when he said it, (I don't kill, not anymore,) the words meaning more to me than I thought they would. (You want him gone, you do it yourself.)

"I can't," looking to Shruck to me, "do this for me."

(No.)

"He is to me what David is to you, a mistake, something I wish I could undo."

He had a point there, I didn't want to admit it but he did, (I regret David but I'm not going to murder some guy I just met just because you tell me too. There has to be a better way.)

"Containment will not work, I've tried it, he escaped," he was looking worse by the second.

(What about Walker,) my mind flashing back, (all he does is contain ghosts, he can keep this guy under wraps, make sure he's never a threat to anyone again.)

"For how long though, a few years, decades, our existence is nearly infinite, at some point the will escape, he must be dealt with here and now Tobias."

Crossing my arms, the large, unruly sword biting into my skin as I misplaced it, causing me to flinch. It wasn't my place to play judge and jury, yes up it'll now everything I'd been told and appeared to be the truth but I still couldn't be sure, and that wasn't a leap of faith I was willing to make. The thoughts were pushed from my mind when I heard the screech of metal behind me. Out of instincts I brought the sword up to block, needing to use both hands to control the weight knowing where the blade would be by the sounds, metal meeting as Shruck was now face to face with me.

Fire erupted from the melted blade and Shruck spoke something that was full of contempt.

(Would you just shut up,) one of my hands slipping up, covering where the ax met his stump. With that in place I held him still and head butted him, shocking him with the act and making him pause for a few seconds. That was all I needed, flaring my wings up between us, obscuring his vision, and turning as I drifted back slightly, rising the sword. I put all my strength into the weapon and the movement, I didn't bother pulling my wings away, simply slashing through them, feeling a momentary pause, a slight jerk that didn't last as the weapon kept moving forward. In a moment it was over, the weapon passing all the way through, and I pulled my wings back, Shruck head now floating in the swirling green void, his body a few inches away and slowly floating away from the head.

"Well done," the knights voice still weak but giving the purple glow the fire around his fire slowly growing back.

(I didn't do it for you,) looking away from the decapitated ghost, back to the ghost in black armor, (I said I wouldn't kill him in cold blood, I said nothing about defending myself.) I paused for a moment, (he is dead right?)

I heard something like the sound of a soda that had been shaken to much in a can mixed with sizzling bacon behind me. I did a quick look back just in case it was going to be bad. "Death is not the word," the knights cold hand coming to rest on my shoulder, "he has been extinguished, his spirit pierced to the core an event that causes him to lose cohesion, essentially death for the dead."

(I've seen ghosts take worse….)

"No you haven't," his eyes on the sword in my hand, "they may have taken greater physical damage, but nothing compared to what that blade can do."

(I don't understand,) looking at it myself, a little shocked to see smoke rising off the blade, quickly incasing it, yet the metal wasn't hot and I never lost my grip on it. Pulling it up I cut through the fog and where had once been a large frightening sword was now something smaller, but still with the hint or danger. It was about the size of the Soul Shredder, but thinner, and still double edged, all in all it looked rather plain, no different from any standard sword.

"It's lost it's connection," looking up at me.

(It's what?)

"This is a special blade," his eyes going back to it, "one of forty-six, forged long ago, a mix of magic and metal work long since purged from existence out of fear, ignorance, progress and a thousand other reasons I couldn't even begin to list. Like the knowledge many of this blades sisters were lost, some in battle, some to insure their secrets didn't fall into the hands of others that would abuse them. Your holding what may be the last of it's kind."

(What about the connection, what does that have to do with anything.)

"Everything, this weapon reflects the holder, becomes what he or she needs it to be. What you say was what Shruck made it, it's destructiveness, it's abilities to instill fear, those were his gifts to it, now that he is no longer it's master it can no longer do these things. What it will become next is all in the hands and mind of whoever takes it up next."

(You gave it to him didn't you,) having a feeling that was the only way he could know everything about it that he did.

He nodded, "long ago yes, it served me well for many years."

(He took it from you,) hearing regret in his voice.

"No," shaking his head, his fire growing a little more, "I gave it to him, back when I still believed he had the markings of an honorable warrior. Had I not done so the danger he presented would not be as great as it was."

I at the weapon now it my hand as he said it, wondering what it had been when he had wielded it, (you want it back don't you.)

That made him laugh, "I already have two swords and death didn't see fit to arm me with more hands than that."

That brought my attention to the Lightning Blade, (what will you be doing with it,) not having to clarify what I meant, my tone enough of a clue.

He examined the silver blade, "what I've been doing, hiding it, ensuring those that would abuse it never have the chance and making sure the circle of three is never completed."

(The what,) not sure if I believed him.

"How I've come to think of the Lightning Blade, the Crown or Fire, and Ring of Rage. All three are linked, each effecting and interacting with the others. The crown provides wisdom and knowledge, the essence of magic and power, the ring is a power source, drawing energy from the heart of the Ghost Zone, the sword gives skill and knowledge of combat as well as any weapon one can imagine from that time, among other things," his eyes seemed to smile. "Through those functions all three and intertwined, the knowledge the crown provides wisdom to use the sword properly and the ability to regulate the power coming from the ring. The ring gives power to the body, enough to handle the influx of knowledge that comes with it, just as in turn it gives power to the sword. Sword provided an outlet for the influx of power and gives balance to the knowledge with the steel edge of practicality and reality. Using any alone is dangerous, the crown can easily cause destroy the mind, few capable of handling that much information without some form of regulator. Like wise the ring will tear the body of any who would use it apart if they can not expel the power as quickly as it comes in. The sword in turns draws power from the holder, easily killing them if they are not strong enough."

(Like it almost did with you,) understand what had happened.

"Yes," nodding, "I am stronger than most ghosts and have a greater degree of control over the energy in my body. I was able to regulate it to a point, but only to a point it will take time before I have returned to my full strength. I believe that is what happened to you as well."

(Meaning?)

"As I said you had a fraction of the blade in you, when you called upon it, it literally ate you alive, feeding on your power. Had it not been for the nature of your abilities you would most likely have perished that first night, how you held out this long is a mystery to me."

(Yeah,) holding back my experience with the snake, having a feeling there was more to that story than either of us knew. (So your going to keep the sword away from Vlad?)

"Yes," looking back to his new sword, "Vlad cannot be trusted with this, he doesn't understand the danger it presents, and so long as he only has the crown he cannot move forward with his plans for the three weapons."

(Do you know what it is,) I didn't have the strength to try and be subtle anymore.

"No," looking back to me, "he does not trust me that much."

(I wonder why,) something close to a laugh slipping out of my beak.

"Indeed," joining me for a moment.

After we stopped I looked back at the sword in my hand, (so what should be done with this then?)

He ran his fingers over the weapon before looking at me, "keep it," staring me in the eyes, "consider it a masters gift to a student."

That caught me by surprise, (not going to happen,) the feathers on my head raising, a slight hiss slipping past my beak as flapped and slipped away from him.

He didn't seem to thrilled about that, "stop fighting this Tobias, you have talent, but your untrained I could make you better, stronger, faster. I could turn you into a true warrior, I could give you a true purpose, make you what you were always meant to be," reaching a hand out to me.

(What is it with you people,) slapping it away, (why is it everyone thinks I want to be something else, why does everyone assume I want to be a fighter, or protected, or honored, WHY,) snapping at him mentally.

"You don't," I got the impression he wasn't that use to rejection.

(I'm happy the way I am, I'm not looking for a fight, not anymore. All I want as a normal life as I can get, which granted isn't saying much but I don't want to be some great warrior, I just want to be me. If a fight comes I'll answer it, if something comes for my friends, for my family, I won't run and I'll make it wish it had never come near them but I won't go looking for one. I just want to be myself.)

That made him laugh, but not the frightening laugh I had expected, it was genuine, pure, happy. "Your very wise," looking at me in a way that made me want to run, "I wish I had come to that understanding so long ago, before I ended up on this path. All the same however my offer still stands, there are things I can teach you, things you may find of interest and use."

Looking from him to the blade in my hand, (I'll think about it,, so I guess you want this back,) holding out the weapon.

He shook his head, "as I said it is a gift, consider it recognition of your skill, I look forward to seeing what it will grow into in you hands." With that he floated over to what remains of Shruck and grabbed the still intact sheath and threw it at me.

When I grabbed it I looked it other, the color shifting to red brown, (interesting feature,) wary of accepting the gift. His eyes smiled, and it made me nervous, but before I could do anything the straps came to life, wrapping around my arm. (Son of a,) tearing at the material, but not getting it before it moved, the cloth jumping around my body quickly, coming to a stop on my back, the sheath settling between my wings, the straps jumping over my right shoulder and left hip linking together when they met. (What is that,) tearing at the cloth but unable to cut it.

"Don't worry," a slight chuck tinting his words, "it's just adapting to you, I think it's done already anyway."

(Adapting,) pausing as it stopped, suddenly realizing it felt weird, not bad, just like it had always been there, like it was suppose to be there.

"As I said the sword is a reflection of the holder, the scabbard is part of the sword so it to is part of you. To that extent they wish to be built so that you can use them easily, freely."

I wasn't sure I believed him, but so far he hadn't lied to me, (alright,) looking at the sword, watching it shift in my hand. It stayed largely the same, thin double edged blade, same silver color, the grip however was now the same rust red of the sheath and my tail. The end of the hilt in turn shifted slightly, a claw emerging form if, the same as the ones on my talons, slightly curved.

"It's already begun, interesting."

(So when does it become that ugly thing Shruck had?)

"As I said it becomes what you need it to be, that's what he needed, you will need something else. However it is an evolving process, taking years for it to grow beyond it's current form….I think."

(You think?)

"I have never seen it change that quickly, it was a small change true, but more than I've seen happen after years."

(That's something to look forward to,) slipping the blade over my shoulder and sheathing it, the act feeling natural, thoughts of what this may mean for the moment at bay.

"We should get you back home, the last thing I need right now is one of your friends to decide they need to come looking for you only to find me."

He started moving, his movements slow enough for me to grab him by the arm and stop him. (Look,) the words making him look at me, (you've been straight with me so far and I'm taking a risk letting you keep the Lightning Blade.)

"I understand that, but you'll just have to trust me."

(I've trusted a lot of people that have burned me,) closing my eyes, (if you or Vlad come after us with that weapon….)

"I am fully aware of what you could do, I've studied you, I've listened to David's stories before Vlad took his free will, as well as after since those tales are a bit truer. Angering you is very dangerous for us, thankfully you have other priorities, and morals that keep you in check."

(And I have a feeling you're the same way. I remember when I was held by Vlad, you were in on things in the beginning but as things went along you stopped being apart of it, at least of your own free will. Your taking orders from him, you don't want to be there and more than I want you to be there.)

"That is true, but I owe Vlad a debt."

(And you have your own plans, I'm not stupid enough to believe otherwise, and your interest in the sword is a good indicator of what that is.)

"He needs to be managed, all despots do. With in their inner circle a voice of reason must be heard, for now that must be me till he either gains it himself or is otherwise removed as a danger from the world at large."

(And your saying I'm playing a dangerous game.)

"As I said you and I are a great deal alike."

I exhaled loudly at that, (I'm not sure I trust you,) looking up at him slowly, (and I'm not going to be your student, especially after all this, but if you need an ally, someone you know won't stab you in the back if the situation is to bleak, if I can, I'll come,) putting my hand out.

He looked at it for a moment, "you may not trust me now, but know I do not lie to those who entrust themselves to my care," gripping my wrist, something I did in turn, "and I hope for your sake I never have to take you up on that offer." He looked the way we had come after that, "now come, we have a great deal of distance to cover and little time to do it in."

* * *

**DP Style**

"Chainsaws to much?"

"Just a little."

"How can chainsaws be to much but my flesh eating ravens are fine?"

"That's just one of life's great mysteries, that and I know you like ravens."

"All right, ravens with chainsaws cutting off their legs while being held upside down on a spider web that's slowly coming loose with an industrial wood chipper beneath them?"

"You're a sick twisted girl Samantha."

"Your not the first person to tell me that but you're the first person that makes me think it's a complement."

"It wasn't but take it that way," the redhead stretching her back as moved in her chair, trying to work out a knot, "so are you starting to feel better?"

With a small little smile on her face Sam folded the notebook, the yellow cover a stark contrast to the girl who wrote in it. Taking a deep breath, "I do, weird but I do," patting the book, the material within easily getting her locked away if her parents ever got a hold of it.

"Told you so," putting her arms behind her head, still trying to work out a kink, the result of sitting in the chair for over an hour while Sam vented.

Sitting on the edge of the table in the Fenton's basement Sam tapped the book before finally picking it up and tossing it to the other girl. "Do me a favor," watching the pages ruffle as it flew into the girls hand, "burn this now, I can't let my parents find this….ever."

"What," waving herself with it, "it's just full of violent revenge fantasies, cursing, detailed plans for ranging from murder to humiliation, and pretty much the darkest side of your psych I've ever seen."

Shrugging, "I know for some reason I think my parents will just blow the whole thing out of proportions," another laugh slipping past her lips. Shaking her head, "I still can't believe that helped as much as it did, for the first time in a while I don't actually care about the next time I see those idiots."

"The old ways are the best," starting to thumb through the book, "just write everything down, anything that bothers you, anything that comes to mind, just write and write till you can't feel anything anymore, till all the anger at someone or something is gone. Better to do it in the realm of fiction where it can't hurt anyone than acting out on it in reality."

"And yet if anyone found it they'd think it was insane and lock me away for conspiracy to commit murder."

"I know it's a horrible double standard considering for some it's the only thing keeping them from acting out on those desires."

"Life simply isn't fair, now burn the book," flexing her hand, all the writing making it hurt a little, but despite that brief pain she was glad she'd done what Jazz had asked. When the girl had asked her to write out everything she'd felt, all the anger, all the rage, things that made her want to scream, she'd thought it was going to be a waste of time. Yet now, after it was done she was glad she'd gone along with it, she did actually feel better, she was still a little ticked off, but a large portion had been exercised, swept away in the flurry of words that came pouring out of her. This wasn't the first time she'd done something like this, having gone though a morbid poetry phase that more or less left a bad taste in her mouth except for the occasional haiku, but this was the first time she'd been this extensive and gone on for this long, at least in part thanks to Jazz not letting her stop till the whole book had been filled with text, some large some small, but all in her own words.

"Twisted ramblings of a teenage mind," a section of the book catching Jazz's mind.

"Please like your's wouldn't look like that."

"I've done books like this, didn't amount anywhere near most of this, of course I haven't done one since I met Tobias so whole knows what I'd discover about myself now."

Sam could only laugh a little at that, "by all means don't let me read those future volumes, I have a feeling your screwed up enough for both of us."

"Glass houses and stones Sam," waving the book in front of her.

"I'm not going out with a guy that eats rats Jazz."

"Birdie and I aren't going out," pointing the notebook at her, "and I have all the cards here remember."

"You also have to many morals to blackmail me," ripping the book form her grip, "you also have nothing to blackmail me with anymore."

Tapping the side of her head, "still all up here."

"Along with everything I know about you."

This made Jazz laugh, if Sam was threading her, no matter how playfully it meant she was feeling a lot better. "So what are you going to do about those girls?"

Shrugging and leaning back against the wall, "same thing I always do, ignore them, wait to get out of high school so I never have to see them again, past that I'm not sure."

"Might want to ask my brother to help, I know he does things to Dash from time to time."

"What happened to, don't abuse our abilities, don't act on the negative, be stronger than concepts like revenge."

"A wise man once said everything in moderation," leaning back in her chair.

"I fear for anyone that actually pays you to help them."

"At this rate that's never going to happen," leaning back in her chair, and falling over as the alarms when off. "WHAT IS THAT," bolting up right, consoles coming online, lights flashing.

Sam jumped off the table and ran over to one screen, "we got two incoming, no idea what they are but they're coming in fast."

"Can you see them," calling up the gorilla DNA that was apart of her, wishing her parents or brother were here so they could handle this.

"I don't know this stuff well enough to do that," looking back at her , "raven star," her costume coming to life and forming around her body, incasing her in purple and black. For a second she was blind as the mask came into place and covered her eyes, but by the time she could see the screen she hiss, "wait," making sure she was seeing was the truth. "Looks like one of them stopped, the others still coming, but the other's," looking away and grabbing a glace to Jazz, "turning around," her voice taking on a quizzical quality.

(That's either really good or really bad.)

"How can you tell," looking back to the screen.

(If only one ghost comes to us then it's good, if the ghost leaving is calling up an army just out of range then it's bad beyond words.)

Sam knew what she meant, "total ghost evaluation just like what happened with Pariah Dark."

(I really hope this isn't another one of Vlad's plans,) limbering up her arms ready to hit whatever came through the portal, assuming it could get through. (This only opens for certain people,) the realization coming over Jazz, (what does this ghost think he's doing?)

Pulling her gun, the weapon glowing deep crimson as power flowed through it, not ready to take the chance Jazz was right. "It's a ghost who knows what they think most of the time, for all we know it has someway to get through or doesn't know better."

Her lips involuntarily went up at that, showing her large teeth, not liking the potential options, (I really wish life was still simple.)

"I'd settle for slightly entertaining with a hint of the peculiar myself beside a normal life means I can't fly anymore."

Jazz had to admit she had a point there, (yeah like what you do on that board is flying.)

"Better than you and those scrawny wings."

(When we're done with this let say we test that,) drumming her toes on the metal floor, unsure what was going on. (You sure it's still moving towards us?)

Grabbing a quick look, "still coming."

The drumming getting faster, (well this is getting boring,) the doors to the Fenton portal sliding open, (well this is bad,) charging forward and punching at the green vortex. Her hand was caught at the wrist and she was pulled forward, not quite into the Ghost Zone but close. Planting you foot on the ground she kicked with the other nearly pulling herself into the zone as the target started to fall back only to surge forward and knock them both to the ground.

(Nice hit,) groaning into her mind as he smiled down at her, his abdomen killing him, her foot feeling like it had shattered a bone or two.

(Birdie,) looking into his gold eyes.

(That would be me yes,) flapping his wings and rising off her, his hands going to his body on instinct, (and you might want to know what your hitting before you strike.)

(Birdie,) her thoughts growing my concerned as she looked over at the locking doors.

Sam pulled her attention from the two to get a look back at the scanner, "we're clear, raven star," her clothing receding and letting her return to normal.

Rising to her feet Jazz was demorphing in case her parents showed up and decided to shoot first ask questions later, then again she was guilty of the same thing she realized. "Birdie what on Earth is going on, what were you doing in there, what are you doing like that?"

(That's complicated,) moving back slowly over to a table, beginning to grow smaller, his wings coming up and hiding his body in a cocoon of feathers.

Jazz was on top of things before his arms could retract, "Sam, under my bed is first aid kit, get it before he finishes and kills himself."

(I don't think that's a problem,) whipping his wings back, his glow fading, completely healthy looking, without a trace of blood on him.

Sam looked back as he said the words, slowing her decent till she stopped and came back down, with some speed, but still with a degree of hesitation. "You ok Tobias?"

Leaning his head to either side, a small crack coming as he did so, (I think so, it's been a weird day for me.)

Jazz squatted down to look him in the eyes, "start talking, tell me everything we need to know if your abilities have mutated, gotten better or worse."

For a moment he considered lying, or at the least altering the truth a bit, but in the end decided he'd been keeping enough secrets from them since they'd met and he didn't need anymore. Taking a deep breath he went off about everything that had happened that day, every detail, the fight, his agreement with the Fright Knight, what he was doing with Vlad, the sword that had been on his back, now gone, seemingly absorbed into the alternate form.

When he had finished Jazz was red in the face, wanting to scream at him, to hit him, to break his neck for doing something that stupid without telling any of them. She couldn't even face him she was so mad, turning away and starting to pace, grabbing quick glances her temper flaring than dieing away as she shifted from anger to relief that he was ok. "You said," her words slow and controlled, finally speaking after several minutes, "you wouldn't do things like this anymore. That you'd let us help you, that you wouldn't just go off on your own to settle some score, you said your days of running were over."

(Jazz.)

"Shut your beak," she snapped holding back tears, "you said you were going to be careful, you said you were going to trust us. How could you do this, how could you just run without telling anyone anything. What if you had failed, you know what that would've done to us, to me, to never know if you were ok, to know what had happened to you?"

He couldn't look at her, his feathers drooping, (he asked, I came, it might not have been smart but I had to get this thing out of me and I didn't want to expose you to what the Fright Knight had told me about.) Looking dead up at her, (I didn't even know if he was telling me the truth, if it was a trap I didn't want to lead you into the middle of it.)

"All the more reason you should've told us," starting to shake, Sam putting a hand on her shoulder to try and calm her down.

"Lets just calm down ok," the goth trying to cool down the situation, "everyone's one ok that all that matters." Looking at the bird, "he's an idiot we've all known that for a while now, it's not like he can help it, to many years of thinking like a action star has corrupted his brain. That aside he was doing it for us, and it's not like he was alone during the whole thing, ok who he was with wouldn't be anyone's first choice but at least it was someone." Looking over at Jazz, "and you need to calm down, people don't change that fast, you should expect him to just go against everything he's known. He's here, he's alive, and he seems to be better, lets focus on that for a while and you can rip his throat out later, preferably when I'm not here."

"Crazy dangerous, stupid," every word sounding like is was a death sentence.

(I've lived by those words for as long as I can remember.)

"BIRDIE," her hair starting to turn white.

"AGAIN," Sam getting between the two of them, "calm down," the words an unmistakable order and physically making the other girl sit down. Sighing she looked back to Tobias, "now are you sure your ok, that whatever happened to you isn't going to back fire."

(I don't know,) shrugging his wings, (I talked to the Fright Knight a little bit on the way back, he has an idea what happened apparently he's put some thought into this, he's also sending off some serious stalker vibes.)

"You made that clear by the whole, wanting you to be his student thing."

(No kidding,) leaning his head back, (any way he thinks it's possible the thing I was seeing was actually part of the sword, one of the ghosts sacrificed to make it, maybe all of them made one, he wasn't really sure. Either it being in me as long as it was had some kind of long term side effect or whatever I did when I was trying to get it out effected it.)

"Effected it," Sam's voice both wary and disgusted at the same time.

(I don't know,) preening his right wing, the act helping him think, (talking to me, testing me, something, I saw past fights, past conflicts. Near the end when it came out of me it actually talked, said I reminded it of why it existed, and I don't know, it said I was worthy of living. I really don't know, I don't.)

"So what are you, living dead," the words coming from Jazz, the words calm and forcefully cool and indifferent.

(I don't know,) closing his eyes, (I'm alive I think, I breath, I bleed, I have a pulse, all that really says I'm alive but with everything I've seen how can I be sure.)

"And the other body?"

(It's not the same, I have more control, and the on rush of energy, the burning build up isn't there anymore. It's more controlled now, if anything it's more like morphing but different, something underneath the normal feeling, it's not something I can put into words. Whatever is happening I think it's safer then it was before, I don't think it's going to kill me at least no more so than anything I become.)

Sam looked over at Jazz, "you want to run some tests?"

"Not really," folding her arms, "but I don't think we have any other options, you carry him," walking off in a huff and disappeared up the stairs, heading to the command center.

(I'm a dead man aren't I?)

"You'd be safer dead," tapping her right shoulder, Tobias flapping up onto it, "don't worry though I'll try and keep the sharper instruments away from her."

(Thanks Sam.)

* * *

**DP Style**

"You are insane," tapping his cup on his friends.

"Insane like a fox."

Taking a sip, "that made absolutely no sense at all."

Leaning back into the cushion of the booth, "give me a break it's been along day and I've been lying my butt off for most of it."

"That good huh," popping a French fry into his mouth and looking around the Nasty Burger, most of the people gone. Leaning in to get a little closer, "seriously it go that well?"

Pushing his glasses up and moving in closer to his friend, "that's relative, I was able to set her straight on who the bad ghosts were, who were just annoying, and which were benign."

"I'm sensing a but here Tuck."

"I can't convince her Phantom and the ghost bird aren't a bad guys but at least I convinced they're intentions are good they're just a little miss guided some of the time. She more or less agreed as long as they don't bother her she won't go after them, provided of course they don't cause any massive damage on par with the mall."

"Small miracles," sighing loudly and for a long time.

"Hey I did my best," grabbing a chili fry from the basket, "she's willing to move only so far and at least I convinced her who wasn't enemy number one anymore. Believe me she holds a grudge, she still considers the pup to be her mortal enemy."

All he could do was growl at that, "poor dog."

"Poor us."

"So bottom line, where is she?"

"Like I said she thinks Phantom is misguided, she believes everyone who works with him is likewise confused but she said she was willing to think about the possibility that she's wrong. She knows who the bad guys are and how to deal with them, and who to more or less leave alone and steer out of the way."

"So is this good news or bad news?"

Shrugging, "you guess is as good as mine."

"What line did she feed you anyway?"

"That her dad needed information but was to proud to talk to your parents, for all I know it's true but still. Actually it was kinda funny watching her struggle to keep her story straight most of the time, sometimes she'd get so into the whole thing that she'd completely lose her story."

"So you think we can bring her in," a little afraid of what his friend would say taking a sip of soda.

"As much as I want to say yes I just don't know. She needs the guidance, and she wants to do the job but…," looking for the right words, "look there's a good chance if you told her she'd shot us all."

Growling louder he leaned his head back and buried it into the plastic seat covering, "not what I want to heat Tuck."

Looking around to make sure Danny wasn't causing a scene, "what do you want out of me, give me a machine I can find anything, your sister is the ones that knows people. Lets face it me and the ladies not always on the same page," even only seeing part of Danny's face he knew what was coming, "and if you repeat that to Sam I will post the most humiliating things I have about you on the net within the next hour and I will make sure Dash gets them."

Not even moving his head, "I wasn't going there but if you insist."

"Don't," grabbing another fry, "I tell you I am lost here Danny."

"It's Val no ones get here."

"Not that, well yeah that to," exhaling loudly, "Paulina, Val, Nikki, I got no idea what to do."

That caught his interest, "don't tell me your going out with all of them now."

"I'm not really going out with any of them, one meeting with Paulina, a couple of online chats that was it. With Val the attractions always been there and we have a lot in common. Then there's Nikki…"

"Who's walking hardware."

"Exactly she's everything I want in a woman, she's literally in a computer and can look like anyone I want."

"Not to mention it plays into that old furry fetish you have."

That made him blush, "you said you'd never mention that."

"I say a lot of things and I should mention your not actually dating any of them so why does this matter. You just said you haven't really gone out with Paulina, Val is using you and Nikki, aside from the whole weird grossness factor is way to old for you."

"But I like them all."

"Not my concern, not my problem, and you need a shrink," pointing a fry at him.

"Come on I'm asking you for relationship advice her man, I give it to you all the time when you deal with Sam."

"Yes but I don't want it because….wait for it….I'm not interested in Sam."

"Yeah and I have three extra arms we all know you love her."

It was Danny's turn to blush followed by him cupping his ears, "la, la, la, I can't hear you."

"Mature."

"You're attracted to a robotic dog, your in no position to judge me," leaning back and looking out the window for a few moments. Taking a deep breath, "I'm probably the last person you should ask about this but here goes, pick one."

"And," shaking his head, trying to coax more from his friend a little lost.

"That's it, just pick one, don't care which, I really don't. Whoever they are just pick one if you try and do all three at once you will get caught and getting in the middle of that can't be good for you."

"'Do all three'," pushing his hat back and scratching his head, "you make it sound dirty," Danny just lifted an eyebrow, "ok so that thought entered my head once." Again he got the eyebrow, "ok more than once," still not getting off the hook, "ok a lot get, off me I've never had in with three girls before."

"Oh like I have," knowing where he was going by the way he looked, "and if you bring up Sam you will not like where you wake up."

"Fine," grabbing a look out the glass, "but your still not helping me."

"It's your decision not mine."

"Some best friend you are."

"No where in the fine print does it say I have to help you wrangle girls."

"'Warngle girls," giving him a weird look.

Shrugging, "don't know where that came from either."

* * *

**Tobias POV**

Keeping the hawk down was proving to be a problem with Jazz poking and prodding me with various instruments I'd seen before from my previous tests. What made this different however was back then she was calm and curious, now she was ticked off, knew what bothered me and took some kind of sadistic pleasure in causing me discomfort. Every time she brought a scanner near my face I tensed up, the hawk wanting to snap and bite, to rip it and her fingers from my face, to show my dominance over her, or at the least distract her long enough for me to escape.

"Ok that's enough," Sam pulling her away from me, about two seconds before the hawk got loose.

"I'm not done," looking back at me, a slight predatory growl in her words, the already tense situation only increasing.

"I think it's enough, so just tell us what you found."

Looking from me to her she walked over to the counter and typed a few things into the computer, the machine humming slightly as it crunched the numbers. I looked to Sam, who shard the look, it was pretty obvious she wasn't sure what was going on either, with Jazz or me at least beyond the surface situation. After several seconds I could see the screen shift, new information being listed on it, filling up several lines before finally stopping. She hummed a little while she read, not quite speaking the words aloud but enough to let us know she was still absorbing them.

Finally she turned, but didn't speak for a few seconds, just leaning back in the swiveling chair, I could tell by the look on her face she was mulling over the information, trying to figure out what they meant. "We need Tucker," her words slow, "I know a lot of this stuff but even then I can't be sure on all of this. Between what he knows about data and the more sensitive systems in the Eclipse we could get a closer idea of what's happened."

(This stuff was good enough before it came along and so were you,) I wasn't trying suck up with flattery, some insane hope she might forgive me, it was just the truth. (Given the options I trust what you can see a lot more than what he does.) I saw the faintest hint of a smile slip across her lips before being replaces by a scowl, but I knew her anger at me wouldn't last now. She was ticked but she'd get over it in time, something at some point making an impression on her, starting to break down her resentment at me.

Talking a deep breath, steadying herself and pushing a few stray strands of hair from her face, "everything is more or less back to normal in you hawk form at least according to the scans I did on you before any of this happened. More to the point they're almost identical, there's some difference in your chemical balance but nothing to be worried about everything's still in tolerance levels," scratching behind her right ear, "at least I think, I'm not a veterinarian."

(We know Jazz.)

"In any case things are looking better, I don't find any internal bleeding, bones are intact, basically everything after effect that was happening after you took that form is gone, your actually healthy now," pausing for a moment "or as much as you ever get."

(Funny, and the other form?)

"First off, as you know you can't seem to change into it from any other body at your disposal."

(Yeah I got that much,) having tried that just a few minutes before hand and feeling like I was going to bust a blood vessel, at least in those body's that had blood vessels.

She ignored my little out burst, "second and I don't know how to explain this this other form has a heart beat, as normal a thermal signature as you can have given it's one of a kind, muscles, blood, bones."

(Yeah figures that out when you broke one.)

"All in all," still ignoring me, (except for one thing I'd say that was a totally normal living creature."

"The glow," Sam beating me to it.

Turning her chair and looking back at the screen, "he defiantly has a ghost signature, there's no questions about that, but it's not like that of other ghosts," sighing deeply, I could see her muscles growing tense under her shirt, "truth is I've only seen one other anything like it."

(Your brother,) filling in the missing piece.

"Yeah," turning around, "that body is about as close to being half ghost as I can imagine without having other examples."

"You mean Vlad?"

"You know any others running around? If we could scan him, I could tell you something more concrete but with only Danny's information to go on it's mostly guess work."

(So I'm half ghost now,) a little nervous about that.

Shaking her head, "no, well yes but no too," leaning back trying to find the words. "Your not half ghost, I'm not seeing any of the signs in any other body, but single form is and I have no idea how to explain it."

"Maybe," the words coming slowly from Sam, like she wasn't sure what she was saying, "remember what Danny said about that possible future."

"Hard to forget Sam."

"Well he said that's kinda what Tobias looked like, maybe, and I'm just throwing this out, maybe he's somehow gaining access to his ghost."

I looked over at Jazz, (that even possible?)

"I have no idea," closing her eyes, "like I said we're in uncharted territory and we really need someone with a better handle to do this."

(Your doing fine Jazz,) looking past her to the screen.

"Ok," her eyes snapping open, "when you took that form you had the same energy spike that you do when you morph, same signature same everything. And given that the form is for all intents and purposes alive it might be possible that your morphing it. Of course it doesn't explain why it has a ghost signature but it's possible."

(Well the guy did say there might be after effects from having the energy in me and you said the same thing, so this might be it.)

"As good a theory as we have right now."

(And that would explain the flight,) thinking back to eh Ghost Zone and the limited time I'd been in the real world.

"Meaning birdie?"

(I know a little bit about aerodynamics and flight, at least as much as any bird can. I know about weight and shape and how that corresponds to wing size and the ability to generate lift. All that together in that body screams cannot fly. It's to big, to heavy, to badly formed to really be able to fly but it does, add that to the ability to move in the Ghost Zone it pretty much says something unnatural is giving me the ability to move in the air and given ghost and flight seems to be synonymous it seems like a reasonable leap.)

"Well things have really gotten more complicated," Sam blowing up and making the tips of her hair dance in the breeze.

Jazz was thinking about what I said, I could tell just by the look on her face, "it makes about as much sense as anything I was thinking."

"The sword," wanting to get off my problems.

Nodding but still keeping her eyes close, "as side from the fact that's it's from the Ghost Zone near as I can tells it's just a sword. The ghost signature doesn't show anything out of the ordinary, nothing in the way of an additional power signature, nothing that would lead me to believe that it's anything but that same unidentifiable metal that Skulker's exoframe is made of."

(Any chance that it might be some kind of homing or recording device?)

"And don't thing so," shaking her head, "from what you've said keeping tabs on you doesn't seem to be something he has a hard time of and it doesn't seem to register at all unless your in the hybrid form and even then pretty much nothing is given off."

"Any idea why it goes with that body?"

(Best guess is what he told me,) think back to the knights words, (the sword is part of me, but given it's a ghost weapon maybe it can only be used by a ghost body. Maybe it's hooked into that form that it goes and comes with the body, or maybe it's just like my clothing and just goes and comes with my body, but why I don't have to put the effort into it is a mystery to me.)

"Sounds probable, then again this is a ghost weapon forged thousands of years ago, who knows what it's capable of and why it does what it does."

(Good point.)

"By that logic for all we know the sword is going to eat him alive or drive him totally ape….," her words cutting off as he phone went off. Grabbing it her face went pail as she flipped it and turned from us, "something wrong," her voice cold, on the border of being terrified. After a moment the color returned and she gave a grateful exhale, the words that slipped out were barely audible but I could read her lips well enough, "thank you, thank you, thank you." Her voice picked up after that and I could hear Jazz getting closer to us, "right I'll be there in a few minutes, I love you," clicking the phone off, looking at us and her face going red. "I just told my mother I loved her didn't I?"

"If she was on the other ends then yes."

"She's never going to let me forget that."

"What did she say Sam," Jazz not even hiding how interested she was in the phone call.

Her face going a little back to normal but still smiling, "it's my grandmother, she's going to be ok, they got a couple of false results, a lab screw up or something, she just had a little cold, they think she'll be back on her feet in a few days," tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Grabbing her stuff and heading towards the door, "I gotta go, I need to get down there, my family wants to celebrate."

"Need a lift?"

"My parents are sending someone to get me I'll be ok," leaving my field of vision but from the sound taking several steps at a time.

Jazz watched her go down the stairs before turning back to me, "so what about us," her voice somber again.

(What about us?)

"You left."

(I had reasons.)

"Bad ones birdie, you already told me all of them."

(They seemed good to me at the time, come one Jazz you know me, everything in my head sounds good at the time.)

"You didn't tell us, you didn't give us any kind of clue what had happened."

(We're going in circles Jazz and I'm getting tired of it. I screwed up are you happy, I'm an idiot, a complete and total moron, I let the little voice in my head that says protect and live get out of control, I'm sorry.)

"You don't get it," turning her back on me.

This was starting to grow tiring, (get what,) really not understanding, pretty sure I had covered all the bases of my own stupidity.

"Your impossible," starting to walk down the stairs.

No way I was letting that happen, spreading my wings and beating her to the second floor, buzzing her along the way. (Jazz I live in a tree, I have poor personal skills, and I have no idea what a healthy relationship is with anyone living or dead, tell me what I'm not getting….please,) spreading my wings on the last word.

"You…huuuu….I can't….you…..you little," shaking her head, her body trembling in rage and rolling her eyes and storming away and heading into her room. Fast as she was she still couldn't out pace me as I flapped and slipped through the door jam before she could slam it. "Get out birdie," the warning holding death for me if I wasn't careful.

(No,) lightly digging my talons into the carpet, not enough to penetrate it but enough stay locked down, (Jazz just tell me what I did.)

She ran her fingers through her hair, on the verge of pulling clumps out, "what is wrong with you."

(Can you clear a couple of months off your calendar that could be a really long conversation.)

That got a another tiny smile out of her, one that lasted a bit longer than the one she'd flashed upstairs. She tried to go stone faced after that but it was harder, "you left."

That was all she said, I must have waited, just staring up at her waiting for her to finish the thought. When it became clear that wasn't going to happen, (and,) spreading my wings and cocking my head, really hoping I could get something more to go on.

"You said you wouldn't do that anymore," tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

That one took a few seconds to sink in, (yeah, for a few hours, to beat up a guy in the process probably saving my life….where is the problem here?)

"You didn't tell me, you could've died, you didn't tell me, it was an incredibly stupid risk, YOU DIDN'T TELL ME!"

(What was I suppose to say?)

"I don't know, something, your not alone and you can't keep acting like it, I thought you trusted us?"

(I do.)

"Then why not tell us?" her voice going soft, "why take everything out of our hands, I thought we were past that, that there was a trust between us."

(I do trust you.)

"Then why do this, and don't say to protect us cause that's not it. If you were bent on doing this, or pressed for time, you could've left some message, something to let us know what had happened. You didn't do that you just disappeared without anything, what if something had happened, what if you died."

(Jazz….)

"Don't given me that birdie," cutting me off, "don't tell me it was to spare me…spare us pain, I would've rather known what had happened than spend the rest of my life up at night wondering where you were. You can't think you're your alone anymore birdie, you have us, we care about you, if you disappear we're going to notice."

(I know,) I hadn't really been thinking about any of that, but heraing her say it made me understand why she was so mad at me, it did kinds play into my whole disappearing thing I couldn't seem to break away from.

"Then why?"

(I don't know Jazz,) looking her in the eyes, (I didn't plan on dieing even if I did I planned on coming back through the portal at some point to let you know.)

"That doesn't change anything," walking away and sitting on her bed, "what you did…"

(I know, I regretted it when I was there, but I am the way I am Jazz,) closing my eyes, her words really sinking in. (I'm expendable, I always have been, my aunt and uncle didn't care about me, if I died fighting the Yeerks only a few people would miss me, would changed and no body missed me, even now only you guys would think about me being gone.)

"Birdie."

(When you've been invisible as long as I've been you stop thinking about leaving a mark, the idea of letting people know stops being second nature and becomes almost a foreign concept. I'm sorry if this scared you, I just didn't think about it, not really, I just went I saw what was in front of me and went for it, I didn't mean to hurt you.)

She stared at me for a long time after that, the emotions flashing across her face rangers from grief to anger, to relief, and back again, several emotions I couldn't even place showing up from time to time. Finally she slid off her head and hugged me, the action not even bothering the hawk, look since having gotten use to this from her. "You are a complete idiot you know that?"

(I think I said it earlier.)

"You have to stop doing things like this birdie."

(I'm sorry for scaring you,) letting her hold me like that for almost an hour, not saying anything, just enjoying being close to her, hoping the bonds of trust we'd build hadn't been damaged by this, and once more wondering what else I didn't know about this girls mind.

* * *

**DP Style**

With a soft hiss the gates slide open and the Fright Knight walked out of the zone into Vlad's lair. Without a word he went intangible and slipped through the various floors to his room. He took a few moments to examine the room and make sure no new surveillance equipment had been installed before going about his business.

Pulling the transformed Lightning Blade from his belt, examining the needle like form he placed it into the one of his books, carefully, his fire flaring as he did so. "At last," placing the book back in place, "I finally have it, after all this times it's safe, or as safe as it can be now that it's been removed from it's fortress." That thought made his fire die down, "dark times are on the horizon for us, I have to find a place to hide this, to ensure that no one can take position of this, the question of how however is something I do not know, not yet anyway."

With a mighty sigh he pushed those thoughts form his mind and pulled his scroll from the wall and activated it, new the images many warriors rising up. A few words brought up the image of Shruck, younger and idealized, but still holding that dark aura. "A mistake snuffed off," picking up the quill and jotting down the information of his death, and the details of the final fight, the action taking many hours to list properly.

When it was over he pulled up Tobias' profile, noting the new developments in his abilities and crafting the image of his new form. "You have proven to be very interesting my young friend, very interesting indeed. Pity you didn't take me up on my offer, but all the same I see great potential in your future. You may yet offer me what I want, a true fight with a noble being who will not hold back yet will never press an advantage unfairly given. I hope for all our sakes we can keep this alliance quiet, I'd hate to lose what I've strived so long to gain."

* * *

**Authors notes**

Not totally happy with this chapter, after I finished I kept changing things around. First Shruck was named Arriss (and I'm not sure I got all mentions of his name removed), and he did have lines throughout the chapter. Then I went back and reread them and realized they weren't that good or presents that much in the way of the menace I wanted him to give off. Mixing that with the age he was suppose to be things felt wrong and I decided to go back to the language that Spectra used for her transformation several chapters ago. After a while thought that seemed like a cheat and to much work so I just cut out most of his lines all together, because in my mind a guy who you don't understand is much for frightening than one you do. Indecently the original name of Arriss was suppose to tie into Ares making it a little more clear just how much of a badass he is. As for why I fully killed him, I'm not big into original characters that insanely powerful and because he had that potential in my mind I didn't want to fall into that possibility so off he went.

This is turn plays into Tobias' upgrade. Yes this all ties into his earlier ghost appearance from the future, only different. You have my word he's not going to be developing powers right and left and becoming this unstoppable force, in my mind he only has one actual ghost ability (which is related to his ghost flight) the rest are based in hawk mode. His sword is likewise limited in my mind as to abilities, thus far amounting to three but their a very small three.

Why does this matter and did I do it, half because I just really wanted Tobias to have a half human half hawk from pretty much since the books were in print and because it made sense in my mind. That and since Tobias always seems to pay the biggest price for being in any fight, being effected by this new world seemed like a natural extension of his established track record.

This will in turn play out with Jazz later as I distinguish them a little further in the way they use their powers and the way their respective histories play into how they approach ghost fighting.

Mostly this was a way to fix things and try and reestablish in my mind the status quo because I was getting a lot of sub plot stories out there and was starting to lose track of a few of them. I'm not sure where I'm going to take some of them but I need to cut some of them down (at least Tucker's because I'm starting to many up and not going through with any of them).

At this stage up till a few days ago I only had 3 more story ideas left for this saga but I've been brain storming while in the car and came up with about 12 different potential stores, 2 of which have already made there way into the overall play in the series. I will be the next chapter and I'm actually really excited about it because it plays into an old plotline I opened up and have wanted to get back to but had no idea till I combined it with another plot idea that likewise was to weak to carry on a story but together seem to complement each other nicely.

Yes I know there are writing mistakes, I tried to pick them up but it seems every time I went through the story I'd find a few more. I've said it before I'll say it again I'm only human I only find so much.

Please R&R


	28. Making a Superstar p1

**Tobias POV**

(Pick it up birdie)

(I'm trying.)

"Come on rat eater I could do twice what you could at this point."

"You couldn't even control when you'd float after the first week let along long term flight."

"Not helping Sam."

(Would you guys just shut up.)

(Birdie.)

"Ah what's wrong mister hotshot flier can't get your ghost wings," Danny zipping in front of me and hanging upside down and staying just out of reach.

I'd been practicing with my new body which we had pretty well established was a morph that was apparently a half ghost, and we were still waiting on answerers as to how that was possible. In the week since it had happened I'd spent at least two hours a day working with at least one of the others on mastering my new mode of flight. And I'd spent even longer working alone. To say in that time I'd come a long way wouldn't quite be accurate, truth was I literally wasn't getting anywhere fast. I could float, I could vaguely steer, I could manage forward and a little of backwards, but I wasn't what you would call combat ready. (Get off my back Danny I'm not use to bodies without instincts to help me.)

"Ah so all that stuff about adaptation and you being the best of the best…."

(I never said I was the best,) cutting him off, (I said I used what I had and that kept me alive.)

"Still looks like someone was over estimating himself," bolting away from me quickly.

I snapped my beak, (like I didn't teach you half of what you know when it comes to flying.)

On my left Sam came up to me, her mask pulled back, her dark hair blowing in the breeze. She was sitting on her hover board not really looking to show off in the sky, just to talk to me more face to face, "I don't think you quite taught him half of what he knows."

(Well I helped refine it anyway,) defending myself.

She gave me a small smile at that, "that I'll give ya," a slight shift on her board let her descend back to the grass of the small clearing.

On my right Jazz had maintained a steady pace with me in her hobby body, (don't let them get to you birdie you'll figure it out.)

Shifting my wings, trying to stop in mid air, but doing little more than turning me into a spin, (never a question in my mind,) trying to stop myself. (I'll figure this out I just don't know how yet,) flapping again, my wings playing a part in controlling my flight but what exactly I still wasn't sure.

(Need a rest?)

(No I'm good, I just wish I had some clue where all the instincts that I had when I first took this form went. Well the first second time,) thinking back to the unique history of this body, (that is to say the first time I took this form when it wasn't being driven by a spirit from an all powerful sword.) Even as I said it I realized just how insane it sounded, (life has really gotten weird hasn't?)

(Gotten weird, life's been weird for me since I was a fetus.)

(True, mental image I didn't need, but still very true.)

"Same here sis" flying back in front of me, "keep some things to yourself," obviously the girl hadn't been using private thought speech. "I don't understand why your being so nice to him, he beat the crap out of me when he was teaching me."

Out of the corner of my eye I could see a few feathers rise in annoyance on the top of Jazz's head, (different teaching styles Danny.)

"Nice way of saying you care about your boyfriend more than your brother," his eyes flashing green for a moment, if it was out of anger or intentional I wasn't sure.

(Not my boyfriend)

(Not her boyfriend,) we barked into his mind simultaneously. His eyes went large as we said it and his feet released a flash of green energy putting a considerable distance between us. (What was that about,) grabbing a quick look at Jazz.

She gave me a quick look, (what do you think birdie?)

I wasn't sure what she was talking about till I caught sight of my arm and followed it up, my hand wrapped around the hilt of my sword coming out from behind my shoulder. (Crap I did it again,) pulling my arm away.

(You have to get a handle on that birdie,) flying closer to me.

Closing my eyes for a moment, (I know,) wishing it was just that simple. Something weird was going on, when I took this form and someone ticked me off sometimes I'd find myself grabbing for my weapon, most of the time it was completely unconscious. Added to that I had virtually no training with a weapon aside from a little experience I'd gotten from Sam and Jazz prior to all this when I was trying to expand what I could do in a fight, not to mention the things I'd been learning since. Despite that every time I went for the sword it was like it was second nature, like I'd always been going for it when something got in my way. It scared me, thankfully I'd never actually used it on any one, the simple act of going for it enough to stop whoever was getting under my skin.

(You sure you don't want to rest,) her thoughts full of warmth while she smiled at me with her eyes.

Looking at my hands and curling it a few times reflexively I nodded my head, (yeah I think that would be a good idea.) With that thought I curled my wings around my body, for a few moment all I was able to see was a mass of feathers but I could feel the changes happening in my body. Arms and wings merging, the sword and sheath sucking into my back, body parts shrinking. All that aside the part that still got me was the flight ability running through me, keeping me aloft while all this happened that bothered me the most, the act feeling unnatural. It was an unnerving experience for me, feeling like I needed wings to fly. By the time I pulled the wings away I was back to being a normal hawk my wings now taking over as my means of flight. (Better,) pulling my wings near me and doing a quick barrel roll in the sky and sailed over to Jazz and steadied myself next to her.

She pulled into a dive a headed for the ground, (try and catch me.)

(Like you can beat me,) pulling my wings close and pulling into a dive, catching up to her after a second, the ground coming up at us quickly. (Beep beep,) pulling my wings closer and moving past her I shifted a tail feather and zipped in front of her.

(I don't think so birdie,) as she shot under me and arced up in front of me taking the lead.

(Never should've taught you how to draft,) letting her meet the air, wind resistance not something I had to worry about with her in front. Even with her there I could see the grass coming up to meet us, even with the slight edge her smaller form gave her I still knew more about the sky than she did. I read the sky, finding a small breeze that merged with the vortex coming from Jazz, that was enough, but I had to time it right, the ground getting closer every second. I waited till the last second and shot in front of her. Behind me I could hear her flare her wings, not expecting me to cut her off that badly and subsequently slowing down to deal with the turbulence I had caused. With the ground a few feet below me I spread my wings, killing my own speed, pulled up slightly and grew parallel with the ground and after a few flaps set down perfectly on the soft warm grass.

I heard the subtle whistle behind me but couldn't do anything about it, a moment later Jazz lightly driving her feet into the back of my head and pushing me into the ground. My beak lodged into the ground and the hawk let out a little squawk and for a moment I lost control as it thought it was under attack and wanted to rip Jazz's throat out. (Real mature Jasmine.)

Dropping her head down to look me in the eyes, (I try,) a wave of red hair falling out of her head as she demorphed.

"Remember when she use to be the most grown up of us and use to preach tolerance and acceptance."

"I know I'm glad those days are gone," a smugness in Jazz's words as her boots came into view, "need a hand there feathers?"

Jerking my head out of the ground, (no I'm good I walked into that one.)

"Remember that next time birdie," Jazz ruffling the feathers on my head and picking me up and tossing me into the sky lightly. A quick spread of my wings and a flap and I landed over in a tree above them, my talons sinking into the soft wood.

(Like I need a reminder not to tick you off.)

"Doesn't hurt to reinforce it every now and then," smiling up at me like a cat that took down a bird.

"Stop the flirting please I just ate a few hours ago," the words making me look at Danny who was covering his face with his hands.

I cocked my head to the side, (was that flirting,) looking at Jazz.

She put on an innocent look and playfully scratched the back of her head with one finger, "I don't know but you could come down here and we could start if it would shut my brother up," giving me an exaggerated sultry look.

I grabbed enough of a look at Danny to see him break into a full body shiver, "and now I'm going to be sick," floating away from us.

Sam looked from him to us, "nice to know you two have finally worked things out," going after him.

I looked down at the redhead, (yeah I think we finally got everything out there didn't we?)

"Only if you stop being stupid," putting her arm up, a signal to me if I ever saw one. I flared my wings and dropped down, after a moment taking a perch in Jazz's shoulder, and nuzzling her gently on the cheek. "Don't get cute birdie," leaning into me slightly and starting after her brother, "so you really ok?"

(Stay near by, don't run off on my own, try and remember I'm not the hero of this story.)

"I don't know," moving her hand to the side of my head and stroking my feathers lightly, "you're a hero to me birdie, just remember you have us."

(I'll try Jazz, but you know me.)

She laughed lightly, an actual laugh not the fake one she'd been giving me when I said things like that lately, "old dogs and new trick, I know."

(So your brother ever going to be ok with us,) hearing him far ahead of us.

"It's just something he plays at birdie, deep down I think he's ok with us he just has to play the role of the little brother who hates to see his sitter happy."

(I think he likes playing it to much.)

"He may it's not really our problem," her pace never wavering, "so are you really ok with not getting control of your new body?"

(As long as it's not killing me I don't care,) closing my eyes.

She tapped me lighting with a nail for that, "don't be like that, tell me the truth."

(It's annoying ok,) fluffing myself lightly and pulling away from her finger and trying to resist the urge to bite it off. (For a long time now I've just gotten it, granted there were one of two bodies every now and then that gave me a problem but they were far and in between and didn't last long. Nothing like this, but then again everyone needs a challenge, something to work against, something to beat, and it's not like I need this body to fight ghosts I have plenty of other for that. At some point I'll get it, till then I'm just kind of enjoying the build up to finally figuring it out, besides it gives me a better idea what Danny is going through every time he gets a new ability.)

"A better understanding of my brother," the words full of disbelief, "I'm been studying my brother for years, trust me not a path you want to walk down."

(Yeah like he can screw me up any more than I already am.)

She thought about that for a second, "he'd make you worse."

(That's possible?)

"I think so."

(Then how about we get away from him?)

"And on to what exactly?"

Shrugging my wings, "I don't know anything," searching my mind for a topic, "how your parents doing?"

She flicked a few strands of hair from her face, "driving me nuts same as always," her shoulders slumping. "They think something might be wrong with the ghost portal or the tracking equipment, I don't know, they keep seeing a phantom ghost signature, or thing they do. For some reason they don't want to go after it, I'm not sure if mom's getting cautious or if she thinks it's a mistake of the equipment."

(Should we be worried?)

"I don't know, if something comes it comes but I don't think we should go out looking for something that might not even be there."

That made sense, (not like enough things aren't trying to kill us without going out of our way to find even more.) That kinda killed the mood for a few moments but then she started rubbing me behind the neck, near the base of my shoulder blades, making me coo slightly. I felt my body grow warm but enjoyed it for a few moments till I knew there was a problem, (what do you want Jazz?)

"The test for a GED is coming up soon birdie."

(I'm not ready yet Jazz.)

"You know everything birdie, inside and out you'll be fine."

I hated having this conversation, (Jazz I don't even remember the last time I had to take a test, I mean I literally don't remember it, I'm pretty sure one of the shots to the head I took just knocked it out of me.)

"Doesn't matter birdie, you promised me you'd do this."

(But I'm not going to pass and it's not like it'll do anything for me and that makes this whole thing kinda pointless.)

"Did you fight off an alien invasion?"

(More or less.)

"Did you escape an abusive family life?"

(Big yes.)

"Have you faced your own demons and grown stronger for it?"

(Kinda,) feeling her tense up through my feet, her flesh growing hot, (ok yes.)

She calmed down, "have you walked through fire and ice and found what you were looking for on the other side?"

(Fire and ice,) not sure where she got that from.

"Just stick to the question."

(Maybe not what I thought I was looking for but yes, I found what I needed,) pushing into her head, feeling her face grow hotter, knowing she was blushing.

Pushing back into my head, "then you have nothing to worry about birdie there's no way you can't pass the test so just go and do it."

(Your going to be a great psychologist Jazz.)

"We'll see birdie, we'll see."

"MY EYES ARE BLEEDING," Danny roaring, making jazz jump and making me fall off her and falling off her. She scrambled for me, hitting me in the wing and some how kicking me in the butt with her knee, in the end I ended up face down in the dirt again, me beak embedding in the ground. I stayed that way for a second before falling on my back, my beak still stuck in the ground.

"Birdie," Jazz dropping down next to me but not touching me, "are you ok?"

(Oh yeah sure I'm fine, THIS HURTS LIKE HELL,) flapping my wings and trying to turn over but not getting anywhere.

"One second," grabbing me and pulling me old, it was all I could do not to bite into her. By the time I was out I couldn't feel my legs.

(This is great,) going human, glad I could feel my legs again, "Thanks a lot Danny really appreciated that."

He couldn't even look at me, "sorry about that, didn't mean for that to happen."

"Yeah I'll bet," Jazz helping me up, "love to see what you did to guys around your sister who couldn't heal from back injuries this fast."

"Be smart and I won't have to," zipping off again and going invisible.

I shared a quick look with Jazz, "I'm a little confused was that an endorsement of us or not?"

"Like I said, he's just playing the role."

"Playing it to well if you ask me," stretching, feeling a phantom twinge in my back.

"We Fenton's cling to our roles sometime in excess of what we need to."

"Yeah figured that much out from your dad," I couldn't stop myself from sounding to cocky and got a look of death form the girl. I threw my hands up defensively, "not judging, lost that right when I saw Ax eat the entire contents of an ashtray, I understand overly enthusiastic family members."

Before she could yell at me her phone went off, she could she shook her head at that, "your butts been saved again birdie."

"It always is," watching her pull the phone.

Her face flashed annoyance for a moment when she saw the ID, "wonder what he wants," the way she said it made me wonder who was on the other end, cursing my weak human eyes. "I'm here," putting the phone to her ear, her face shifting to confusion, then anger, then something between rage and acceptance. All those emotions made me wonder who was there, a parent, someone from school, old boyfriend, stalker who was about to be in a world of trouble. Finally after several minutes of silent with the exception of an occasional hum or sigh she responded to the caller, "no you can't do anything not till we get there…no I don't care about this opportunity this has to be done right….because I said so…..yes there's a reason I have to kill my parents and I don't want witnesses," slapping the top half of the phone down.

I could determine if she'd been joking or venting when she said the words, either way it made me cautious, "I'm afraid to ask."

Her face went back to anger, like she was going to pick up our argument or vent on me, but in a flash it became soft, sympathetic, to say it freaked me out was un understatement. "There are difficulties at home," looking away from me, "DANNY GET OVER HERE NOW," the sudden bark making me jump.

"JAZZ," the hawk screaming in my mind, feeling the need to fly away.

She flashed back to me, "sorry birdie," her face was still soft, but her eyes had gone wild, intense, an odd combination in anyone.

"What is it Jazz?"

She closed her eyes, Danny phasing through a tree behind her, Sam slipping past a tree behind him, "and that's what I was waiting for.

"Come on sis it was a joke," he defended, "besides it not like it hurt him."

"DANNY," barking at him again, a threat in her voice, "DID YOU KNOW!?"

I've never seen him that scared before and jumped back in the sky, "no I didn't know it would hurt him."

"NOT THAT," taking a step towards him, her hair shifting white as her muscle mass increased under her clothing.

Sam shot between them on her board, "whatever he did it's not worth becoming an old child over," shooting a look back to him, "what did you do?"

"I don't know."

"Your telling me you didn't know what Tucker just called to tell me?"

"Tucker?"

"Tucker," Danny and I speaking as one, and sharing a look between the girls, each one looking back at us, "THAT DIDN'T MEAN ANYTHING," Danny defending us before I could, throwing his arms out.

A look crossed Sam's face that made my blood run cold, "a lesser person would take advantage of this situation."

"Don't you dare Sam," he hissed, his eyes going green, the light obscuring his features for a few seconds.

"Jazz what did he say," grabbing her arm lightly, wanting to know what had set her off so badly.

She looked back at me, "he was surfing the net…"

"VIXEN," cutting her off, not sure where that had come from, "get to the point here!"

"I'm getting there, he was surfing the net and….'Vixen'," her eyebrow lifting.

I shrugged, "it sounded good in my mind and the white hair does remind me a little of you arctic fox."

"The way your mind works scares me," her hair darkening back to her natural red, "anyway Tucker found something and I swear if you knew Danny I will kill you."

"KNOW WHAT," his eyes dieing down.

"Marco is coming to town to see our parents," shooting him a dirty look, the name making me feel like I'd been hit in the stomach.

Sam looked to each of us, "I'm sorry, name's familiar but not placing why at the moment."

"One of my former partners in crime, self proclaimed funny man, current movie star."

"Right," snapping her fingers, "I have some of his work on DVD."

"What do you mean he's seeing mom and dad," Danny slipping around Sam to get closer to his sister.

Looking from me to her brother, "according to the site Tucker found, he's coming here to see our parents because of a movies he's doing."

"Ghost Hunters Three," Danny saying what I was thinking.

"This has to do with the reunion more than that I'd bet," everything making sense in my mind, "why would you want to see professional ghost hunters more, a movie role or finding out why ghosts were at each others throats in front of our eyes."

"So what you think this is about revenge."

"Possibly Danny," closing my eyes, "if any part of the Marco I knew is still alive in him revenge it not out of the question. Rachel might've been the most violent, I might've been craziest, but Marco was the one that could bury his morals if it meant winning any faster."

"So we need to watch him?"

I shook my head, "I don't know, he might want revenge but he was also the big picture guy, and that should let him know he can't win if he goes after ghosts. That all being said who he was and who he is now aren't quite the same, he never went through those events, at least in his mind. Those differences might be enough to keep him from doing something stupid."

"Speaking of which," Jazz looked towards me but not meeting my eyes, "should we tell Rachel," the words obviously hard for her to say.

I moved closer and for a second considered hugging, but the action didn't seem appropriate, "the less she knows the better, right now better to keep things as quiet as we can than to invite trouble. Right now," stroking her cheek, "I think it's better to leave the past buried, for everyone involved."

"I'm going to be sick."

"Danny," hearing but not seeing Sam, a moment later a soft thud reaching my ears, "leave them alone," knowing from the sound she had hit him in the back of the head.

"So," a slight grunt in the half ghosts words, "when is he getting here," making us both look, his hand rubbing the back of his head as I'd predicted.

"Tucker didn't say, could be in a few days, could be a month, could just be a rumor some one threw up."

"Sounds like we need to go to the horses mouth," feathers sprouting from my body.

"Question is which one," Sam pulling her mask over her face.

"Birdie and I will hit up my parents and see if any of this is true, you two go talk to Tucker, see if he can find out any specifics, anything to confirm of deny what he found."

"Why do we have to talk to Tucker?"

"Why do you think little brother, he's your friend, it won't seem weird if your talking to him, and you don't know how to weasel information out of our parents."

Danny looked from her to me, "so I'm taking it animal puns are just another aspect of these abilities?"

(No,) flapping up into a tree, (she's just spending to much time around me and it's rubbing off on her in some unfortunate ways.)

He was going to say something but Sam grabbed his arm and turned him away, "just let it go Danny," her voice soothing, "let it go," both moving into the sky.

Jazz looked up at me, "you ok birdie?"

Looking up into the sky, (yeah…maybe…I don't know. If he's just coming to talk that's one thing and at the moment we have nothing to say other wise.)

"Not what I…," feathers covering her body, her mouth getting lost as her beak formed, (…meant,) shifting to thought speech. (I mean are you ok with the idea of seeing him given what happened last time?)

(The past is the past, you can't change it…ok we can, but we shouldn't, regardless I think I'll be ok.) Looking down at her, (I've dealt with this situation already, hard parts mostly out of the way.)

(Except you didn't talk to him back then, you may have to now,) spreading her wings and flapping up next to me.

(Cross that bridge when I come to it,) looking back to the sky, (do me a favor,) thinking ahead.

Nodding slightly, (sure birdie.)

(If I start to say anything stupid or get caught up in the past hurt me before I go to far, I don't care what you do just shut me up and do it hard.)

(Your giving me free reign to beat you?) obviously not expecting that to come out of me. (This isn't healthy birdie.)

Spreading my wings and looking up and down my feathered body, (in case you hadn't noticed I'm not a healthy individual, besides,) unable to keep a small laugh from slipping out, (better you doing it than your brother.)

(But he'd enjoy it more.)

(Hence why I don't want him doing it,) jumping off the ledge and heading back to town as fast as I could, unaware I had been in that much of a hurry till I actually got in the sky.

We talked a little on the way, but nothing major coming up, I think Jazz could tell I was eager to find out what was going on, maybe I was, I couldn't be sure. My body seemed to be in a hurry but I wasn't sure I really cared one way or the other. When we hit the city limits we spaced out, trying to make it appear that a redtailed hawk and a hobby weren't flying together, with the city on high alert for anything ghost we didn't need to give them a reason to get suspicious. Even spaced though it was like we were next to each other given our eyes and the range of our thought speech.

Jazz veered off when the giant sign on the side of her house became clear but still obscured by several of the surrounding building, slipping into an alley and demorphing while I landed several feet away and slipping into my human morph. A few minutes later she walked by me, and we headed the last few blocks to her home ready to interrogate those within. I had to suppress a laugh at that idea, we were going to interrogate people about Marco when he was the one who usually did the questioning, and where Jazz was subtle Marco had been significantly less so.

After a few feet Jazz poked me in the side, "we got company," tilting her head forward.

It wasn't hard to figure out what she meant, a car in front of the house I didn't recognize off the top of my head. "What do you bet this isn't going to be a total coincidence?"

"I'm betting someone else saw the story and are trying to get an autograph form him, if not more."

I could only smile at that, "amazing how they only come to your family when they need something isn't it?"

"The curse of being a Fenton," hitting the stairs, "now try not to look so intense, we don't want to scare off whoever's in there."

Till she said it I wasn't aware the usual intense look I wore as a hawk was still on my face, even as much as I'd been practicing getting back into the habit of showing emotions the 'hawk' mask still slipped on from time to time when I got stressed or focused. "Sorry about that," relaxing a little, letting more emotion show, a small smile slipping up, a natural reaction to Jazz being near me, "good luck getting everything out of them."

Placing her hand on the door knob, "I don't need luck," pushing it open.

"KIDS COME HERE," Jacks unmistakable voice ringing out, "YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS."

Under my breath I hissed, "subtlety isn't a word he understands is it?"

"Never has never will," his words equally hushed and dieing off as her father burst into the hallway, the orange jumpsuit almost blinding.

The second he saw me I could tell he wasn't happy, in part thanks to Jazz's mother he'd been forced to accept my presence near Jazz but still wasn't happy about it. Even my more recent actions in the Freakshow affair hadn't earned me much slack in his eyes. Despite that with Jazz at my side and his wife a few feet away I knew there wasn't much he could do to me, at least I hoped there wasn't, I'd learned a long time ago never to underestimate those with convictions or those that were a little bit nuts. Slowly he turned his attention solely on his daughter, "where's your brother?"

"I'm not sure, not like it's my job to keep track of him," I was amazed how good she'd gotten at lying since I met her, hardly able to tell myself.

A look of confusion crossed his face then vanished, "oh could've sworn you two left together."

"Again that doesn't mean anything, why are you looking for him?" the mild irritation in her voice slipping into innocence.

Again the goofy look on his face returned, as he threw an arm around her and pulled her away from me, "someone I want you to meet. Your parents are moving up in the world, finally getting the respect we deserve, soon everyone will know of our exploits and how we defend the world from the menace of the ghost scum."

"I'm pretty sure we talked about you narrating in front of my friend dad," watching her slip under his arm, despite myself I couldn't help grabbing a quick look at her butt as she did so.

The second I did I mentally slapped the back of my head and mouthed, "stop that."

"Friends," the larger man looking back, just missing my action, "oh right him, you might as well come to," throwing the arm back around her and pulling her into the room. I followed a moment later, the large man acting like a wall between us as her forced Jazz in front of him and kept me hidden from whoever was in the living room.

"Oh here's our daughter now," the words letting me know Maddie was there, confirming my earlier hope, a little anxiety of the possibility only Jazz was keeping him at bay now gone.

"If I might say the pictures don't do her justice," the voice making my blood run cold, everything about it bringing me back to days gone by despite the added depth that came from age. "If you were a few years older or I was a few years younger, that and if I wasn't expecting a kid."

"That's very kind," Maddie's voice unreadable to me.

"Always knew my girl had movie star looks," Jack belted.

"I…," even without seeing Jazz I could tell she was overly tense, like me she was probably having the same sense of familiarity.

"Jack," Maddie cutting off their daughter, "let him through."

The big man looked back and forth for a moment, "what…who?"

"I can see him behind you dear," her voice a mix of calm acceptance and mild annoyance, "hello Tobias."

"Mrs. Fenton," bowing slightly to her even if her husband hid me. After a few grudging seconds he moved aside letting me see my old friend who didn't even remember me, older, famous, but still Marco at his core despite the changes that had made. "Hello," the greeting simple but all I could think to say, all I could let myself say for fear of letting everything out as all the old times we'd spent together came pouring out, where they had been the last time I'd seen him I wasn't sure, possibly held back by my focus on David.

"Hey good to….," his words stopping, his breathing stopping as he grew pale, and for a brief moment I thought he might collapse. Something flashed in is eyes, what I wasn't sure, for a second I hoped it was familiarity but I knew that was a fools wish. About the time I saw Maddie grow tense, as though she was going to ask him something he came out of it. Shacking his head and running his fingers through his short hair, "that was weird."

"Are you all right," the older redhead leaning forward, I could only guess what she must've thought of him.

Color slowly returning to his face, his eyes lingering on me, "yeah," still rubbing his head, "just…I don't spaced out for a second. You got an older brother, cousin, uncle that really looks like you," the words making Jazz giggle uncontrollably for reasons we both understood, "I swear I should know you from somewhere."

"Uncle that's a little older than me but he doesn't look anything like me."

"Huh," leaning back, "must've been déjà vu, sorry, you meet so many people in my line of work you get it more than you might think, but," wiping some sweat off his forehead, "never had it like that before though."

"I might just have one of those faces," it was the only thing I could think to say.

"So Mister…," Jazz finding her words again and her giggling under control.

"Marco," cutting her off, "please just Marco, the second you need people to call you mister or sir is the second you start losing touch with real people. Lets face it the second that happens you can kiss your job goodbye, so please just call me Marco."

I watched Jazz smile softly at that, I could almost see behind her eyes to the wheels spinning in his mind as she started to evaluate him, tried to figure out who he was, where the mask ended and the reality began. Given she'd seen him in his younger days she had a slight edge in that regard but I guessed it was still going to be hard for her. "Alright….Marco," a slight shiver coursing though her body as she said the name, a normal person might've associated it with her meeting a rising star, I knew it was over her seeing someone who she'd risked her life with, at least vicariously though my memories.

"Go on," her dad pushing her forward slightly, "ask him why he's here," the grin on his face so huge I thought his face might crack.

She looked up at him, "subtle dad," looking back to her guest, "so why are you here?"

"Well," wiggling in place a little, I wasn't sure if he was trying to get comfortable or nervous, "a while back I was offered a role in Ghost Chasers three, I know it's been almost a decade since two came out and sequels that long after the fact that long have a tendency to bomb and my agent told me that but I loved the script, and I loved the first two movies. Anyway the third is partially based on exploits that happened in this town, or so I'm told anyway. Knowing that, and knowing if this movie is really going to make it I have to be on top of my game I thought, 'why not go to the source and get the real story behind the story, make this one to remember.' That and how often does a guy get to come to a haunted town and have somebody else pay all the bills."

He was smiling, Jack and Maddie were laughing at his joke, Jazz was trying to play along, a nervous laugh slipping past her lips. Personally I was trying not to let the hawk slip over my face, knowing there had to be more to the story. Finally I couldn't keep it down, "I'm sensing a but here," trying to look like I was interested but knowing anyone with a little training could see right past the facade.

Jack shot me a dirty look while the laughter died, an tense silence taking it's place. Marco finally broke it for us, pointing a finger at me, "defiantly something familiar about you, don't know what it is, but there's something there."

"As I said I'm sensing a but."

"Birdie," Jazz hissing at me, letting me know to be quite.

"It's alright," seemingly talking to himself, "thought I was a better actor than that," looking back to us. "He's right there is another reason I'm here that's a little more personal."

"And what would that be," Maddie's voice positively polar.

He closed his eyes and brought his hands together, "I thought I saw a ghost, several technically," his eyes opening, the orbs hard and cold, the same way they had looked when he was planning something ruthless back in the day. "It wasn't long ago, my old high school was having a reunion, I went to see some old friends and then they attacked. One nearly killed my best friends parents," his breathing growing raged, "tore them up something terrible, they're alive but they're expected to both need a few more surgery's before they look normal again," his voice growing dark. "From what they've told their son who told me, another ghost saved their lives, some kind of animal creature."

When he said it both Jack and Maddie shared a look, obviously tracing that back to Jazz and I even if they didn't know it. "We've had experience with those types," Maddie finally said, urging him to go on.

"Apparently after this good ghost had pulled the bad one away they ended up straight at our reunion where crazy one seemed to know me….know my friends. He went after us the same way he went after Jake's parents, only difference was we had help. The animal ghost, another with white hair who looks a lot like the ghost that's suppose to be here and a third that showed up later," locking his eyes closed.

"It was that frightening?"

"No Mrs. Fenton, she was my best friends cousin. I don't know where she came from but she…they saved our lives," his breathing growing steady again, deathly calm as some might say. "I know if it wasn't for them I'd be dead now," looking up at Jack, "I made him a promise, I told him…told Jake that I'd find out what happened to his cousin if I could, that I'd use the movie to get some answers if I was able. I told the producers all about what happened to me, that energized them caused them to rewrite some scenes, incorporated some elements of my life. Yeah it pushed things back but they're all sure it'll be better because of it. It also gave me a little more control since the movie is now semiautobiographical and that's pretty much why I'm here."

Several tense moments followed for us, but finally Maddie spoke, "ghost's are complicated creatures, like with people it's difficult to now what drives them some times. Often times they are malevolent creatures, seeking only power, vengeance, things they couldn't obtain in life. Others are guided by reasons we can't understand being humans, sometimes these reasons appear noble simply because we don't know better, because we don't understand why they do what they do. For a long time I believed these were the only reasons ghost's acted as they did," reaching to the table and picking up a fragile looking cup, "but more recent events have caused me to question how I view the motives of ghosts. To that extent, I do believe that there are noble ghost's out there, those that are primarily protective in nature, they are rare, make no mistake of it, and while I can only guess given what you have said it would appear you experienced such creatures that day."

"That's insane" Jack finally moving away from his daughter, "ghosts are all dangerous Maddie you know that."

"Jack," putting her hand on his impressive shoulder, "I know this is hard for you to hear but sometimes you have to reevaluate what you think in order to grow. Despite what's happened recently we have seen ghosts that have acted outside of what we originally believed to the norm for them, it is possible that the ghost he saw was as benign in nature as it's counter part was cruel."

"Maddie," trying to argue.

"Of course," putting her fingers on his lips, "this is all theory and like all theories it is open to interpretation and when you consider we truly know nothing about the ghost's he saw it's impossible to know exactly what they were." She looked back over to Marco but left her fingers in place on her husband, the sight almost making me laugh due to the absurdity. "I know that may not be what you want to hear, or perhaps it is, but you must understand we are scientists, stories told second hand can only take us so far without undisputed proof it's difficult to know exactly what you dealt with."

"Jakes not going to be happy about that."

"I'm sorry I can't give you more."

"No it's ok, it was a long shot at best."

"However if you want to know what we do we might be able to give you the knowledge to come to your own conclusion as to what you experienced."

"I'd like that."

Rising to her feet, "then please," putting the cup down, "follow me I'll give you a crash course on ghost lore, exploration and hunting. Come along dear," keeping her fingers in place on Jack, the large man in orange following her like an obedient puppy, Marco a step or two behind.

When they were gone a looked over at Jazz, "should I be more afraid of your mother or your dad?"

"Six in one half dozen in the other birdie."

"And I thought my family was weird."

"It is just in different ways," sighing, "weird that he remembered you isn't it?"

I nodded, "we need to call Nikki at some point see if she can explain it to us and you might want to keep Danny away from him, if he recognized me no matter how vaguely though Nikki's rework of history he can probably recognize your brother with a different hair color."

"He's not going to be happy about that."

"Better him not happy than his secret getting out," afraid of where this might end if he did have even the slightest idea Danny could be Phantom if he saw him standing in front of him. I forced the fear aside, "you believe what your mom said about ghosts being good?"

"First time I've heard of it, I'll have to get her alone and find out if it's the truth or if she was just paying him lip service and letting him hear what he wanted too."

"Sounded real to me Jazz then again I'm not sure how good she is at lying," honestly not remembering a situation where I knew for certain the woman wasn't telling the truth.

Jazz lingered for a moment then took my hand, "so you ok birdie?"

Taking a deep breath, "yeah, got a little chocked up there for a little bit when I saw him but I think I'm ok now. I guess being face to face with him and not having anything else to work with was a little weird, it's scary how much he still reminds me of the old him. Same bad jokes, same look to the eyes, same intensity in bad situations."

She folded her arms over her stomach and turned from me, starting to grow cold, "I thought it was just me there for a second."

I wanted to hit myself when she said it, she was worried about me when I needed to be worried about her. "What about you," moving a little closer to her, not exactly sure what else to do.

She hugged herself a little tighter, "I don't know," shivering slightly, "it's strange birdie, it's like I know him. I know it wasn't me and it wasn't for along time but it's still like I know him and now, I don't know, I have no idea how to measure the situation, nothing to compare it too."

Despite myself I laughed a little and got a dirty look from her in the process, "can't help it, now you know what I've gone through. All these memories of how things were and yet having the people that should be the closest to me not remember any of it, let alone me."

"Never really thought of it like that."

Putting my arm around her, "you get use to it, you move on, you find someone new to share memories with and make new ones in the process."

She hit me lightly with her hips, "that's sweet birdie, where'd you pick it up from a greeting card?"

"One of your books actually, I got bored and flipped through one once, I think it was the one on grief counseling."

Hitting me again, "only room in this relationship for one therapist and one patient."

"What you never heard of animal therapy?"

"No, pretty sure that doesn't exist."

"You know I saw it on tv, they do it in some prisons. They give convicts pets to take care of and in the process they learn empathy, how to care, the actual fundamentals of being human."

"That's counseling but it's not."

"But I'd be so good at that," my voice taking on a mock sweetness and innocence, "nice little kitty to curl up with them when they get upset or sleepy and if they did anything horrific to get locked up I can take a bite out of them."

Her whole body warmed at that, "oh thank you," turning in my arms till she faces me and slipped her arms around my neck. Her face moving close to mine, "I thought you were going to say you wanted to go to a woman prison near the end there."

"No that'd be Marco's line I know better."

"You know dad's going to kill you right," Danny's voice hitting my ears and making me jump maybe three feet in the air, Jazz following suit, still locked around my neck, the pair of us ending up on the floor in a pile, the redhead on top, her hair cascading into my face.

Pulling away from my neck and jerking her hair out of her face, "I'm about to be an only child, I swear it."

"Wouldn't stop me from coming back," Danny regaining his color as he looked down at us, "now get off him before I yell for dad."

Jazz turned to look at me, "you ok birdie," showing no indication of getting off me.

"Oh yeah totally fine," trying hard to resist the urge to cough or spit, the tips of several strands of her hair in my face, virtually blinding me to everything but a forest of tiny red trees. The hawk in me was strangely calm, I expected it to be screaming, wanting Jazz gone or thinking it was under attack, but it was simply still, almost enjoying her being this close, either way I wasn't arguing and enjoyed this time to the best of my ability knowing it couldn't last long. After several long seconds, trying keep her there as long as possible without letting Jack find us I spoke, "remind me again of how your brother is just playing a role and I can't hurt him?"

Even through the hair I could see her flash me a predatory smile, "the line has been crossed, eat him birdie."

"Funny, but mom and dad are here and this isn't a position you want to be caught in."

From above I heard a small click, "I so have to record this."

"And now Tuckers here," stating the obvious, "I can kill him to right?"

"Doesn't bother me, but Danny is right dad is in the house and there are guns hidden all over this room."

"Been shot for less and still let it happen."

"Don't get cute birdie," shifting her body against mine and suddenly rolled off me.

I stayed on my back as I watched her get up, smoothing her hair down against her head, and adjusting her clothing, trying to look presentable for her parents. Putting my arms behind my head, enjoying the view, not use to seeing her from below, "again I think it's worth it."

"So," her brother standing over me, pointing a finger at me, "if he can kill me can I shot him, I mean he said he wants it."

Sitting up, "not from you," Jazz reaching a hand down to me and pulling me up, "how long you been here?"

"Walked in on your two making out using some really weird flirting."

"We weren't making out."

"We weren't making out," the two of us speaking at the same time, but keeping our voices low, both aware if her dad heard it we'd be dead.

"I don't know," Tucker turning his PDA around and showing us the photo he'd taken, "looks like that's what you were doing to me."

My voice lost all emotion, "and you wonder why I live in a tree."

"I'm beginning to see the appeal, think you can find a nice one for me?"

"Take this in the spirit it's meant," knowing I could get in trouble but having to say it, "you weigh a little to much for that," waiting for the inevitable head slap.

Instead she just tapped me lightly on the side of the face, "your lucky I know what you mean birdie, other people might get a complex from a suggestion like that."

"Other people can't drop eighty-five percent of their weight in a matter of seconds."

"This is a very strange conversation."

"Not any stranger than other conversations we've had in this house."

"Good point."

"So where's Sam?"

"Got a call and had to go home, no idea why, she didn't tell us."

I grabbed a quick look to Jazz, "she did say her grandmother was ok right?"

"Seemed to be when I saw her yesterday," Danny cutting her off.

"Then it can't be to bad," Jazz in turn taking the lead in the conversation, "at least I hope not."

"With her parents who knows," Danny piping in, "they could just be calling her home for something they think she did or they want to warp her mind into thinking they way they think."

"Can we skip what might be," Tucker shifting between them, "there's nice car outside, we know there might be a celebrity coming here, tell me what's going on," grabbing her and shaking her. For a moment I thought the action was rougher then he intended and the hawk came back to life with a vengeance, my only thought one of breaking his neck for a second before Jazz shrugged him off.

Smoothing out her sleeves, "try that again and see what happens," her voice reminding me a little of a snarling wolf that was defending her pups, not a good sound if you're on the receiving end.

As expected he jumped back several feet almost tripping over Danny, it taking him several seconds before he could regain his footing. Finally standing with some stability, "sure fine you lay on him and nothing, I touching and you get all defensive."

"Because I don't feel the way about you that I feel about him," taking a step closer to me, "now you want to ask nicely or do you want me to throw you out of my home?"

"Sorry," straightening his hat, "just the idea of meeting a celebrity is making me a little nuts."

"A little," keeping the residual rage from the hawk down.

"Your acting like a little fan boy here Tuck, take it easy ok."

"Right fine…is he here, is he coming, can I get an autograph, maybe a dozen, several dozen…"

"Wondering when that was going to happen," Marco's voice making him jump and turn, "no matter where you go there's always someone looking to make a buck."

I could see his face but I could tell he was panicked by his words, or lack there of, "I…um…me…you…no…well yes…..but…."

Grinning he walked over and put his hand on his shoulder, "calm down when I was your age I would've thought the same thing had the situation come up."

I lent in close to Jazz and covered my mouth and mock coughed, "thought, try did," having a vague memory of Marco having almost the same scam years ago only to be stopped by the others.

"Look don't worry it's cool, can't fault you for doing something I would've done, so you got a name?"

"Me…um…," still dumb struck.

I hissed back to Jazz, "he's seen how many ghosts and this is phasing him?"

"Everyone's different birdie."

Danny finally stepping in, "this is my friend Ticker Foley, I'm Danny Fenton, I'm guessing you met my parents and this is such an honor I saw you last film like four times in the theaters."

"Always glad to meet a….," his voice dropping off when he saw Danny and I wanted to slap myself for forgetting about what Jazz and I had talked about only a few minutes ago. I could see the tapestry of emotions run across his face, fear, anger, mistrust, confusion, a few others I wasn't sure were there or not, but I had a feeling Jazz knew them all and everyone I couldn't make out or even guess had been there.

"You ok," Danny obviously freaked out by Marco's shift in behavior.

"You…," he started and I had a good idea where it would end.

I looked to Jazz and she looked to me and without even a second passing we both knew what the other was thinking, the question was who would do it. Before he got another syllable out I knew it was going to be me, I knew how to lie better than she did and I had a better idea of what Marco would swallow. "Amazing isn't it," trying to sound too happy and throwing my arm around Danny's shoulder, cutting Marco off, "you've seen the photos right?"

"Photos?" Marco falling into the trap.

"You know of the ghost boy," pulling Danny closer when I saw him open his mouth tightening my grip on his body and cutting him off. "Scared me to the first time I got a good look at him," looking from Marco then to Danny, "change the hair, change the eyes, total carbon copy if you forget about the supernatural powers. Danny here is a big fan of the ghost boy, cut his hair like him, walks like him, even talks like him a little, drives his parents nuts having a fan of a ghost, which all the same works for me, takes a little heat me any time I get near Jazz."

That one made him grin, "dads and guns, no matter the year it never changes."

"You ought try it when you know the guy can make sure no one can ever find your body."

He lifted his eye brow and scanned Jazz again, "it worth it?"

"You seemed to think so, and the outsides got nothing on the inside."

"Kids are changing," looking more to me and away from Danny, "when I was your age looks were more important than brains and personality."

"Still are from what I've seen," looking back at her, "I got lucky, found what I needed when I needed it most, a girl who knew me when I'd forgotten myself and helped bring me back. As they say after that everything else is a bonus."

"That's really sappy man," giving me a grin, "I'm going to have to steal that, my sorta girlfriend loves things like that."

"There you are," Maddie coming out of the same doorway Marco had come from, "did you find it?"

He looked back, "knew there was something I forgot, down the hall, an two doors down right?"

"Right," nodding, Marco walking away from us, heading to what I knew was the bather room, "well it seems like everyone met," a small smirk on her face. "Your fathers going to be upset he wanted to surprise you with him."

Danny tried to look innocent, something that was hard with me on him, a quick push solved that problem though. "Um," messing with the back of his head, "well Tucker ran across it on the internet so it wasn't that much of a shock."

"I'm never going to be able to give you kids a surprise," shaking her head, "well try and keep it to yourselves, we don't want to cause problems for our guest now do we?"

"No mom."

"I'll keep it down."

"So I can't post this on my blog?" getting a slap in the back of the head from Danny.

"I don't have anyone to tell," shrugging my shoulders.

"Good lets keep it that way," then looking at me, "heard what you said by the way."

My heart dropped, I had no idea what she was going to do to me, "oh boy."

She walked a little closer and I felt a bulls-eye grow on my forehead, "I understand the need to show off, and feel important in front of those with power, but remember what you say can have consequences."

"And what are those going to be," the words coming out as a squeak.

"I said could, you saved yourself back there but it does make me wonder. I'm not stupid, people that look like my daughter are usually only judged by their appearance, people that look beyond are rare but those who just say they do are far to common. You're a very confusing young man Tobias, you know the right things to say, and I believe you when you say them, but you're a little to quick sometimes, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me nervous when you put all those together. So I need to know are you a young man that thinks on his feet and knows the right things to say to get what he wants or you a young man who's actually sincere and I'm an old woman with too many fears about those after her only daughter?"

Boy was that a hard question to answer, no matter what I said I knew it could end badly for me. I could feel Jazz come up behinds me, but her mothers lock on me kept her quiet, doing little more than slipping her hand into mine, that simple action helping calm me down, holding he hawk that was screaming to fly away a little quieter. With a deep sigh I looked at her, "I'm not sure what to say here, I know that I can be quick when I need to be and that can rub people the wrong way, make them think things about me that I don't intend for them to. What I say about your daughter however, I mean, I'm not going to lie and I'm not going to apologize for the way I am, yes Jazz's appearance did have an effect when I first met her, as you said, appearance is a factor. But to use your guest's world as an example, relationships based on appearance alone do not last no matter how badly people work at them. I look at your daughter I see more, she's smart, she's funny in her own way, she knows me in a way few people ever have and she knows how to put me in my place when I need it. Believe me or don't it's up to you," feeling myself getting mad but not because I was suddenly on trial, "but give your daughter some credit, if I've been lying this whole time, don't you think she would've seen through me and tossed me aside for someone better, someone that would treat her with the love respect she deserves. You want to call me a liar fine, but I don't care who you are you don't get to insult like that."

I suddenly felt very alone when I had finished. I didn't dare look away but I could tell just from the sounds of those around me that Danny and Tucker had moved far away from me. Jazz was still next to me, but she was now holding my hand so tight I wasn't sure she wouldn't start snapping bones. I front of me Maddie…Mrs. Fenton was unreadable, so I had no clue if I should've gotten a running start before she decided to hunt me down and mount my feathers corpse on a wall like a deer head or a duck.

Finally however she smiled, not the predatory look I was expecting but one that seemed to radiate happiness, "don't let this one go sweetheart," stroking her daughters face, "he has real potential."

"Am I interrupting something," Marco sounding confused. Off near him I could hear Danny and Tucker yelp followed by a hard thump as they obviously landed from their jump.

Moving away from us, "just a little family problem, nothing to worry about.," leading him away from us.

"Ah," grabbing a look at me, "dead man walking huh?"

"I'm not sure, I don't think so," grabbing one more quick look at me, "I really don't."

It was several moments after they left that I realized two things I hadn't taken a breath since they had left my sight and Jazz hadn't loosened her grip. "Birdie," her voice small as her hand went to my stomach, "you need to breath," having come to the same conclusion that I had.

Even after she said it it took a few moments before I finally could get my body to work properly, letting me take in the gas around me. Even after that it took a few more seconds before I could speak, "that has to be the scariest person on this planet alive."

"I thought that was my dad."

"He's the second scariest."

"I can't believe you stood up to her," her voice still small.

I looked over at her, "she insulted you, your mother or not what was I suppose to do let her get away with that?"

Somehow her grip on my hand got looser and tighter at the same time as she met my eyes, "your nuts birdie, totally nuts."

"Your discovering that now," returning the squeeze.

"Once more I'm going to be sick," Danny breaking us up as he floated between us, "all the same," looking at me, "that was brave man, I've seen guys three times your size and with supernatural powers back down from her."

"I'm sure that'll come as a comfort when I can feel my legs again," trying to bend them, bet my entire body feeling dead from the waist down. "I thought your mom liked me and your dad was the one that hated me?"

"If she didn't like you birdie do you think she would've bothered asking that to you to your face. The fact that she didn't toss you out on your face says a lot."

"I hope so because I really don't want her mad at me." Then I looked at Danny still between us, "and you need me to much ."

"How do you figure that?"

"If I hadn't come in when I did he might've figured out who you were, despite what comics have shown a pair of glasses is not a disguise or in this case different hair and eye color."

"He knew who I was?"

"Marco has many flaws, stupidity was not one of them, come on Danny he's an actor now, remembering things is something he's probably good at considering he has to memorize pages of script."

"Never really thought of that."

I let go of Jazz's hand and hitting myself in the forehead, "how on Earth have you managed not to be caught yet."

"What," flying past us and landing, "no one else in this town have noticed anything weird."

"People in this town have become desensitized to everything that goes on around them and doesn't bother looking below the surface. People from outside might notice things, I noticed things, I was off granted but even I saw the connection who know what someone like Marco could come up with if he looked into it hard enough."

"Done lecturing me?"

"It wasn't a lecture just a statement of fact, get on your toes."

"Birdie," her hand reaching mine again, "calm down this isn't helping anyone. Right now everything is where it should be, your clear so is Danny, let's just stay out of the way and hope this all blows over really soon so we can get back to our normal….well abnormal lives."

"Speaking of which," Tucker barking at us, having moved away from us and to the window, "unless you have a reset button on you I don't think that's possible."

"What are you talking about Tuck?"

Pulling open the curtain and jerking her thumb out the window, "them," as he said it I became aware of noises going on outside the Fenton home.

I covered my face with my hands, having a good idea what was out there, "crap," stealing a look at Jazz, her face a mask of horror, probably expecting the same thing I was.

"Tell me that's not what I think that is," she moaned.

"Ok it's not a media circus out there," Tucker started, "there aren't vans from every major tv station out there, there aren't news paper reporters out there, the local radio stations aren't out there, there aren't teenagers out there, and your neighbors aren't coming out looking mad."

"CCCRRRAAAPPPPP," trying to push my hands into my face.

Jazz moved over to her brother, "who's going to tell our parents?"

He raised his fist, "shoot you for it."

"That's juvenile Danny."

"So's your boyfriend sis," shaking his hand lightly.

"Not my boyfriend."

"Not her boyfriend," we snarled in union.

"Then explain everything he did in front of mom…some other time, now shoot," lifting her fist in front of her.

She sighed, "fine," lifting her own fist, the pair shaking them in unison, "three, two one," her palm going out flat, his staying balled in a fist. "I win, you tell them."

"Best two out of three?'

"Get going Danny," looking over to Tucker, "it really that bad out there?"

"Oh yeah."

Marco and the Fenton's showed up a few moments later, "tell this is a sick joke," Marco barked, actually looking worried.

"Then somebody went out of their way and called in a lot of extras," all of us looking at him, "what?"

"Not the best time for jokes Tuck."

"Fist you want me to be joking now you don't make up your mind I can't do both."

"Curse of being famous, no privacy at all."

"Tell me about it," Jack wrapping his large arm around my former friend, from the look on Marco's face he wasn't use to the weight of the man.

"I'm seeing three options," his mind active just like the old days, "I go out and see them, I stay here and hope they go away or I slip out the back I'm thinking number three."

I grabbed a quick look of the window, "you honestly think any of those is going to work."

"Don't see why not?" that old Marco look of confidence on his face.

"It's insane."

"That's why it'll work, they'll never see it coming."

"But do you really want to try and out run the paparazzi?"

He actually chewed on that for a second, "I don't know I'm a really good evasive driver when I need to be," I had to try hard not to bust a gut at that . His driving had become the things of legend to me, and I was there for most of them.

"You might want to think of other people before you do that….no offense."

"None taken, like I said I don't want to fall into all those Hollywood clichés, I'm not stupid enough to think I could out run them. Guess I better go see my adoring fans, just tell me you didn't have anything to do with this."

"Hey I found it on the internet so anyone could've as well."

"And to think when I was your age I loved the information age."

"For every step forward there is a loss of privacy, but it's worth it for all the things we now have access to."

"That's relative though, in this day it's nearly impossible to have secrets which is a fundamental loss of human rights."

Jazz stopped the conversation before it could really begin, "as interesting as I find this, someone needs to go out there, and I think it should be you Marco, you are the one they're here for."

"Right, as an old friend use to say, stop stalling Marco," my former friend heading to the door and opening it to a series of flashing lights. "People please I can't see anything, have a little respect," the lights dieing down and a flurry of questions being thrown out at him.

I pulled Jazz closer, "he's eating this up, he always wanted this deep down."

"I remember, that I actually remember."

"Ok, ok," barking at everyone, "I can't answer everything," turning from the crowd to us, "any of my got a favorite local program?"

"I listen to RCKN radio a lot," Danny shrugging.

His parents glared at him, "a serious station Danny."

"Yeah one that didn't rip off our idea."

"You mean the one where you co-opted our equipment when we went on a cruise to start your own radio station and in the process stole a section of out house, Mr. Foley."

I wasn't surprised he couldn't look at her, "yeah that one."

I lowered my voice and whispered to Jazz, "stole a section of the house?"

"Long story."

"You stole a section of the house? That is awesome," the old destructive Marco coming out.

"Your encouraging them?" Maddie more than a little surprised.

He looked genuinely shocked, "you can't have someone say stole part of a house and not have it be a good story," pausing for a second, "well in real life anyway, I've seen plenty of movies that couldn't carry that concept the whole way."

She hissed back at me, "I'm really glad you didn't end up like him."

"Who said I didn't I just have more control over myself."

"RCKN it is then, and when I come back, I am so here this story."

"A celebrity wants to listen to me, this is so cool," throwing his arms in the air.

Danny tried to celebrate with his friend only to have his fathers meaty arm come slamming down on his shoulder keeping him pinned, "don't even try it."

"One stupid act Tucker and Sam commit and I can't even take a little pleasure out of it."

"Not in this house, not when a large section fly's off, and you waste my ham."

"A normal person would ask at this moment, but I know better," turning back to the crowd or reporters. "At the behest of my friends here and to stream line things a bit otherwise I'll be here all week I'm going to agree to one exclusive interview. This isn't to be mean I just don't want to repeat the same stories and answer the same questions twenty times, I know a lot of people in my position like to hear the sound of their own voice I'm not one of them." This was received but laughter from the group followed by a storm of questions as to who would get it. "Guys please half a minute and I'll tell ya, on the recommendation of those that will remain anonymous I'll be doing an interview with RCKN radio, wherever you are in the crowd set it up I'll be in tomorrow. To the rest of you I'm sorry, that's it, the lights are on but I aint gunna be here now scat, shoo vamoose," turning back to us before turning back around, "of course if you play nice I might change my mind about doing a few more before I leave keep that in mind," shutting the door behind him.

"Shoo, scat, vamoose?" I asked.

"Line from my last movie, seemed like a good thing to say at the moment. Trust me sometime you just have to tell them who's boss but giving them an incentive never hurts."

"You think that'll actually work?" Tucker asked looking back out the window, to what I couldn't tell.

"Might, might not, if it doesn't I'll be calling in the cops to disrupt a riot," looking over at the Fenton's, "this place can withstand a full scale riot right?"

Maddie closed her eyes and tapped the bridge of her nose for a moment, "without the shield it can currently keep out a level three ghost assault, that's a greater threat than most humans can attain without considerable training or equipment."

Jack started making grunting sounds, looking like he was going to explode, "we might be able to finally test the duel purpose defense grid." Throwing his arms into the sky, "FINALLY, I'VE BEEN WAITING MONTHS TO TEST IT ON HUMANS!"

"JACK," his wife barked.

"Test on humans," Marco repeated.

"Not what it sounded like," Maddie interpreted, "the grid is designed to hold off ghosts and possessed humans with non-lethal equipment. In design it contains and holds humans in place in order to protect us and our children, hopefully till it gets to a point when we can manually remove the ghosts or undo whatever is controlling them. Unfortunately due to the design of the grid we need a large scale assault to actually test it and finding volunteers has been difficult to say the least since this is, after all, experimental."

"Again your mother scares the crap out of me."

"Starting to do that to me as well."

"I'll buy that," clapping his hands, "now lets get onto them stealing your house while we hope the mob decided to leave us alone."

"I actually have a few pictures stored away in my PDA of it."

"I thought you destroyed those?"

"Friendship is friendship but blackmail is forever," getting a laugh from Marco, the five heading into the living room, Jazz and I stay behind.

I closed my eyes, old thoughts flashing in my mind, Jazz's presence helped push them back thought, "something on your mind?"

"You going to ask that every few minutes?"

Her face grew soft as a tiny smile played on her lips, "only till I get the answer that I want."

I looked past her to Marco, "it's just weird, it's him but it's not, you know?"

"Yeah,"

"You ever feel" the words slipping out, "like you don't belong?"

"This is me birdie, I've spent years there."

"I'm looking at mine," sighing, "I can't help but wonder where I would've been if I hadn't taken the Ellimist's offer. Would I be human when the nanites hit, what would my life have been like, would Marco and I still be friends. Questions with no answers."

"You think about these things a lot birdie?"

I looked into her eyes, "honestly I can't think of any other time, I'm happy where I am, just with him here I can't help but think them, the path not chosen, pathetic isn't it?"

"No, no of course not," leaning her head on to me for a second, pulling away before her parents could see her, "it'll be ok birdie, I'm h…. you know that," changing her words mid thought.

"Yeah I know," speaking more to the first thought than the correction.

Marco stayed for a few hours, telling stories, listening to what had happened in this town from the Fenton's point of view. I wasn't sure if he was trying to buy time for the circus out front to move on or because he was enjoying his time here. Given all the laughing he was doing, or all the times the others started cracking up when he said something I was guessing a little of both. In a lot of ways this was how I thought he would've ended up, well this way or as a sociopath given what we had seen and done. For my own part I stayed back, letting him go on an on, telling stories about Hollywood or about his childhood, the latter being of interest to me, seeing how his perspective had changed thanks to the Chee rewrite of his memories. I didn't really feel comfortable talking to him, or really being around for that matter, worried I might say something, or whatever tiny bit of knowledge he still had of me, either from the little time we'd been in the same schools or whatever he'd almost remembered when we'd just met. Well that and as I told Jazz it was weird being around him, knowing I knew so much about him and he knew virtually nothing about me. With all that it didn't really seem right for me to be in on the conversation, part of his new life as any more than a passing memory, we were very different now, being connected in anyway just didn't feel right to me.

Time for me slowly slipped by, enough hat I had to excuse myself twice to the bathroom to demorph and remorph. For them however I'm sure the time wasn't long enough but Marco finally decided it was time to pull himself away and head back to his hotel room.

"Are you sure," Tucker getting very close to Marco in those few hours.

"Got a thing in the morning, you know that, gotta do it, made a promise after all."

"Still can't you stay a little bit longer."

"We can have something delivered," Jack barked, no doubt wanting to tell Marco more stories of his adventures, but real and exaggerated.

"Hey I'm still going to be in town for another day or two, soon as the interview is over I'll be back, a lot I still need to know when it comes to ghosts, can't let the studio think I came down here and didn't get anything."

"Are you sure you'll make it safely?" Mrs. Fenton, getting the question out before her daughter, obviously more worried about his safety than the other male's in the room, following a few steps behind me.

"Don't worry been dodging paparazzi for a while now I've gotten good at it," his hand of the door, "be a long time before one of them catches me."

"He dodged worse," Jazz beating me to the punch.

Marco lent against the door, "if I was a really good actor I'd have some really cool and suave parting line here, something you'd remember forever but I got nothing. So I'll just say, this has been a pleasure, you've been wonderful hosts, and I will see you sometime tomorrow," bowing slightly and taking Maddie by the hand. Raising to his lips he kissed the top and it and zipped out the door before Jack could even move to break his neck.

"I don't believe him," her roared flexing his muscles under his large orange covered arms.

"Now dear."

"Relax dad."

"Yeah that was cool Mr. Fenton."

"It's ok dad."

I absently watched him from the window, "think of it this way," the words just slipping out, "how many men can say there wife was hit on by a celebrity?" After I said it the room went dead quiet and I could feel every eye on me, I couldn't bring myself to turn around "that was the wrong thing to say wasn't it?"

"Oh yeah birdie start running."

"MY WIFE GOT HIT ON BY A MOVIE STAR," Jack roared behind me and I could hear and feel his going nut 's behind me, Maddie screaming for half a second.

When I turned they were dancing, well more like he was dancing and she was being pulled along, "this is different."

"YOU GOT HIT ON BY A MOVIE STAR MADDIE!," twirling her around roughly, "I DON'T BELIEVE IT!"

"Jack stop…and what do you mean you don't believe it."

"I ALWAYS KNEW YOU WERE BEAUTIFUL MADDIE, THIS JUST PROVES IT, I CAN'T WAIT TO TELL VLADY HE'S NEVER GOING TO BELIEVE IT!"

I could see Danny, Tucker and Jazz get pale at the mention of Vlad's name, I couldn't hear but I could see Danny mouth, "yeah that's going to end well."

With them bounding around I saw my exit, I'd been cooped up inside for to long, the sun might've gone down but I still had some time to fly before I needed to turn in for the night. Locking eye's with Jazz I nodded, a signal she understood all to well as I nodded to the door. I mouthed the words, "tomorrow," and slipped out without anyone else knowing. The night was warm, a slight breeze blowing through the town. Looking up at the sky I whispered, "you did good Marco," and slipped away form the house and into an alley, letting feathers take the place of my skin, a few moments later hitting the sky, letting it whip around my face and drive back any lingering doubts what should be and what is.

* * *

**DP Style**

Marco flopped down on the bed, feeling it only give a tiny bit, "I love having my pick of rooms," folding his arms under his head. This was the benefit of being famous he loved the most, the fans were great, the money a nice bonus, the beautiful women he got to kiss were all icing. As far back as he could remember he'd always wanted the good rooms, the rooms he saw movie and rock stars getting on tv and in the movies, one that were just totally over the top in luxury. Everything a person could want and more and even a few things they couldn't were at his fingertips, it was the one thing he didn't mind indulging in, after all careers didn't always last a long time, and unlike some vices this couldn't hurt him.

He flipped on the large wide screen tv that took up most of the wall and flipped through the channels, looking for something on. "Years go by, the number of channels increases and there's still nothing on," turning down the volume and starting another run through the numbers. Still not finding anything he stopped on a channel and looked over to the phone, "probably should give her a call, she if she's ok, I mean it is my fault she's pregnant."

He lingered on those thoughts for a few moments then pushed them aside, "no reason I can't put that off, this is a vacation after all," flipping though the channels again. Six rounds though the channels he still hadn't found anything, but found himself humming along to a tune in his head. This went on for a few moments the song growing more prominent in his mind the rest of the world going a little hazy, till a the movie on screen went into a montage and he found himself singing along with the song and getting into scenes of the man training with various weapons.

He hung around the movie for half an hour before starting to hum again, this time the tune getting broken up by a commercial for the local news doing a story on the Danny Phantom. He couldn't help but notice how much the ghost looked like the one that had saved his butt. "Fenton's didn't know why," shaking his head, "that can't be a coincidence, but I have no clue what it means."

He forced back his boredom till the news came on, the story telling him very little about the ghost and nothing he hadn't learned from his time with the professional ghost hunters. "Well that was a total waste of time," walking into his bathroom and splashing some water on his face. Looking at his reflection he couldn't help but sigh, "all this way and no clue if I'm any closer to finding out what happened to Rachel or why that ghost was so mad at us."

Those thoughts had bothered him for weeks, it was all he could think about…all the three of them could focus on. Rachel's death had been tough on all of them, she'd gone out a hero along with her cousin, saving the lives of her sisters, and that at least had been a comfort. He hadn't known Rachel as well as he would've liked looking back, the girl always around him due to the proximity of the others, her cousin and his sorta girlfriend, her best friend. If times had been different he might've tried to go after her but the time just never seemed right. Her death had been hard on them and he'd been there to try and help, something that had proven hard. Cassie had at least gotten past it, Jake on the other hand was still there unable to let the death of two of the people closest to him go.

In turn they'd all gone their own ways, he'd become an actor, Cassie an animal rights activist and Jake a cop. Yet somehow the second they all get in one place since graduation she showed up and it feel to him to get answers. "Ok not me alone," closing her eyes, Jake had been looking for clues on his own, running down leads like he was on a case and Cassie had asked questions to a few people she knew. How she knew them he wasn't sure or for that matter who they were but she was trying. Looking back the movie role seemed like fate to him, like he was given it as a warning and a means to an end.

"I never wanted to be a hero," watching the water run down his face.

Turning away from the glass he moved back to the main room, humming again, wishing he could find answers to the questions that plagued him. That and wishing he could somehow get away from having to be their errand boy, to just being a normal person who didn't have to worry about things like ghosts aside from the scripts that he was given.

"Forget it man," getting up and changing out of his clothes into his sleep wear and walked over and turned off the lights, "I got a long day tomorrow and no point in staying up the entire time." Dropping down into bed his last thoughts after several minutes of tossing and turning was of him humming a song he just couldn't remember the words too.

For several hours nothing in the room moved aside from the slowly shifting glowing numbers of the clock and Marco rolling over in the bed, his sleep restless. Finally he tossed the covers aside and sung his legs out over the side, the soft carpet not registering to him at all. Pushing himself off he changed quickly, still humming to himself and slipped out of his room and walked down the empty hall, barely making a sound himself. He navigated the halls like an expert despite only walking down them a few times since checking in. He walked straight past the elevator straight to the stairwell, despite sleep nipping at the back of his mind he took the stairs two at a time, walking down the flights like a man possessed.

Slipping out of the empty area on the first floor he walked straight to the door, not meeting the eyes of the woman behind the desk but still being seen. "They weren't messing with me," the young woman behind the desk watching him go as she ran around the corner, trying to get to him, "hey can I have….," not getting out her request for an autograph as he slipped out of the doors and sprinted down the street. "Fine whatever," throwing her hair back, "you aint that good anyway," snarling at being snubbed.

Marco meanwhile continued to jog, the world virtually dead compared to how it had been, no one around for miles. He jogged maybe half a mile before coming to a dead stop as he looked at the hotel before him, not so different from many others that were in the area, not so different from building all over the country for that matter. Without a word he walked in like nothing was wrong, the guy behind the counter dead asleep, a normal occurrence for him give few people checked in at that hour.

Slipping back into the stair well he took the steps two at a time, practically running up the flights, hitting the roof faster than most people could've on foot. Surprisingly the door wasn't locked, allowing him to just walk out on the shadowed roof, still humming to the tune in his head. On the roof in front of him, shadowed in the darkness was a person, he seemed to pay no more attention to him than the moon did to the birds that flew in it's light.

His hum however matched the tune that was coming from her location, matching beat for beat, perfectly in sync. "Bout time," the voice more than a little impatient as the speaker came forward, a hood and cloak covering it's form, the material bent at odd angles, something under it distorting the human appearance of the speaker.

"I'm sorry, I came as soon as I could," Marco responding with sincerity,

Taking a few steps closer, "we'll have to work on that."

"Anything you want," giving her the most charming smile he could manage despite his humming along with the tune that hung in the air and rung in his ears.

"That's right anything I want," the song growing loader.

"Anything you want," repeating the words.

"Who do you love," the cloak carking just a bit to reveal a flash of pink and blue and sparks of red and pink.

"Only you."

"Who to you worship."

"Only you."

"Do you offer me your heart?"

"Yes."

"Do you offer me your spirit?"

"Yes."

"Who do you belong to?"

"You."

"Good boy, now say what I want to hear."

"I love you."

"Not that dipstick," growing annoyed the song getting louder and faster, "say my name."


	29. Making a Superstar p2

**Jazz POV**

I should've been asleep, it was late, I knew it, but for some reason I just couldn't do it. I was energized and I had no idea why, I just wanted to move, wanted to run, wanted to bounce off some walls and for some reason I wanted to dance, which wasn't like me at all. I had tried to figure out what was going on, thinking it was something to do with my head, something to do with seeing Marco but dismissed it rather quickly, it was a factor but no the whole truth. Whatever it was it was just out of reach, but one sleepless night wasn't something to really worry about, could've been any of a thousand things I knew or were locked in my unconscious.

(Not like this is my first sleepless night,) looking out at the moon through my window, (and at least when I pace I get to have some fun.) I jumped down from my desk, my front paws landing followed by my back ones, my tail swishing behind me, rustling against the carpet, sending a multitude of sensations through my body. The striking white of the arctic fox was a strake contrast to the darkness of my room, something that for some reason was funny to me. If my parents hadn't been asleep I would've been worried, if they barged in I would've been the first thing they saw.

I let the fox push those thoughts back, a bit of caution mixed with strength, the mind of something that was both predator and prey. I wasn't totally out of control with confidence or fear, but I knew they were at a high level, for lack of a better word, then what I normally was at, a state somewhat akin to Weaver.

Thankfully there were no predators here, no prey either for that matter though my nose did pick up plenty of smells of both, some mine some birds. I loved those smells, especially in this body where I could run them down to my hearts contents, hopping from my bed to a chair to my desk, a drop to the floor to climbing my book shelf. This body could do anything in this room, follow anything no matter how hard it might've been for my normal body to do comparatively.

This wasn't my first run as a fox at night, if anything it was a secret joy, something I got to do that let me run out any element of frustration. There were times when I'd run through the house, down the street, through the school or the park. Just running or jumping, following scents just giving into the thrill of being an animal, being a fox, letting my beautiful coat dance in the breeze and for a few moments just plain feel free of all concerns. I was a lot like birdie in that regard, but where he flew I ran, different ways but in the end they were all the same, just the need to be human for a little while and just running wild and free for a few brief moments.

I'd tried this same thing as Sally, but the German Shepherd was just to single minded most of the time to just let go. The fun loving dog was still in there but it was a harder line to walk, she'd been breed to work, to track and find things, and sometimes that instinct kicked in and all the fun I was having went away. The fox was easier, it was more wild, it's only concerns were finding food and not becoming food, things I'd learned how to control a long time ago.

(Maybe I should mess with Danny,) feeling a little mischievous, (I wonder what Mr. Lancer would say if a dog really did eat his homework?)

Shaking my whole body I forced the thoughts back, the ideas not of any real use at the moment, enjoying the feel of my fur shifting. Sitting down I felt a little itch at the base of my neck and started scratching with my back leg, (oh yeah,) letting the leg pick up speed, loving the feel, feeling a burst of warmth all over my body. (I forgot how good this feels,) scratching deeper, kicking off a little of the fur on my body till I finally stopped, satisfied. Putting my leg down I felt my body weight shift and the world go a little crazy and I fell over on my side, (that was a really good scratch,) feeling the warmth spread out to the rest of my body.

(I have got to get birdie in on this,) shaking my head and getting back to my feet, (he makes me fly I should make him run.) The idea of making him run around with me, jumping and playing made me warm, a small sound slipping out of my throat, almost like a purr but not quite, a smell hitting my nose that I knew was me. (Right, now I know why I can't sleep,) recognizing the feeling, running though my body despite the different species.

Demorphing knowing I needed a less sensitive nose, "wasn't aware I could trigger that, I really thought I had to be in season." I hopped into bed and lent against the wall, "I need help….a lot of help," closing my eyes, "this is not how I envisioned my life. Tobias is not the guy I thought I'd fall f….be around," correcting myself, "I didn't want to turn into my parents yet here I am being them. Where did my normal life go, when did I lose control and in up in this insane mess." Taking a deep breath, "when did you start talking to yourself and actually expect something to answer you." Pushing myself against the hard wall, "I guess it could be worse," feeling the warmth engulf me "I've been with worse guys, I've learned worse things." Reaching out to the head of my bed and pulled off the string of leather, five rust red feathers intertwined in the material. I took one feather and ran it over my cheek, "and things could be worse but at least their never boring," feeling myself blush as I ran it under my nose and took in his scent, that still lingered on the tail feather.

Feeling sleep begin to over take me, I laid down, the feathers still in my grip and close my eyes, drifting off onto the dreamscape of my mind.

* * *

**DP Style**

"Come on Tuck get it."

"I'm trying ok I don't record a lot of radio on this thing."

"But you have the back up going at home right?"

"It's on a timer but I don't totally trust it, last time I told it to record somehow something came and damaged the audio. Had I been there it wouldn't have been a problem but with me being here who knows what could go wrong."

"You talked with him for hours and your worried about missing him on the radio," rolling her eyes.

"Give us a break Sam we weren't going to ask him those things."

"But you had no problem getting nine hundred photos of you together?"

"That's different."

"Sure it is," shutting her locker, getting tired of hearing this since she met up for school with the pair, their adventure with Marco, the former alien fighter and current rising star the only thing that seemingly filled their thoughts. "So how are you going to listen and still be in class at the same time?"

Pulling off his back pack, "thought of that," pulling out three pairs of Fenton Phones.

Sam picked one up, looked at it, looked at him, looked back at and glared at him, "your right no one will ever notice we have these one. This isn't like one of the little clip on ear phones, we can't hide these but putting our hair in the right place." At that she looked at both of them, "ok I might but you two defiantly don't have enough hair to do this."

"Ok slight problem, I can fix this, don't know how but I can fix this," starting to panic slightly as he dropped them back into his back pack except one and flipped open a panel trying to figure out what to do. "I why did I even do that," looking at the inside of the devise, "that's not going to help me make it smaller."

"Calm down Tuck, you'll think of something you always think of something."

"I know it's just I don't want to miss this."

"You and everyone else," the goth leaning on her locker looking at the various banners proclaiming the arrival of the star and most of the student body, not to mention a few teachers, wearing shits with his face on them, about movies he'd been in and other odds and ends.

Tucker glared at her, "just because you don't care."

"I care, I'm just not over the top," her eyes following Paulina as she walked by, wearing a shirt with Marco's face on it along with the words, 'his future wife' written under it. "Said it before saying it again," watching her go, "something wrong with that girl."

"You say that about everyone."

"Check the back Danny," the writing on the back reading, 'touch my man and I'll kill you.'

His eyes grew wide as he looked back at her, "ok maybe she is taking this a little to far."

"Told ya."

"I thought you liked his movies?"

Looking back and forth and lowering her voice to ensure those around her couldn't hear, "I do."

"Then why the freak out."

"Part reputation, part the fact I don't want to get caught up in this insanity, besides it's more fun to watch the train wreck than to be a part of it."

Dash and Kwan walked by, both wearing jackets, with the logo of Marco's last movie, 'Ultraman II rise of the Clown' on it. The blond looked at Danny and pointed a finger at him, "just because your family got him here doesn't make you cool Fentina," walking off.

Danny and Sam shared a look, "was that a compliment?"

She watched the football player leave, "I have no idea but that might be the closest you ever get from him."

"I don't think I liked it."

"Defiantly something wrong with it."

"I got it," Tucker barking throwing his arms up into the air making his friends jump.

Danny covered his mouth and pushed him into the lockers, "you sound like your making a bomb here Tuck, keep it down."

Sam just rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly, "not the best joke to be making Danny, especially since between the three of us we hit every major warning sign of the suicidal slash psychotic teenageer watch list."

"How do you know that?"

"How do you think Danny, I have a copy, I've gone out of my way to stay off it."

"Impressive and a little scary," moving his hand away from his friend.

"GUYS," Tucker barking, "I got it."

Letting him go, "how?"

"Simple," holding up the Fenton Phone, "most of the bulk the ear piece is just sophisticated filtering equipment, you take that away," pulling a smaller section out of the device, "you have a simple transceiver that I can tap into with this little wonder," holding up his PDA as best he could with his already full hands.

Danny looked at the tin device and looked up to Tucker, "tell me you aren't serious."

"No this will totally work, no problem."

"I meant that you just tore apart one of my parents inventions."

"Oh well you but it's nothing I can't fix."

"I really hope so because otherwise they may kill me."

"You've said that so many times it's lost all meaning," Sam walking away from them, grabbing a pair of newly freed ear buds from Tucker.

"Doesn't mean it's still not true," grabbing a set himself and following her.

This left Tucker alone, looking at his hands, "you know a thank you would be nice, a good job Tucker your the man would go a long way here." Watching them go further away, "I have got to find better friends, people that respect me, people that appreciate my genius."

Down the hall both Danny yelled, "by the way Tuck you rule, now come on."

The boy in glasses smiled a little at that, "a little late but it works," throwing his back pack over his shoulder and following close behind them.

With practiced easy the pair found their seats in the class room after traveling down the halls. It wasn't a surprise to them to see more teens in clothing praising Marco, but even they had to admit seeing the same thing everywhere they went was getting a little old.

After a few moments Mr. Lancer walked into the room and looked around at the assembled students, "well class I see it's going to be more of the same. Ever since coming to work today, all I've seen is students dressed like you are now, and quite frankly I'm getting tired of it. If it were up to me every single one of you would be in your gym clothing," looking over the crowd, "except Ms. Mason of course."

"Why should she get off," Paulina moaned.

He groaned as the school's resident princess complained, "I'm going to ignore that given the obviousness of the answer. Now if it were up to me, this day would carry on as normal, but I don't have that authority, even if I did I doubted I could fully enforce it, given the lengths some of you are bound to go to in order to fulfill your desires. To that end and by special order of the school board I've been instructed to allow all of you to listen to the radio interview your all so excited to listen to," getting a roar of excitement from the crowd.

Tucker lightly slammed his head onto the desk and groaned, "all that work for nothing, I don't believe it, all that work down the drain."

Sam put her hand on his friends back, "life's not fair is it."

Danny joined her, "you still rock buddy, not like anyone else in this school could've found a way to listen to the show and actually get away with it." The words came out a little to loud and got him a look from Mr. Lancer, "not that you would of course, and it's not like I would've been in on it from the beginning. Nope not me, I nothing about it, in no way involved in it, in no way did I help him come up with the idea or help him get the equipment he needed in order to….," the rest of the words garbled as Sam slammed her other hand over his mouth.

"You have got to learn when to stop talking," the goth growling at him.

"mm hmmm," speaking into her hand.

"Are you done Mr. Fenton, Ms. Manson?"

"I am," letting her friend go.

"Staying quiet."

'We'll be discussing this later you three," sitting down at his desk and pulling on a draw pulling out an old radio, getting a groan from the room."

"Come on," Dash barked, "there has to be a better way to listen to the show than that."

Mr. Lancer didn't look up as he played with the knobs on the side, "I expected more from you Mr. Baxter, a football player and pride of the school should know better."

At that he sat down, growling, the only understandable words being, "yes sir," glaring at Danny in his mind knowing this was his fault.

After a few moments of static and picking up the wrong stations RCKN came on, a rock song blaring out of the small speakers, get a cheer fro the crowd.

Danny and Sam meanwhile pushed the Fenton Phones over to Tucker, the half ghost speaking first, "no rush but you need to fix these before some ghost comes after us and we need them."

The boy in glasses just glared at him, "I spent how long modifying them and you expect me to just fix them just like that," snapping his fingers.

"You spent maybe two minutes Tucker I think you can fix them about as fast," Sam off handedly stroking his ego.

He didn't catch the hint of sarcasm in her voice and sat a little straighter, "yes yes I am that good," starting to work on the small ear pieces since the show wasn't on yet and his PDA, still on the table next to him, was already recording the show.

After a few moments the music died down and a semi familiar voice came barking out of the speakers, "and that was Striped Dog in a Hurricane during a Landslide Semicolon Nine Three playing there latest hit, you suck but your still the one for me."

Sam had to lean over to Danny, "you have to admit all the good band names have been taken."

"I thought you liked them?"

"I do but the name still isn't all that good."

"Wait twenty years then all the good and bad names are taken."

That made her laugh, "I can see it now, we are UGG because it's the only thing that wasn't copyrighted."

"You want to shut up Fentrauma I'm trying to listen."

Sam lowered her voice, "either Dash is trying really hard or he's run out of material, given his intelligence I'd say it's the latter."

"Shut your girlfriend up Fentwo-tone."

"Not my girlfriend."

"Not his girlfriend," they barked as one.

"All of you be quiet," Lancer hissed standing up and slamming his hands on the desk, the next one to speak loses this privilege for the entire class." That announcement shut everyone up as the listened, the interview having already started.

"All right Marco it is," the DJ laughing, "so tell me what are you doing in our little town for those that don't know?"

Well since it's already out there I'm going Ghost Chasers three, by first major staring role by the way, bits have actually been lifted from your towns history and I'm here to do a little background, maybe see some of your famous ghosts while I'm at it."

"You want to see a ghost?"

"Dude who hasn't wanted to see a ghost at least once in their lives, like I was going to miss this opportunity."

"Well your in the right place, we got more ghosts than we do people."

"And yet I haven't seen anything yet."

"Don't worry they'll come, seems like we have a major ghost problem at least once a week. On that note how long are you going to be in town?"

"Long enough lets just put it that way."

"So sources say you were with the Fenton's yesterday, why see our resident ghost hunters?"

"How else you going to talk to about ghosts, besides they were the only ones that did interviews," a prerecorded rim shot coming out of the speaker.

"So anything you can tell us about the movie, who's in it, any word on a sexy DJ making an appearance?"

"I've give my people a call see if I can't work that scene in."

"Who said anything about me," mock innocence in his voice, "but if you think so?"

"I can give you an exclusive though."

A siren went off after he said it, "now those are the magic words whata got?"

"Something special, I promise," random noise coming out of the radio, "exclusive music for the movie, artist hasn't even publicly announced it yet."

"Mystery artist mystery music, I like it any hints on who it is?"

"Last minute addition to the ensemble, someone I actually discovered right here in town as a matter of fact."

"Thought you just got here yesterday?"

"I did."

"And this persons already contributing."

"Heard her playing last night and she is hot, I'm talking supernova, she'll be burning up the charts in a manner of week. Trust me man she'll make me look like a flash in the pan be the time she hits, she's going to be that big."

"You almost sound like your in love Marco."

"I am."

"Whoa wait, I didn't just hear that."

"Yes you did man, I am I love, stone cold no question, totally in love."

"You just said you just met her."

"Never heard of love at first sight."

"Not like this."

"Don't test me man, I can still buy this little station and chuck you butt into the street."

"Whoa man, just saying."

Danny looked at Tucker, "something wrong here or is it just me?"

"Not just you, that didn't sound like him, at least not from that little time we were talking."

"I think we need to find the bird," Sam cutting through them, "if anyone would know I'd be him."

"Look just play the music," Marco growled "you'll understand why I love her."

"I thought you were involved with someone, going to have a kid soon?"

"Was and am, you know what they say about celebrity relationships, they never last, I'll always be there for my kid but this girl and I are the real deal."

"But you just said."

"Don't question what I said or you'll be looking for a new job."

"Well this hasn't gone as planned," the DJ hissing, "I always heard you were one of the coolest people to interview."

"WHO DO I TALK TO ABOUT BUYING THIS PLACE!"

"Alright alright I'll play your frick'n music," a little more noise coming out of the radio before music started playing.

The powerful drums were enough for the three to look at each other, "tell me the filters are in?"

"Done," sliding four across the table as he slapped his into place, the others doing the same as the words starting flowing out of the speakers.

"OOOHHHH…..it was…it was September…when some…."

"When did Ember get lose," Danny holding the phones close to his ears in case Tucker hadn't put them together right.

"Keeping track of them is your job Danny not mine," Tucker looking around, everyone frozen, not moving not blinking, just sitting there, eyes glazed over. "This doesn't look like her normal music?"

"Maybe she's changed it or this is what happened when you get a second dose of it?"

"Does it matter," Sam snapped pushing the chair back and standing up, no one moving or even acknowledging her presence, "some one has to," looking around, "tell your parents a ghost has Marco under their control."

Danny did a quick look around, "yeah lets do that," keeping an eye on everyone in the room, unsure what they might do to him.

Sam stormed to the door, looking like she was going to kill someone, "come on Tucker," not looking back, no doing a thing to stop her.

After a second Tucker caught up with Danny, "she ok," he asked as they left the room, everything still save the shaking caused by the music's bass.

"Jazz told me," keeping his voice low, "she been having a problem with the whole Saber thing."

"Who or what is Saber."

"You know I went to the future Sam and Ember were one person and totally nuts not to mention in love with me."

"Oh right, why she worried."

Danny instinctively hit him n the back of the head, this time harder than normal, "your one of the smartest people in the school use your head it's pretty obvious."

He had to think for a minute, "she can't be worried about that?"

"Yeah she is?"

"That's stupid."

"That's what we've been telling her."

"So why is she worried?"

"I don't know?"

"I mean what are the odds Ember is going to try and make you her love slave?"

Danny hit him even harder for that, "what is wrong with you?"

"What we all know how you to feel about each other."

"We don't feel anything for each other."

"Sure you don't."

"And she's worried about becoming Saber."

"Oh…why?"

Danny dropped his head into his hands hard, "again what is wrong with you."

"Just drop it," Sam snarled looking back at them, her voice making them jump as it bounced off a few walls. "Danny find your sister, get her up if she's not already there then find Tobias I have a feeling he's going to want to be in on this."

He gave her a little salute and hovered an inch off the ground, "on it," and flying away as he went invisible.

Tucker looked at her, "what do you want me to do?"

"Get the Eclipse and find a way to reverse this, sing if you have to I don't care, but get everyone back to normal."

"And what are you going to do while I'm doing this?"

Reaching behind her and patting her backpack, "what do you think," giving him a wicked smile, "someone has to deal with that girl."

Danny shot through the halls purposely, knowing where he was going by instinct, finding his sister after only a moment, like the rest of her class, mesmerized by the radio that was still playing Ember's trademark song. "I don't remember it being this long, someone must have put it on a loop," shaking his head.

"Come one sis," floating over to her and pushing her on the arm but not getting any response, "sis come on be with me," snapping his fingers in front of him. "Ok," grabbing her backpack and started going through it, "come on tell me your packing, don't be proud on me Jazz tell me you took our advice and started carrying the essentials of ghost fighting." He started to go frustrated till his hand hit what he was looking for, "BINGO," his out burst having no effect on the crowd. Pulling out the pair of Fenton Phones, the finish on them still intact, unlike his that had been beaten to death after considerable use and tinkering by Tucker. "I hope this works," slipping the pair over his sisters ears.

After a moment she blinked and looked around, "faded out there for a second," keeping her voice so low no one else could hear it.

"Thank you," her brother breathed.

"Danny," her voice still down, "get out of here."

"Look around sis," raising his voice a bit, unsure if those around them were aware even if they couldn't seem to move, "I'm not sure anyone is home."

"What's going on?"

"Outside," floating away from her and phasing through the door, his sister opening it and following him a moment later.

"What's going on Danny?"

He regained his color in front of her, "not exactly sure but the short versions is Ember may be controlling Marco. He forced her music on the air and now everyone is well look around, there here but they're not."

"And here I thought toady was going to be semi-normal," placing her forehead in her hand, her arm resting on the arm wrapped around her waist.

"Oh it gets better," Danny's eyes glowing as he hover just above the ground, "I think Sam's about to lose it on the thought of getting to Ember."

"Tell me you have a plan little brother."

"Not at the moment, Sam kinda appears to be calling the shots."

"Not good, she has to much invested in this to be thinking clearly."

"How bad is she?"

"Don't know," thinking back, "I was helping her move past this, or at least trying to help her get a handle on her anger, but we were only in the early stages, no where near ready for her to come face to face with this girl."

"Then you might want to pick up the pace before she loses it I mean more than she already has."

"Great," hissing under her breath, "I can't turn this kinda stuff on and off it takes time, some times years before they're in a position to deal with things like this."

"I don't want to hear that sis."

"Can't be helped, if you'd listen to me you'd know that."

"Then give me some good news."

"She might not be as bad as you think, a simple influx of anger and frustration due to having a source of her anger within view, so to speak, one that she can go after without holding back. If that is the case she can be talked down and focused."

"And if she can't?"

"Point her at Ember, watch her go and be ready to help her if she gets in over her head."

"Hoping for something better than that sis, but it'll do," looking behind him, "oh right, she wants one of us to get your love bird."

His sister just stared at him, "first of all that's not how you use that word, second, he's not my love bird, third what is your problem with him lately? You two have been getting along so well and now your getting all over him every time we get within a few feet of each other."

"Not within a few feet."

"Don't get technical, now what's your problem with him," wanting to get these answers here and now, before they had to rely on each other for survival. She knew he'd still protect her and Tobias and they him but she didn't want anything unresolved before that happened.

Blowing a blast of air up his face, "I don't know."

"Danny," the word a warning in itself, dripping with danger if she didn't get something from him.

"You two are just getting really close lately and it freaks me out a little."

That took her a little by surprise, "I thought you were ok with Tobias and I being….friends."

"I am," looking way from her, "it's just by now they're gone, you or I or our parents have run the guy off or you've lost interest in him."

"And your point?"

"I don't know, this just feels different and I don't know why."

"I think I do," giving him a small smile, putting her hand under his chin and forcing him to look at her, "your worried this is real and that I'm going to get hurt."

He looked a little confused, "I thought that's what I was doing?"

"No," closing her eyes, the smile growing a little bigger, "that was more of a pack mentality, protecting your family from an invader who was trying to disrupt the routine we'd established."

Before she could continue he hissed under his breath, "your sounding way to much like him sis."

"Up till now you've been able to run off the others, making things normal again in your mind. Tobias on the other hand is persistent, unwilling to leave, what your doing is trying to find a way to deal with the fact he's become part of our lives, possibly a part of our family. To use a modern example, your hazing him, trying to prove you dominance, establish a new norm and forge ties of family with him."

"I thought we already had those, I mean we've been fighting together for a while now."

"That's different Danny, those are bonds of trust and friendship, your trying to find out, at least on a subconscious level, if he's worth being in our family, if he can protect it…protect me and willing to show you the respect you believe he should as an established member of the family…and my current protector."

"I thought you weren't going to do that anymore?"

"Do what?"

"Analyses me."

"You're the one who asked," leaning in an hugging him, "you're a good brother you know that."

Returning the hug, "and your nuts because there's no way I'm doing that."

"Maybe not on a conscious level but subconsciously your all doing this for me."

Floating back, "whatever go find your feathered boy toy I'm going to find Sam and Tucker, see if we can find Ember and Marco before things get out of hand."

"How can no one moving get out of hand," following him down the hall, stopping at her locker to stow her backpack, unable to morph the large object and unsure how long this would take and not wanting to just leave it out. By the time she was done her brother was long gone and she headed for the door, the second it opened feathers sprouted from her body, a few moments later she was sailing through the sky.

(Ok where would he be,) she asked after about fifteen minutes in the sky, enjoying the feeling of the wind around her, and the certain knowledge that she could die at any moment if she were to lose control from this height. Granted her control wasn't an issue, the hobby knowing how to fly as surely as she knew how to walk and speak, but it was still a thought that laid at the back of her mind, (a bit of fear keeps the mind sharp,) remembering something she'd read once in one of her books when it came to human survival.

(Focus girl,) forcing the thoughts from her mind, (but this is still creepy,) looking around. Everything was still, no one and nothing was moving that wasn't automated, it made her feel like she was in the middle of a ghost town. It didn't help that Weaver was more than a little freaked as well, normally falcon's instincts feeling calm around stillness, but this was unnatural even to the bird.

(Gotta find birdie, forget about everything else, just find birdie,) focusing the instincts like a laser beam, even the part of her that hated to see another raptor, wanting to see him, at least the other bird being something normal. She hit the normal spots in town, park, nasty burger, the ledge outside of Bucky's places where he could hunt or just watch the people go by without fear.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

I saw Jazz long before she saw me, the small falcon doing a couple of laps near Bucky's, given the time I guessed she was looking for me. It wasn't a shock she wasn't finding me though given I was stretch out behind a billboard for some movie, the mix of sun feeling good on my back while a little breeze shifted under my wings cooling me off. I'd found the spot maybe a month ago but it didn't always pay off but when it did, it was really good.

(Down here Jazz,) filling her mind with my thoughts, the bird homing in on me after a moment and slipping past the metal of the billboard and landed next to me. I slowly stoop up, fluffing my feathers in the process and smoothing them down, (I'm guessing there's a problem?)

(Marco.)

That didn't surprise me, (he do something stupid, get your family in trouble?)

(More like we think he's under the control of a ghost…Ember to be specific.)

I had to think about that for a moment, (music ghost right?)

(Rock and Roll ghost, mind control abilities, energy projection, according to Danny most of it comes from her guitar, but she can project flames from her hands and head if she needs to.)

(Right I remember her from the files now, why you think he's controlling her?)

She summed up the last hour or so pretty fast and I wasn't thrilled by it, (we need to hook up with them and find a way for us to get near her without getting sucked into the music. The Fenton phones help when I'm human and I've been focusing on the wind blowing by when I'm a bird, letting everything else get drown out.)

(I ever mention how much I hate mind control?)

(All the time birdie.)

(Just checking,) looking up at the sky, (having ears this good is really going to make things hard won't it?)

(No question birdie,) looking out past the ledge of the building, (as long as we stay high the music won't effect us, on the ground however we'll have to use Fenton Phones to filter it out.)

(Those things compatible with what I have,) I didn't know much but I doubted something meant for a human would work well on a dinosaur or an alien, or for that matter any of the other creatures I had access to.

She looked back at me, (don't think so but Tucker should be able to alter them to work on you.)

That made me feel good, (oh yeah lets trust something Tucker played with and stick in my ears and hope for the best.)

(How's that different from what we normally do birdie,) watching her spread her slender wings and take off, hoping into the sky, almost daintily, something only falcons could do from what I'd seen.

I felt the feathers rise on the top of my head, both in frustration and annoyance, (some truth is that as pathetic as it sounds,) flapping after her.

After a few minutes I caught sight of something that didn't inspire me with much help, the shiny hull of the Eclipse, our ship sitting on a roof, no one seemingly caring. (So what does this tell you,) Jazz talking to me from her position in the lead.

(Tucker's to lazy to walk to the Eclipse so he sent for it.)

I watched her waver in the air, (don't make me laugh birdie,) regaining her flight.

(Sorry Jazz,) watching her land on the buildings ledge, following her a moment later, (so what's the plan?)

(Lets ask them birdie, I was just sent to track you down I have no say in what we do now.)

(Since when do you not have a say?)

(Since Sam may or may not have gone off the deep end,) hopping off the ledge and demorphing.

When she was human I flapped up on her shoulder, (she that bad?)

"No clue I'm going by what Danny said," walking us forward, the door to the ship sliding open for us, "I still need to make my own evaluation."

"I CAN ONLY DO THREE THINGS AT A TIME HERE," Tuckers scream almost making me jump, my talons putting a little more pressure on Jazz but not cutting her shirt or skin.

Loosening my grip, (well we aren't in trouble or anything,) keeping my thoughts private to all but Jazz.

"We need to find Ember," Sam already in her hunter gear, her mask pulled back and looking like she was going to explode at any second.

Tucker was sitting in the back of the ship in front of a table he'd pulled down from it's side tinkering with a Fenton Phone. "You don't think I now that," looking up and pulling off a pair of shaded goggles, "but I have my hands full at the moment. I'm trying to divide my attention between making sure these are back to normal, piloting the ship by remote, trying to lock into Marco's cell phone ID signal and keep an eye out for anyone or anything that might try and take advantage of the situation. All that plus trying to find Ember, assuming she's even here is a little hard and I can only do so many at a time."

"What do you mean if, she has to be here we heard her singing," her face turning a shade of red I wasn't familiar with.

"No," a forced calm in his voice, "we heard a recording of her singing, it could've come from anywhere you have to remember she put out a lot of cd's it could've just been on of those. As it is all we know is something is wrong with Marco and people aren't moving, you have no idea who's responsible, it could be anyone."

"It's her Tucker it has to be," Sam looking back at us, "what do you think?"

I shrugged my wings, (no clue first I've heard of this.)

"It's a possibility we need to consider Sam," Jazz staying eerily calm, the way she did when she was trying to talk someone down. "We know very little about the situation, at the most we only have a few pieces, till we have more we should wait and see."

"It's her I know it."

"You want it to be her Sam that's why you think it is, Tucker's right till we have proof these's no reason to get worked up."

"I don't believe this," looking to Danny at the front of the ship, "tell me you at least believe me here?"

I was actually looking forward to this, seeing if he'd be honest with her or if he'd try and slip around the question. "I'm not saying your wrong Sam," yep going around the issue, "and if you are right this is bad, but till we know something maybe we should just wait and see."

"You to Danny," looking like someone had punched her in the gut.

"I'm just saying we need wait, Tuck's right anyone could be playing that music till we know the truth there's no point in getting worried."

"Who said I'm worried," she hissed regaining her ferocity, I had to admit I was a little pleases to see the half ghost going pale.

"I'm not going to win today am I?"

(Just let it go Danny, just let it go.)

"Says the guy on my sisters shoulder."

"Danny," Jazz's tone a mystery to me, something between caring and warning, but with something else I couldn't place.

"Your still off sis."

"Whatever little brother," looking over to Tucker, "I hate to add more to your workload but birdie and I will need some modified phones as well in case the designs aren't cross-species compatible."

Tucker just stared at her for a moment, "impressive words."

"Thank you," giving him a small bow.

"And I already worked on those," nodding his head back, "figured you'd be asking for something like that at some point so I worked ahead."

Jazz moved us over, given the room I couldn't get a good look till we were almost on top of them. They were the same as their cousins but different, basically going back a few generations retaking the form of headsets with large ear pieces, but made from a heavier grade material along with a small microphone striking out where out mouth should be. Jazz picked one up, "not going to be able to fly in this," given how she held her hand I was guessing it was heavier than it looked.

"Good because that's not what they're meant for," spinning on chair and looking at us, "I reinforced pretty much everything so breaking them will be hard but not impossible. Wider ear pieces to cover where ever your ears are, and the sides are adjustable to help out. Touch the sides," Jazz doing so with her index finger and pulling them away quickly a bit of green slime following her, rubbing it against her thumb. "I had Danny make some ooze for me, inside the set is an automated release trigger, it'll cause slits on the side to release a small amount to help seal it to your heads, should keep them from moving during a fight or getting ripped off but I can't promise anything they haven't really been tested."

Jazz and I shared a look, (big trouble.)

"Took the words out of my mouth birdie."

"Sure don't thank me or anything."

"Thank you Tucker," half playing along half sincere.

"If you really wanted to thank me you could give me a kiss."

(And if you want to see tomorrow you'll never let me catching you say that again.)

"Should've seen that one coming."

"Yes you should've," Jazz leaning her head onto me, "so what do you know Tucker?"

I watched him turn around and go back to the Fenton Phones, "nothing yet, things are running on automatic for the moment, we'll have something soon though." A few beeps came from the main consol in front of Danny, "and that would be it now," bringing his head up to look at the half ghost, "you want to get that for me?"

"Ok we got two signals," Danny's attention on the screen in front of him, "ones a ghost the other I'm guessing is Marco…how did you do that any way?"

Tucker didn't look up, "he's on a wireless system, with the stuff on the ship it wasn't hard to tap onto the network and track down his ID, from there it was just a matter of looking through every signal in town till I found the corresponding one. Problem is I wasn't sure where he was and some of the equipment isn't totally compatible so there was a question about how long it would take."

"So we know where Ember is?"

"We know where two ghosts are," Danny corrected, "for some reason," tapping the metal, "this thing isn't saying who it is."

"My fault, I was playing with a few things I lost a few ID signatures, I'm working on getting them back in it's just taking a while."

"So where are they Danny," Jazz halting the argument before it could start.

"Marco seems to heading towards his hotel, and the ghost seems to be waiting for him, even if we take off now there's no way to get to one without the other being there or getting involved in about a minute."

(Yeah like we have to worry about Marco getting involved.)

"Birdie has a point, we need to worry about the ghost at worst Marco's a distraction at best a human shield."

I bumped my head against Jazz lightly, (I think that's the other way around.)

"Doesn't really matter birdie."

"Enough stalling lets just go and deal with her."

"Sam," Jazz grabbing the girl by the arm, "you have to calm down, if your not in control you shouldn't be out there."

Sam jerked her arm away so fast I list my balance on Jazz and had to fly over and land on the table with the head sets. "I know your trying to help Jazz but you can't tell me what to do, so back off."

"She can't," Danny turning around in his chair, "we can."

I watched her snap her head around so fast I thought she'd fall over, "WHAT?!"

"Look if we're going to be out there we have to trust each other, have to know what the others around you are going to do and have to be able to count on them. Your mad and you're a little scared I get that but if your going to let this fear that your going to somehow merge with this girl get the better of you I'm not going to let you near her, for your sake as well as mine."

"Danny…."

"Don't want to hear it Sam, I know you can keep it together, as long as we've known each other it seems like that's all you do. If this is that big a deal for you, you can stay here we'll deal with it, so either calm down or you don't leave."

"You really think you can stop me."

"Lets see, I can over shadow you," beginning to count off on his fingers, "make you sit down, take away all your equipment, tie you to a chair, come out of you, gag you and leave you there till every thing is done. I can keep doing that every time we have even a chance of running into Ember till I'm sure your not going to get hurt in any way shape or form."

"You really think that's work," her voice a mix of hurt and anger and with my eyes I could see the beginnings of a tear forming at the corner of her eye.

"I've had a long time to plan it out Sam, for you and everyone else here, I don't want to do it, but I'm not going to let any of you hurt yourselves out there," grabbing a look at me, "well maybe him."

(You couldn't stop me anyway,) looking back to the equipment.

"Wanna bet?"

(Another day perhaps lets just get to helping Marco.)

"Save the ego," Jazz hissed at me, or maybe her brother I couldn't tell exactly, "Sam you have a choice."

I heard her growl, then take a deep breath that was slightly ragged as she exhaled, "alright I'll calm down."

"If it is Ember you don't go at it alone, got it," I had to admit I was impressed by Danny I didn't think he had this in him, the foresight, the force, the willingness to do whatever it took.

Another deep ragged breath, "got it," hearing her slump down in a chair, given the way she rubbed against the material of the seat I was guessing it was the one next to Danny at the front.

"Then lets fly," feeling a soft rumble over my feet, an indication that we were moving, the ship rising.

After a moment jazz dropped into a chair near me, her tone hushed, "this is already shaping up to be a fun day isn't it?"

(We're hurting a mind controlling ghost, what part of that description made you think this was going to be fun?)

"I mean aside from that birdie."

* * *

**DP Style**

"I think he just beat us in," Danny looking back to the others.

(Marco always did have a great sense of timing,) the bird flapping over and landing on the back of Danny's chair, (think you can figure out the floor he's going to?)

"Shouldn't be a problem," Tucker reaching them and tapping a few instruments, the windshield taking on a blue tint, yellow lines forming a moment later, making a grid. The building before them was still visible, only now red and yellow blobs could be seen as well, only one of which moving.

Danny looked to his friend, a small whistle escaping his lips, "thermal imaging?"

"Sorta," still tapping controls, "human bio-signs are in red and yellow, ghosts in blue and green, anything alive but not human in orange and purple, some machinery is going to be in grey and black. Think of it as the next evolution of ID technology."

"Machinery?" Danny not liking the sound of that, "why are we worried about that, not like a toaster is going to attack us."

"Skulker, the Chee, Val, Technus or Vlad's latest toys, hard to know what kind of signatures they might put off so the systems set to read anything that puts off certain energy signatures, certain power outputs, and some metals. Basically anything most people can't get a hold of."

"You rule Tuck."

"I'd love to take all the credit but I couldn't do this without most of the equipment in the ship."

Jazz dropped her hands on his shoulders, "humility from you, never thought I'd see the day."

"I bow before the power of superior technology."

She looked past him to the screen, a ghost signature now being registered, "I'm thinking it's time I finely got to road test your new toy."

He actually smiled at that, "you mean it, I mean you kept putting them off."

"Helmacrons weren't the right times to be using them and I haven't had a real reason to use them since then."

He walked past her to the back of the ship, "what about not using anything till it's been tested properly?"

"Your the one who keeps saying they work, besides it's one ghost verse the five of us, even if something goes wrong I'm pretty sure we can take him of her without any real problem."

He pulled open a compartment and pulled out a set of large purple gloves, with black metal stacked in places, in particular near the middle of the glove and around the knuckles, small bits on that section mixed with colorless pieces of metal. "Straight from Nicole, part Fenton tech, part ghost tech, part alien tech, along with a little bit of future know how."

Jazz fingered one of the gloves, the material feeling nice against her fingers, surprisingly smooth, "I know how they came about Tucker question is is everything in place for them to be used?"

"Again they've been ready for a while you just don't trust them, which I take as an insult by the way, my fingerprints are over these, not to mention your parents, and possibly your's as well considering we lifted part of the design from the glove Danny brought from the future and we don't know exactly where that came from in entirety."

"Don't get defensive on me Tucker, just give me the run down I've never actually used this right."

"Good reason," putting on down on a table, "these things are to big to use on a normal person."

Picking up the glove he had put down, "a human yes a gorilla no," a small smile on her lips.

(A gorilla with a gun, creepy.)

Looking back at him, "this from a bird with a sword."

Tucker thought it threw for a second, "could work, I think the material will stretch that much, and nothing is really internalized, at least in my original blue prints."

"Speaking of which your sure the modifications they made are going to be safe?"

"Safer than what I planned originally, so there shouldn't be a problem." Taping the clear section at the top, "external close range charged ecto emitter, capable of doing serious damage same as Danny's glove," turning it over to a series of black panels, "charged metal that can hold ghosts. The right glove," pointing at her glove, "has a mini ghost ray on it currently, it can be traded out but I don't have anything to replace it with at the moment since I have to modify these myself since it goes against Nikki's programming, or at least that's what she tells me. Left glove," slightly raising the one he was holding, "low yield laser array, intended for cutting and doubles as a flash light with a manual modification. Both of these have dual triggers," tapping a section of metal near the top where it would end, approximately near the elbow, "flip it open, push the button. Second trigger is in the palm, open and close your hands three times in a row and it fires. I have that set for two and a half seconds, any longer and it won't fire, so the odds of it accidentally going off are slim but not impossible. Now remember the power here isn't infinite the gloves can run for a few hours without having to have the power packs replaced or recharged, the secondary weapons on the other hand can run down quick, maybe three shots apiece depending on the settings, so use them sparingly and don't get confused on how many shots you fire."

"You really did go all out on these," looking hers over.

"You think these are good should see some of the other components I'm working on, but like I said they'll take a while to make since I'm doing them all manually," closing his eyes, "actually I have a tracking system on the back burner she might be able to help me on."

Danny had to look back, "little excessive isn't it sis?"

"Your not one to talk little brother and I'm getting tired or being slapped around by ghosts, it's about time I got a few shots in."

"On that note how are we going to do this?"

"Sam," the half ghost warning beside her.

Not looking at him, her gaze locked onto the ghost signature in front of her, "I'm staying calm, I just want to know what we're going to do."

Danny looked around at them, each one save Sam looking back at him, suddenly feeling a wave of anxiety that he tried hard to hide. A lot of people were counting on him, and considering what could happen it didn't make him feel to good. "Alright," taking a quick glace back to the screen, "Tucker stay here monitor the situation if something starts happening to the people out here let us know."

"Got it," nodding, both glad he wasn't getting in the middle of the fight and because he had a serious role to play as far as everybody else went.

"Sis, take Tobias try and deal with Marco, don't care what you do but don't let him get in the way or get hurt. Sam and I will deal with the ghost, two on one it shouldn't be a problem….I hope."

(How we getting out, considering when they come out of it some of those people will want our heads?)

"Everybody pick a direction and run as fast as you can and do not stop till your in another state."

Everybody just looked at Jazz, "your really getting strange sis."

"Blame it on the company I keep," draping her gloves over her shoulder, "so we going or are we just going to talk all day?"

"You heard the girl," twin rungs running around him, "looks like it's time to say hello."

"And say it hard," Sam pulling the mask over her face.

Tobias looked at Jazz, (did that make sense to you?)

Her skin was already sprouting white fur, her mouth filling with teeth and keeping her from making human sounds, however before the change finished she gained thought speech, (it's my brother after a while I just tune him out, I find it helps in the long run.)

(Have to keep that in mind,) taking the form of a white tiger, the two beasts making the rook very small.

Despite the bulk of her fingers Jazz was able to pull the gloves on easily, the material stretching to meet her bulk. The fit was tight but did little to prevent her movements, the clear knuckles taking on a green glow a moment after they were slipped on. Reaching over to the table, she slipped the headset over her head, the ghost slime locking them in place, something she could feel that made her slightly nervous. Dropping to her knees the head set in her hand, (not the best form for the job birdie,) adjusting the device and locking it onto his head.

Lifting her lips, giving her a rather frightening smile, (maybe not,) cocking his head to the side, making sure the headset didn't move, the material covering his ears making the cat angry, but doing little to cut off his ability to hear with total accuracy. (Call me sentimental, call me superstitious, call me nostalgic…)

(I'm going to call you road kill if you don't get to the point here.)

(This feels right, I don't know what's going on, I do know Marco might've recognized me, and he and Jake went back a long ways. As you know the tiger was Jakes trademark morph, granted the colors different and I might be going off on a limb but if it might give us an edge I'm going to try it.) His tail started to swish faster, (besides I've had good luck with this body when it comes to going after ghosts, and people might be less willing to shoot an endangered species as apposed to an alien.)

(In this town?) rolling a ball in front of him.

(First instincts might only last a few seconds but it might be long enough.)

Danny walked over to but looked over at Sam, "which one you want?"

"Come on Jazz let the boys bond a little."

"Nothing like bonding with a five hundred pound cat."

(Five hundred pound cat with big claws hot shot,) crushing the ball, a fine green mist covering him, (and one that's now capable of taking out a ghost.)

The half ghost leapt into the air and hung there for a moment then slipped over to the cat and wrapped his arms around him, "your also a cat that can't fly," phasing them both through the floor, coming out into nothing but the roof a few yards below them.

(Drop me I can survive from this height,) trying to hold still as much as he could, knowing even with Danny's enhanced strength the tigers weight was a little more than he was use to supporting, (I think.)

(Testosterone overload,) Jazz's thought filling their minds as she held onto the back of Sam as the hunter came out of the Eclipse of her hover board. (You two want to beat chests do it on your own time we need to get going.)

(A gorilla is talking to up about beating chests,) looking up at the ghost.

"We really are having a bad influence on her," bringing them both to the ground and letting him go into the hard roof.

"I'm going to shoot someone here, don't know who but I'm going to shoot one of you."

"Sam."

"You want me to stay calm but let's do something Danny I'm getting tired of this."

(I'm with her,) Jazz knuckle walking over to the roof door and ripping it from it's hinges as though it were nothing and tossed it behind her, practically forgotten the moment it left her finger tips. Without another word the four moves as fast and silent as possible, for three it was easy, for Jazz however the task was harder, the gorilla not meant for stealth. They might not have known the layout of the building but did know where they were going, two floors down and the biggest room on the left side of the building.

Getting to the door it wasn't a mystery to Tobias they were at the right place, able to hear the soft sound of music coming from the room. He nodded his head slightly, (behind that door,) his nostrils flaring, (one human, Marco, one ghost scents not familiar.)

Danny in turn put a hand on Sam's stomach, holding her back and looked at his sister who knew what he wanted. Flexing her fingers, (I love this part of the job,) grabbing the handle and bracing her other hand on the door, with a soft grunt see forced the door open, tearing it off the hinges same as the other door on the roof, only she choose to use this one as a shield as the others tumbled in behind her. Tobias braced against her back while Danny flew up and to the right with Sam in the same position on the left.

"Bought time dipsticks," the ghost in the chair not halting her rhythm.

Sam shot Danny a dirty look, "still say it's not Ember?"

"Ok so it's Ember," looking at the goth, "get off my back," looking to the ghost his eyes and hands glowing with green energy.

Ember just sighed and played a small tune on her guitar, Marco jumping in front of her stopping Danny from getting a clear shot at her. "I don't think so kid, you may be the opening act but I am and will always be the headliner of this show."

"Should've just let me bust through the glass and shoot her in the back of the head."

Tobias didn't even take his eyes of Ember, (Sam, this is coming from me here, your starting to get a little bit scary.)

"Hiding behind a human Ember, thought you were past this," his eyes dieing down but his fists still glowing with ghostly power.

Still strumming out her tune, not rising from the chair, "no point in changing what works, besides I know there's no way your going to hurt him."

(Ok,) Jazz looking to the others, (I know I'm new here but tell me this is more than a fan girl thing.)

"I AM NOT A FAN GIRL!" her ponytail jumping into the sky as a jet of blue flame, hitting the ceiling toasting it but somehow not setting in on fire.

The white furred gorilla pulled the door higher, using it to shield her eyes from the massive onset of light, (this would be a great thing to explore if she weren't going to kill us.)

"Not the time sis," her brother hissed, "so what is this about Ember, why are you doing this, you ticked Marco is more famous than you?"

That made the ghost laugh, her hair dieing down, "that's exactly why I want him dipstick."

"What?" the fire around his hands completely vanishing.

Rolling her eyes, "I want him because he's famous, what you don't watch tv, you take rising star, add him to another rising star, and you get a super nova baby and that's going to be me very soon, isn't that right baby?"

"Of course my love," Marco's reply completely genuine.

(This may very well be the stupidest I've ever heard.)

"Just cause you don't get my future seat covers," the ghost smiling and still playing her tune, "I'm looking for world wide power, totally control of the of under thirties, what better way than to hook up to a heart throb with serious potential. I tried solo act thing, might've worked if not for dipstick one and the tone deaf wonder, and because of them I can't get a record deal. Of course if I'm hooked up to old Marco here and I'm in all his movies one by one every times it's played, every time someone picks up the soundtrack, every time they turn on the radio I'll be there. Pretty soon I'm global, and the entire planet's going to be saying my name and then it's only a matter of time till this world is mine."

(This making sense to anyone?)

(Enough people do it birdie, people with no talent hooking up with those that do and being forced down the throats of everyone because their partner can't say no to them.)

"You didn't just say that."

"Face it Ember everyone knows your talentless but you."

"Not helping Sam."

(And here I thought I was the going to be the cattiest person in the room today.)

(Birdie that was horrible.)

Shrugging as best he could, (I know I'm not doing well today.)

"HELLO, GHOST BENT ON WORLD CONQUEST HERE, STOP IGNORING ME!" her hair rocketing to the ceiling again.

"You mean talentless ghost bent on world conquest," Sam corrected, slowly moving her board further away from the group trying to get a clear shot at Ember.

"Ignore her she has a glitch," Danny hissed, unaware of what she was doing, "ok I get why you want Marco but why this, why are you doing this to all the people?"

"Why do you think?"

"If I knew I wouldn't be asking."

"Not to quick on the uptake are ya?" the tune she was playing changing slightly, "I didn't get to far in my tour the first time around, I might've been big but I was little more than a flash in the pan. That was good and bad, I still have fans but most people forgot about me, thanks to that few people know what I am outside this town. The music playing right now over the radio is slowly sinking into their minds and rearranging a few things, my boy's biggest star in existence, rock is he only thing they care about and I am not a ghost."

"Since when could you do any of that," Danny getting closer to his sister, a lose plan forming in his mind as to how to get Ember without hurting Marco.

"I can't," playing the tune a little faster, "Technus ran across the information about Marco a week ago…"

"Technus?"

"Don't interrupt dipstick," closing her eyes getting into the song, "info travels faster in the Zone than it does out here. I was already coming up with the plan by the time he came to me and said he could give me a second chance but there was a price. I know enough not to agree to anything he said, but there was no harm in listening, I just have to take control of all the under thirties and make them control everybody else."

Tobias looked up at Danny, (this is bad, very bad.)

"How bad could it be."

"This bad baby-pop," thinking he had been talking to her and shifting the tune of her guitar, a moment later a maid walking in through the broken door way. "Touch your nose," the woman doing so, "jump up and down three times," again the woman doing as she was told, "tell me you love me."

"I love you Ember."

"I love you my hot blooded rock goddess," the words from Marco more sincere than from the maid who barley registered that she was there.

Danny looked down at the tiger, "the worlds best Simon Say's caller, ooohhh I'm so scared."

"Set your self on fire and jump out the window," the ghosts' voice hard the woman running over to a lamp and shattering it before anyone could try and respond.

Tobias moved before Danny, easily covering the distance between them and her in a matter of seconds and hit her in the back with his head as lightly as he could forcing her to the ground. Looking back at Danny, (still think she's not dangerous?)

The glow of his hand changing, "ok so I was wrong," throwing the arm out an orb shot forward hitting her in the back, exploding in green slime it held her down as she struggled to carry out the order she had been given.

"Pretty soon I'll control all the under thirties and everyone else does what I say or they're kids ain't gunna be around anymore."

Tobias growled at her, the sound actually running through her and making her miss a note, (same tune different words, this is the same crap the yeerks pulled.)

(Down birdie,) Jazz trying to figure out if she could throw the door like a frisbee and take out the guitar before she could react, trying to by a little more time, (so what does Technus want then?)

"Something about digging up the city looking for technology, don't know why don't care long as everyone else is saying my name I'll be the happiest rock diva this world has ever seen."

(I'm going to eat her,) taking a step closer to her.

"Lover," barely giving him a glace, Marco getting between her and cat, giving Sam the opening she needed. Without hesitation she squeezed off a round at the ghost, the flash of red missing as Ember's eye went large and she fell out of the chair, slipping over the side next to Marco. The second she hit the ground Jazz tossed the door at her like at over sized shuriken, again the attack missing as Ember scrambled on the ground, still using Marco as a shield, the door embedding behind him, the top corner now suck in the floor, actually stick out the ceiling of the room below it. Having them all off balance was what Tobias had been waiting for as he went in claws out, intent on stabbing them through the flame haired ghosts head.

"HOT STUFF," Marco yelled as he grabbed the ghost and pulled her to the side making the white tiger miss, now putting them in the middle of the four, one on each side.

Ember looked up at him, "why didn't you do that sooner?!"

"Sorry my hot blooded beauty," he said the words but his eyes were hollow as though he weren't all there.

"I told you to protect me," getting to her feet and aiming her guitar at the girl in black, "so protect me or get out of my life.'

"No," looking at the back of her head, genuinely hurt, "I can't do that, I love you."

Tobias looked past the pair to the half ghost, (what's wrong with him, I know things have changed but the last time I saw him he seemed completely devoted to the woman that was having his child?)

"Knowing Ember it's a love spell, she used it on me once, trust me it's very powerful."

(Wonderful,) baring his fangs, (all this time trying to avoid mind control and he finally gets taken in after everything is said and done.) Looking over at Marco, (get out of the way man, I don't want to hurt you but I have to stop that girl.)

"You can't hurt me flame of my love," getting between the two of them.

"Flame of my love…so writers really do come up with all his best lines."

(He was funnier when he was younger, I swear,) taking a step closer to his old friend, (get out of the way or your going to be missing limbs in a minute,) hoping that a threat would be enough to drive him off, or at least the hope that keeping a tiger from chewing on his leg was important than some girl.

Letting out a growl that bordered on the primal, "your not going to hurt flaming finch."

"Finch," Danny getting thrown off by the line.

(Song bird,) Tobias understanding what he meant.

The half ghost hit himself in the forehead with his pal, "I'm blaming you for all these animal jokes, this didn't happen before you showed up."

(Yeah back then you were responsible for all the bad jokes in the city.)

"Thanks sis."

(GUYS!) Tobias back up half a step, his fur rising, (WE'RE IN TROUBLE!)

"Thank you we're all here."

(Not that,) looking at Marco, was getting larger by the moment, his shirt ripping in half as black fur started growing from his body.

Jazz noticed the changes before the other two, (tell me he's not doing what I think he's doing.)

(I think he's going gorilla, chalk another one up to ghost powers messing with morphing.)

(I thought his powers were dead birdie.)

(Not dead he just doesn't know he has them, so I don't know how he's doing this,) pushing off with his legs, claws out ready to cut Marco apart. (The rules have changed, you guys deal with her I'm going to deal with the zoo escapee.)

Marco sidestepped Tobias, more due to the fact that his feet were quickly mutating than due to any skill of his own. "Rrrad ffitty-gggat," trying to speak, his mouth changing it's shape distorting the words as they left, "ffattts rraappining," looking at Ember.

"I don't know but I like it."

"Gaalll dattt vvatters," standing up on all fours, his change slower than the Tobias or Jazz, his body part human part ape. His arms were longer, his legs shorter, body all around larger, his strength increasing as he went, his clothing being ripped off, unable to morph them.

(Sorry about this,) Tobias tackling the mutant ape to the ground, causing them to role over, his claws against Marco's shoulders biting into them and tearing the flesh. The gashed themselves healed as the body continued morphing.

With her shield gone Sam fired a shot at the ghost, the beam flying under her as she took to the sky, "looks like someone in this group is looking to go solo," her fingers flying over her guitar, changing the settings, "but she needs to learn she a back up singer at best," slashing her hands across the strings a giant pink fist rocketing out at Sam.

Shifting her feet, Sam powered her board out of the way, "first animal one liners now music, I feel like I need to cut my ears off here."

Looking back at the other two, changing the settings on her guitar again, "but then you miss out on all the fun," firing off a power cord, waves of purple light rocketing off from instrument hitting the tow and throwing them into the wall. "Now that I got a little room time for a little number I call 'I'm an orphan cause I ticked off the wrong girl'," the tune of her guitar changing.

Jazz shook her head and staggered to her feet, brushing part of a broken table off of her, (you hear that?)

"Not sure I sis all I can hear is ringing at the moment," lightly banging the side of his head.

(She's going to make our family kill themselves.)

"She can do that?"

(How would I know your the one with the experience with her, but I've been under her spell at least three time now I believe she can do anything.)

"Great, like I needed this, I'll tell Tucker to get to our place."

(And if she's going after his parents and Sam's too, they've been in way for a while now too.)

All he could do was just look at his sister, "you actually think so?"

(If I'm wrong do you really want to take the chance?)

"No," shaking his head, he did a quick look at the fight, Sam was on Ember trying to stop her, as fast as she was still not quite able to get to her, the ghost's playing becoming shaky as a result. Tobias meanwhile was on Marco's back, biting at his neck for all he was worth, but the actual damage seemed to be minimum given the amount of blood coming off. However given the growls coming from the big cat Danny feared surface wounds would soon give way to missing limbs. "Ok," locking his gaze on the ghost and speaking in a whisper, "I'm going to try and get Ember out of here, that doesn't work I'm going through that window and I'm not stopping till I'm at our house. Let Sam deal with Ember right now that angers helping her and keeping Ember off balance. Get Tobias and throw him out the window, as he's falling tell him and Tuck what's going on, have Tobias goes to Sam's and tell Tucker to check on his family. After that have them hit everyone who's ever been an ally or a potential threat to Ember, make them safe I don't care how then have them get back here incase things aren't going well."

(And I'm suppose to be doing what during all this?)

"Get monkey boy there under control, he's not going to be doing anyone any good if he's dead."

(Birdie won't kill him.)

"No," glaring at her, "he's just going to main him and I'm not sure Marco can control that ape as well as you can."

(Crazy plan Danny.)

"We don't have time for a sane one," bolting forward, his feet leaving a trail of green as he used the speed boost, Embers back now to him. For a moment he locked eyes with Sam, or as much as he could given she had a mask on, even under the circumstances in that moment she understood what he wanted, and agreed to it.

Taking aim the hunter let off a shot at the girl, "come on oh queen of disco stop running and show me what you got," the blast of red missed but it pulled her attention away from the half ghost on her tail and put her in a perfect position. The ghost in black didn't have time to respond as Danny tackled her and kept going straight to the window. She didn't have time to respond as he moved one finger from her and fired a small ghost ray that slightly shattered the glass in front of them, just enough do that when they hit it let them pass through easily, shards of glass dancing around them as they fell to the ground.

Ember pounded on him as she fell, the glass on her body enough to drive her into action, "kid this isn't the stage show I ordered," her hair flaring as she threw he head down, trying to burn him. Danny however was one step ahead having gone intangible and shot through her, leaving a trail of green in his wake as he bolted to his home, driven by fear and anger. "Yeah you better fly you boy band loving…"

"JUST SHUT UP," Sam driving her hover board into the ghosts face from above, the strike so powerful she forced the ghost into the ground, her guitar spinning out of the way. Looking up she watched Danny go, "don't hurry, I'll be here a while," pointing her gun down at the ghost.

(CCCCRRRRAAAPPPPP,) the thoughts making her jump and look up as Tobias came hurtling towards her, his fur receding and being replaced by feathers. (YOU ARE A SICK TWISTED WOMAN,) his wings shooting out as his body shrank and sailing over Sam before he could hurt her, (I LOVE THAT ABOUT YOU!)

Sam forced herself to look back at Ember, "that is the sickest relationship on the face of the planet," talking to herself more than Ember.

"There's a song in there somewhere, to bad you won't be alive to hear it," her ponytail jumping and engulfing her in flames and throwing her off. "Think next time before you take on the hardest rocking diva on the planet."

"Believe me I've been thinking about this longer than you think," a shot of red energy missing the ghost and hitting just right of Embers head, the flames blinding her slightly.

The flame haired ghost laughed lightly, "just another one hit wonder," her hands igniting in blue flame, "destined to burn yourself out."

"Shouldn't that be my line?" relays in the suit calling her board to her as she jumped back and landed on it's surface before Ember could attack. Powering the board she shot skyward, the flames dying around her as a result, but not without a cost, patches of the suit had been burned away and the exposed circuitry set off small sparks while the internal diagnostics had caused warning lights to flare before her eyes.

Throwing her hands upward, her fingers out stretched, "the ability to improvise is what separates the stars from the wanna-be's," the blue light casting eerie shadows around her that danced as the flames jumped.

"And I'm going to make sure we stay separate," the word barley audible under her breath, doing a twist around the pillar of flame and charging down at her, the flames dancing on the underside of her board.

* * *

**Jazz POV**

(I'm coming my arson angel.)

(Whoa big boy,) my metal cover finger reaching out grabbing the other morphed gorilla by the scruff of the neck as he flung himself out the window. The force of the leap, combined with his weight through me off balance and nearly out the window, a quick grab for the wall with my free hand and foot keeping me from falling. Looking out the window I felt a quick rush of vertigo, (of course you wouldn't have a stunt man right now,) painfully huffing, a few pieces of glass digging into my arm, tinting her white fur red. With a groan I pushed myself back and swung him back through the glass and set him sliding on his butt. Groaning slighting and rotating my bleeding arm, trying to force a sudden kink from it, I looking at him, (now lets try this again like civilized apes,) putting I weight on all fours, by fangs just slightly bared as I tried to remember that he was being controlled, though that didn't help that the gorilla in me wanted to through the intruder out of my defacto territory.

With a grunt he jumped up on his hind legs, (get out of my way,) pounding his chest, a clear sign the gorilla was more in control than the human he had been.

I actively placed myself between Marco and the window, (you don't find this a little weird? You being a gorilla and all,) not wanting to pass up the chance to see where Ember's power began and Marco ended.

Growling, (she needs me.)

(And yet you're a gorilla come on your telling me that's normal for you?) I was doing my best to get him to talk, anything to keep him off balance and distracted.

(This coming from the other talking gorilla,) lumbering to the right, my own movements matching his.

(This is Amity park, for us this is normal.)

(Not this unusual for me either,) the line throwing me for a loop.

Trying to choose my words carefully, (you've done this before?)

He looked almost perplexed, as much as a gorilla can anyway, (yes…no…what,) staggering back a step, (I have to get down there.)

(No, what did you mean this isn't unusual for you,) I wasn't sure I'd stumbled onto something but I might've.

Letting out a grunt, (no more talking just get out of my way,) charging at me.

Letting out a grunt of my own, (not happening,) colliding with him, out shoulder hitting hard and causing us to bounce off each other half a step enough so we could each through a punch. His meaty hand hitting my jaw while my armored one nailed his in return, the added power the energy running through it provided me with enough extra force to claim victory as he was forced back. I watched him skid back a few feet but I knew from personal experience what kind of beating he could take and that wouldn't come close to stopping him.

(Super charged brass knuckles,) his thoughts almost sounding amused, (nice trick.)

(Your sounding better,) hopping I might've somehow snapped him out of it.

(Now get out of the way so I can join my sizzling soul mate or I'll feed them to you,) I have to stop hoping, birdie better be having better luck.

* * *

**Tobias POV**

(Not enough time) the thoughts staying with me as I hauled tail to Sam's home, hoping I wasn't to late. All things considered I'd have rather been fighting Marco but I understood why Jazz wanted me to do this, if I'd stayed there I was going to get Marco hurt. It wasn't something I would admit to the others but I was really getting into the fight, it was like old times, and that wasn't a good thing. I may have known how to heal myself but there was no telling if he did and really didn't want to be responsible for anybody else's death. Jazz had the best chance of containing him without doing serious damage and that was something I would freely admit to them.

The roof of Sam's place came up a faster than normal, but then again I'd never needed to get there this badly before. (Please let them be ok,) pouring on a little more speed as I went into a controlled dive, the air wiping around me blocking out the sounds of the world around me and keeping embers music out of my ears. I had to give it up to this ghost it seemed like everyone in town had been listening to the radio so they all seemed to be under her power.

(Two ways of doing this and I don't really have time to be subtle,) the idea in my head beyond stupid, but I was never know for being smart. Lining up with the main door of the plush home and calling up the deinonychus dna in my system I felt the changes occur causing the speed I had built up to fault for a second before the added weight took over and I shifted into a control fall. Doing a midair flip, while I still had enough wings to perform the maneuver, the changes finished and I hid the door with both feet, the wood not standing a chance against the dinosaur and shattered around me letting me hit the hard wood floor.

"AAAHHHHUUUHHHH," the scream causing the instincts to jump out of my control for a second due to the sheer shock and I went for the noise. "COME GET SOME," getting hit in the nose with a metal cane, the shock putting me back in control, which was good news as Sam's grandmother otherwise I might have hurt her.

She swung at me again, this time however I caught it in my claws, (please don't do that,) holding it in place, marveled by the fact that this old woman in a scooter had done that to me, first without knowing which was impressive enough but to try again after seeing me, it made me understand a lot better now.

"Get out of my house," hissing at me with steely resolve and trying to run me over with her scooter.

(I see the attitude skips a generation,) the thoughts just slipping out.

"Is something wrong with Samantha?" the woman was more together than most of the people in Amity Park apparently, and those eyes made it clear if she were able she would've done her best me break my neck.

Letting go of the cane, (she's fine, I need to know about everyone else in this house,) I didn't see a point in being secretive, everything right now was about timing.

She looked me up and down for a second, "they're the same as always why," a hint of concern in her voice but mostly she just seemed interested in what I knew.

(Ghost attack,) checking the scents in the air, (did anyone in this house listen to RCKN today?)

"I was going to but those two thought it would upset me."

"What's all the noise in here," Sam's dad's voice coming from the second story, "GET AWAY FROM HER," his voice ringing out as I spotted him above me, though he made no move to do anything.

"You promise me Samantha's alright," keeping her voice low.

If I could've smiled in a way that wouldn't have freaked her out I would've, (as much as any of us can be,) carefully turning away from her, making sure not to hit her with my tail, (keep everyone in doors and don't let them listen to the radio till things appear to be back to normal…or till Sam get's here.)

As I headed to the door she grabbed my tail, "if you don't bring her back to me I'll hunt you down."

(I believe you would,) looking back at her, (your not afraid of me are you?)

Giving me a knowing smiling, "I've been around a long time, I know to believe what I see with my own eyes over what I'm told, and there are often reasons for the things that aren't said."

(I don't know why I bother getting surprised anymore,) running out the door before the man upstairs could summon up the ability to decide what was more important to him, his life or hers. I demorphed and hit the sky barely a block from her door, I could feel myself getting a little winded but pushed it aside I had other things to do, like remembering where Val lived, the other ghost hunter seemed like a good potential target in my mind but it was a little hard to think , the idea that Sam's grandmother knew what she was involved in for some reason had floored me.

* * *

**DP Style**

"Of course," hitting himself in the forehead and hanging his head, "never easy." Danny had just phased through his front door to find his parents frozen in place Embers song still coming out of the radio. Carefully floating next to them he waved his hands in front of them, "well at least their alive…and they don't look like they moved," beginning to put a few pieces together. "I think she suckered us," floating back and holding his head in his hands, "she just wanted us out of the way while she bolted," feeling like an idiot for not seeing it earlier, "it's not like she ever had the power to do this, at least not at this range. I have to get back," heading to the door only to stop and look back, "then again this is an opportunity I can't really afford to miss."

Phasing through the floor he hit the lab and flew over to one of the panels for the defense grid, "well they did want to test this out," flipping a few dials so it would contain anyone in the house regardless their intentions. "I'm just going to blame this one on Jazz," turning it on and phasing through the wall then up through the street just outside of the ghost shied as it erected itself automatically.

"Boy I hope I'm right about this otherwise…," letting the thought just hang in the air not really wanting to think about the alternative.

* * *

**DP Style**

"Tell me again how you're the good guy," the fire that surrounded her giving Ember an ethereal beauty as the red and orange flames made her pale skin look almost alive.

"It's not always about being good," most of the outer layer of Sam's suit having been burned away leaving almost all of the internal circuitry exposed and sparking with every move. She forced herself not to look around knowing the leaping fires, cracked pavement and leaping holes that littered the area where her doing, the result of her need to stop the ghost, to stop her future regardless of the cost.

"So your what in this for the kicks," doing her best to repress a groan, not wanting the hunter to know that she was hurting and getting tired.

Shifting her foot the hover board leapt towards the ghost, leaving a trail of silver sparks in her wake, her gun lost somewhere in the flames forcing her to rely on her sword for the moment. "This isn't about kicks," bring the board up.

Ember released twin jets of flames from her hands, "not this again," knowing she was going for her head, the flames diverting her enough to sail just over her head. "Loser," not watching as Sam gabbed her sword into the ground and using it as a pivot, gaining a little more speed and crashing into the ghost's back and bringing her face into the pavement.

The strike wasn't without cost, the flame that doubled as hair frying the end of the board and causing it to crash and bounce out reach sending her tumbling to the ground. "The repair bill is going to be ridiculous," forcing herself top her feet, trying not to wince as something stung from within her body.

Across from her was also trying to get to her feet, wishing she knew where her guitar was, knowing she could've ended the fight in a second with it's power. Through clenched teeth, "what did I ever do to you?"

"It's not what you did it's what you will do," using her sword as a cane.

"What are you talking about," frying to summon a flame to her hand and only getting a few sparks, her exhaustion kicking in.

Looking for an opening, "you wouldn't understand," slowly reaching back for her whip.

"No I don't," forcing all her will power into her hand and finally making a small blue flame pop and flare within it, "I've known strung out ghosts that made more sense than you right now," trying to stall for time knowing she would get one shot if she was lucky and had to make it count. "Does this have something to do with the human, I'll let him go, you can keep him if you want I can find another if this one matters so much."

Locking her eyes of the lamp post, "nothing to do with Marco, this is between us."

"Ok what did I do to you and don't say it's what I will do because that's stupid," scanning the environment behind her, "I've known plenty of rockers who've been all about the what if's and the could be's and losing it when what they think should happen doesn't."

"And if you know what will happen?"

"Then your an idiot, because no one knows what'll come next, if I did I'd still have a pulse and be a rock legend," throwing her other arm out, "instead of being here like this dealing with a freak like you." The words hit Sam harder than she would've liked, it was nothing she hadn't heard form the others but somehow coming from this ghost made it a little more real, a little more plausible, "but I'm about to fix that problem at least," letting lose her jet of flame, while Sam reacted and shot out her whip. Ember deliberately missed Sam and hit the car a few feet to the left hoping it had a full tank of gas, Sam meanwhile made contact with the metal pole that had been weakened enough to so that when she pulled it fell near the ghost, but missed her by a sizable breath. Ember could only laugh at the result, "that was it, that was pathetic."

"No exactly what I planned either," mad that she had wasted what might have been her best shot, "but it's not like you did much better."

"Wanna bet," the taunt making Sam look back, the sight of the burning car making her sprint, it was sheer luck that let her take cover behind a piece of dislodged building that saved her as the car exploded and flung shrapnel everywhere.

She groaned and grabbed her shoulder, the sparking suit eventually making her a beckon even in the fire lit battle field. "Come on girl get it together," doing her best to force the pain from her mind, "I have to end this," the first image popping to mind was her beating Ember senseless with a stick till blood ran out her ears. Shaking her head and forcing the image away, "come on use your head, going off trying to beat her brains in is what got you into this problem, if I just tried to stop her instead of hurting her this would be over and I wouldn't be in this mess."

"Are you done talking to yourself," a shot of blue flame leaping out from over the debris, "because I'm still here."

Looking down at her sparking hand, small white arcs leaping from finger to finger, a small smile forming beneath the mask as an idea began to piece together. She tapped the relay and hoped that her communication system was still working, at first all she had was static then a grunt slipped through the internal ear piece. "Jazz I need some help…"

* * *

**Jazz POV**

Diverting my attention between Sam and Marco wasn't the easiest thing I've ever done but I managed. On the one hand I was glad Sam had seemingly come out of her obsessive rage, on the other what she wanted from me was the thing of nightmares for most people.

(Let me through,) Marco's movements slowing, the wounds Tobias had given him earlier finally catching up to him.

Grabbing a quick look back to the window, (I'm really hoping this is just her control over you making you talk like this because I really thought you were more cleaver.) He reared back and pounded his chest again and charged at me, (and this is getting redundant,) preparing myself. When he came in range I grabbed his arm, pivoted on my foot, spun slightly, putting my other hand on his back and pushed him back the way he came sending him sliding back. (Piece of advice, the primal thing works but only if the person your fighting can't counter or match it,) inching my way back to get a better look at what was going on below us, (to put it bluntly you just don't match up.) The little taunt at the end had the desired results as he sprung up and snarled at me and charged, (I really wish we had a better plan than this,) keeping the thoughts private as he came. The second he was on top of me I side stepped him and let him fly through the window, while he screamed I couldn't help a parting shot, (what you wanted down there,) after I said it I realized I never would've done that before I had met birdie, and I wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

Shaking off the thoughts I looked world below me, knowing I only had a small window in which to act, a played all the factor in my head and hoped I was right on the vague psychological profile I'd put together on the ghost and leapt after the my former opponent. I forced my eyes open as Marco hit the ground hard, sending blood, flesh, fur every where, the otter shock of the scene making Ember leap back just where I hoped she'd end up and tried to brace myself, letting the gorilla come out and letting it's strength and confidence reinforce my own, not that it was thrilled with what I was doing. The Ghost was still in shock, I forced myself to look at her hair over the ground and was a little surprised to see it had died down so far from when I'd seen her at the beginning of the fight and wasn't sure if it was because she was tired or it was an indicator of her mood after what had happened to Marco. Those were the last thoughts I had when I landed behind her and the word went black.

* * *

**DP Style**

The impact was uglier than Sam thought it'd be, which was a little hard to believe given what she had wanted, she just hoped Jazz could forgive her.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHUUUUUUHHHH," the goth hadn't really expected a scream from the ghost but it was as good an indicator as any. She ducked out from behind her spot as fast as her legs would carry her, glad the ghost was looking the other way as the bloody purple back gorilla. "Really hope this works," the words barley audible as she clapped her hands together and pulled them apart slowly, arcs of energy jumping between the them. With a soft grunt she lunged raising her hands up and slapping them onto the sides of ghosts head, silver energy jumping off them and causing another scream from the ghost as they jumped over her face and forced her to the ground. Sam held her there, the scream stopping quickly as the energy combined with her condition caught up with her.

(SAM,) Jazz barked into her mind forcing the dark haired girl to move back and let her go, (YOU SUCK!) After a moment she ran over to the girl and dropped to her knees having a hard time watching as Jazz demorphed. (I don't know how birdie does this,) bones and flesh knitting together as fur gave way to flesh, blood continued to flow from her wounds as it was continually replaced, the change back to human slower than normal.

"Just pull it together," slowly stroking the white fur, "and I'm really sorry about this."

(Yeah, yeah,) pushing herself up, internal organs threatening to become external organs, (never letting you plan again, how's Marco?)

"Marco….," looking over at the other gorilla, "I think this is bad," unlike Jazz he wasn't pulling himself together.

(Great he doesn't know how to demorph,) reaching down and holding her stomach and stopping the changes, (Marco listen to me….MARCO!)

He flinched at the intruding thoughts letting her know he was still alive, (I want to wake up now,) his thoughts barley registering

(Picture yourself in your mind,) trying to talk hi through the change, (imaging your becoming that person and putting everything else out of your mind.)

(It hurts.)

(I know it hurts but you just have to do it.)

(I just want to wake up.)

Lumbering over to the other ape, (then get up,) rearing back and punching him in what remained of his head.

(What was that for,) anger giving him a bolt of strength.

(Demorph and get up,) her thoughts harsh and unforgiving in no mood for this situation, (I no it hurts and you have no idea what's going on but just get up.)

"That seems a little harsh."

Glaring back at her, (I just jumped out of a building, I have the right to be anyway I want at the moment or at least till everything has been healed.)

Next to them Marco moaned, (I don't know what you want.)

Jazz was about to try and help him when she was interrupted, "what happened around here?"

"What happened to your plan," Sam still looking at Marco, knowing Danny had a good reason for being back.

Floating down next to her, slowly looking around not believing the shear amount of damage that had been done by the two girls, "I think she was lying, I can't leave you two alone can I?"

Snapping around and glaring at him, "You've done worse?"

"Yeah but it was in the Ghost Zone, this place looks like a bomb exploded."

(Don't say it Sam,) Jazz stopping her, (Danny you think you can over shadow him and get him back to normal?)

Floating over to him, "did a little bit of practice with your boyfriend but nothing quite like this."

(I'm going to ignore the b word if you can just try it, and do it soon…you know before he dies.)

"You're a little casual there," flying into the morphed star, for a moment nothing happened then Marco's still intact eye opened, a green glow emanating from it.

(You see enough animals blown to piece only for them to come back you start getting a little desensitized to the whole thing,) closing Marco's eye. (Now give me a minute here this might be second nature to you and Tobias but this isn't that easy for me…and it would help if this would stop freaking out…both of him.)

A bang of pain shot through Jazz forcing a grunt from her, (ok I have to fix this,) lumbering off into a close alley, white fur shifting red even before she was hidden in the shadows.

Slowly Marco came back together, one arm fully regrowing, a single strand of muscle pulling one leg back together while others began to form around it. Trying to take his mind off the numbness of the change he looked over at Sam, his other eye finally coming in, (you ok?)

She looked down at her still sparking suit, "I'm assuming this can be fixed," a large arc of energy leaping off her shoulders, "of course I don't feel safe taking it off till it stops doing that."

(Not what I meant,) knowing full well that she knew it too.

Behind the mask she closed her eyes, "I don't know," staring to shake lightly, "I…there…things…," the words not coming to her.

(Sam,) the thoughts forming around her and filling her mind with warmth almost like she was physically holding her, letting her feel safe.

"She doesn't want to be me," the words just slipping out.

Danny wasn't sure what to say to her for a moment, then finally, (what?)

"She doesn't want to be me, Ember doesn't want to be me," clarifying for him, "I don't want to be her and she doesn't want to be me we hate each other."

He forced himself to her reformed legs, testing there strength, the now thin limbs a little shaky under the almost full body weight of the gorilla. (Your going to have to explain this one to me,) his face still more ape than human so he couldn't make much of an expression.

"I don't want to be her Danny but she doesn't want to be me even more, I've spent all this time despising her and afraid we'd somehow end up fused and I think she want's that less than I do. I've been freaking out and losing my mind and I don't know why, we hate each other, ok I don't think she knows it's me under this mask but she pretty much said it would never happen. And…I don't know what I'm suppose to be feeling right now I really don't I'm happy and I'm mad, and I'm confused."

(Sounds about right,) the fire fight casting the shadow of a falcon on her, the bird coming landing on what was left of a car. (Congratulations Sam I think your finally beginning to accept your fears, however irrational we all know it to be.)

"I thought you were suppose to be compassionate and caring?"

(That was the me you didn't tell to jump out of a building.)

"I said I was sorry."

(You want forgiveness never ask me to do that again…ever.)

Danny rolled the fully repaired eyes of his now fully human loaner body, "I hate to break this up but does anyone know what is going on in the rest of the city?"

"It's not like I can do that much the was I am," the goth shrugging her shoulders.

Phasing out of Marco, "not really the point."

"WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE," the shriek filling the air from above them. The assembled four looking up at the man in the building Ember had been in, his head out the whole that Danny had made earlier.

"We're so going to get blamed for this one," the half ghost moaned, covering his face with his hands.

Sam couldn't even look in his direction, "well this one is kind of out fault."

"Our fault," looking at her accusingly.

"Ok my fault."

"How did I get here," Marco asked I a hollow voice, looking around at the burning world.

"I'd tell you," Danny threw his arm around the man, "but you'd never believe me," whipping out his thermos and sucking Ember into it with his other hand. Flying over to Sam and grabbing her and lifting her into the air, "later," shooting into the sky with her.

Jazz looked from her brother to Marco, (welcome to Amity Park, do yourself a favor get out while you can,) spreading her wings and taking off into the sky, the fire providing plenty of up drafts for her to soar on.

Marco followed her path into the sky, a feeling like he should be going with her playing in the back of his mind before pushing it away and looking around. "I don't think anybody's going to believe this," a patch of fire hopping up, "hope someone's catching this on film it would make a really cool scene."

* * *

**Jazz POV**

"So what's the prognosis Tuck?"

I can't even describe the look he gave her, it was part annoyance, part anger, part amazement and part something I've never seen before. "Sam I know you think I'm a genius….granted I am, but still."

"The point here Tuck?"

I watched him pull his glasses off and hold the bridge of his nose, from my time with him I knew it couldn't be good news, he never stalled unless it was bad. "The suit is fired," he finally said not making eye contact, "I'm going to have to call Nikki in on this one, I could try and fix it myself but there's no way it would be safe to wear."

Two out of three, not will to say anything, so far of Sam's gear only the gun was fixable, "all most makes Danny's trip into the police evidence locker seem pointless."

"Better broken with us," Tucker slipping into a rare introspective tone, "than being in anyone else's hands. Everything the police impound ends up at Axion or with your parents. Granted Mr. And Mrs. Fenton getting it is no great loss since it's back with us but…"

"We know this Tuck," Sam's attitude not surprising given she's just been side lined, "otherwise it's with Vlad. Not like I'm the only one that lost stuff though."

"Don't start Sam," I already felt bad enough about completely destroying the gloves in the fall, I hadn't even really had a chance to use them. Danny had recovered them as well, or at least most of them, a few pieces we were pretty sure had been destroyed in the fire, either way getting them fixed would probably take longer than Sam's equipment.

"Somehow this one just doesn't feel like a victory," Tucker saying what none of us really wanted to admit.

"Well Marco is ok that's something," doing my best to look on the bright side, it had been two days since Ember had gotten her hands on him and we hadn't really been able to do that much. After Sam had knocked her out her CD self destructed, by accident or by design we weren't sure and we just assumed that had been it. It wasn't till the next day, when everyone started scrambling and doing damage control, that things started to come out. Marco had no clue what had come over him but birdie had taken care of that one personally, donning a female morph he did a fare job of impersonating an aid to the mayor. He laid down a pretty good story of Ember being a crazy stalker who had drugged him and made him say all those things and said drugs had caused him to hallucinate a few very strange events ended with her getting him trapped in the middle of a ghost fight. Granted having me in his pocket feeding him lines helped a bit but at least we had gotten out of the woods. It would've been better if we just could've told him it was a ghost but that wasn't an option.

What Ember had planned worked a little to well, when we got my parents out of the houses new security grid, which hadn't been a problem given it crashed maybe a minute after Danny had activated it, which didn't say much for Fenton ingenuity. Dad tried in vain to ground us for that despite not having any proof we had bees behind it, granted Danny had but it was still the principle of the thing. There hadn't been much we could've done to stop them from charging down into the middle of the inferno but by then the fire department had taken care of the worst of it. The whole fight had finally convinced me to get rid out my Ember CD I'd been holding on to, she was evil I know but I still liked the music only to find it had been blanked out, and I mean totally, no music on the disk, the cover art now replaced with a plane white sheet, everything was just gone. When I told Danny I had him do quick look around and it turned out every piece of Ember merchandise in the city had undergone the same transformation. Next morning at school it turns out no one at school even knew who she was, even the most hard core of former followers was ignorant of her. To say the least birdie wasn't happy about it, he had a pretty justifiable hatred of people messing with outers memories.

Given this wasn't what Ember had told us would happen all we can really do is sit around and wait for the other metaphorical shoe to drop. With the exception of birdie who's doing his best not to think about the others everything that happened in the result of faulty equipment provided by Technus. Personally I'm less sure, like a stage performers she was keeping all our attention on one place so we didn't have time to notice what was going on behind the scenes. I can't quite shake the feeling that this was exactly what she wanted to happen, why I don't know, and I hope I'm wrong about it.

"Yippy for our side," her sarcastic mock-enthusiasm almost painful to listen to.

I placed a hand on her shoulder, "we'll get in together Sam we always do."

"You can remove it or I can rip it off."

"Oooookkkkk," stretching the word out, "not quite ready for that I see."

I got up headed towards the door, when she stopped me, "any word on why Marco could still use his powers, last thing we need is for him to freak out on a movie set and turn into a great white shark or something."

I shook my head, "birdie been consulting with Nikki and she's going to have someone keep an eye on him, not sure how yet but they figure something out. For the most part we don't think it's that much of a problem, given what I saw I'm pretty sure while he was under her power Marco was able to tap into his unconscious that must still know about his power. Without that catalyst I don't think it can happen again, combine that with the fact that birdie managed to convince him everything he experienced was a hallucination he'll probably do his best to even forget about the experience."

"And if he doesn't," Tucker's question while simple had a profound undertone.

Sighing, "I don't know, I hope it never gets that far," sighing really not wanting to think about the possibility of that event. "And as ominous as this is going to sound I don't suppose you want to come over to my place and see Marco off?

I heard the groan of bed signaling she'd dropped into it, "don't think I'd be good company right now."

"I would," seeing Tucker wave me off, "but not after what you just said," enough of a laugh accompanying the words to let me know he was at least partially joking. "Besides Danny has blocked anything I want to do I'm going to say no besides sounded like Tobias wanted some time with the guy. Honestly I feel for him that is not a situation I want to be in."

"Thanks Tuck," slipping out of Sam's house with no real incident and grabbing my car and heading home, glad nothing occurred to make me late as I pulled into the drive way.

"Your nuts man," always a good thing to hear when you walk into a house, granted it was Marco so I wasn't that concerned but still.

Birdie followed a moment later, "and I'm telling you your wrong, it doesn't make any sense."

"Dude it's science fiction it doesn't have to, that's why it's called fiction."

"And I'm telling you this will make it a better story leave the part about the mother in it'll connect with people otherwise it feels hollow."

"But it's depressing."

"Which is why it works in the end, it makes you feel for them all the more."

"Still bouncing ideas I see," sighing as walked into the living room and dropped into couch next to birdie.

Marco was toying with a soda can in his hand, "can't help it I got this great idea for a story I and your buddy here is the only one that gets it. It's like we're on the same wave length on almost everything. If I can sell this idea to the studio you sure you don't want credit, you can make some serious cash in this gets picked up."

Birdie waved him off, "I told you I'm good, just make sure to keep what I'm telling you to keep, trust me on it."

"I know story structure and people aren't going to like that part."

"If it's done right it'll work."

"You'd be surprised how many future box office bombs had people saying the same thing," shaking his head.

I just rolled my eyes and headed to the kitchen finding my parents, dad looking a bit defeated, "let me guess mad birdie stole your thunder?"

"NO," standing up and roaring, the chair he'd been sitting in bouncing across the floor, "yes," his eyes down cast, his voice meek as he grabbed the chair off the floor and sat back down.

Mom put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed in gently, "it's alright dear," then giving me a look the mixed depression with a hint of happiness, "they've been talking for almost an hour. It's strange, I haven't seen two people so in sync about anything since your father and I discovered out mutual love of ghosts."

I shuddered, "you realize you just compared Marco and Tobias to you and Dad right?" That caused a ripple to run through her as well.

"Not exactly what I meant," looking past me to the doorway, "Marco just came in so energized, he wanted help for this plan of his, your father and I tried to help but we were kinda pushed out by those two."

The way mom looked, I wasn't use to it, she'd never looked defeated before, I wasn't all that thrill by it. "I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it…"

"I know," cutting me off, "I don't know how to explain this sweetheart, I know he's not trying to be mean or endear himself to Marco it's just strange, they're agreeing on so much it was like we weren't even there, like nothing we could say mattered because it didn't fit in with their vision."

"He's a ghost," Dad's words making me jump, "that has to be it," the energy jumping up, "this was all a plan to get to him," jumping out of his chair, "to make us look stupid, to get to Hollywood and stop it from making another movie about heroic ghost hunters," leaping onto the table, "risking their lives for the betterment of the world!" throwing his arms out wide.

Mom and I just shared a look of disbelief, "dear," mom beating me to the punch, "how long have we known Tobias?"

"A few mouths."

"How long have we know Marco?"

"A few days?"

"Do you honestly think a ghost would've planned out a meeting like this so far in advance when even we didn't know it was going to happen?"

That look of confusion that always appeared on his face when facts were trying to invade one of his fantasy crossed his face and I knew he was struggling to accept of reject mom's argument. Finally hung his head and dropped off the table, "I'm never going to get to shot him am I?"

"Dad," walking over and picking up his chair for him, "stop asking things like that, you can't hurt him period."

"I wasn't going to hurt him I just wanted to shot him, unless he is a ghost then I'm going to turn him inside out and rip to atoms to figure out what makes him tick…then…then I'm going to put him back together so I can rip him apart again."

Again mom and I shared a look of concern, "I'm just going to leave now," inching away from him.

Mom took over for me putting a hand on him, "dear we talked about this, he's a good boy."

"So you keep saying."

"And Jazz could do so much worse."

"Or better."

"He makes her happy."

"So do I."

"Your sounding like my sister when she talks about our relationship."

"Don't be silly Maddie I'm not to good for you, we're perfectly as good for each other as two people could ever be good for each other ever." I really wanted to point out that that he wasn't actually making any sense but mom gave me a look that told me to shut up and let it go, and knowing how oblivious dad could be I heeded her warning, correcting everything he had missed just wasn't worth it.

I trotted upstairs wonder where Danny was in the comedy of errors that was my life, the soft sounds from behind his door was enough to let me know where he was. "Problem Danny," knocking on the door.

For a moment than her opened the door, "do you have to ask?"

"Don't tell me your mad at birdie too."

"Not him," motioning me in, "you seen this," grabbing the newspaper off his bed and tossing it at me. The head lines weren't surprising given I'd seen them the day before.

Reading them out loud, "Ghosts go on Rampage, Reason Unknown," tossing it back on the bed, "we've been through worse. We've been on the outs since the mall came down."

"I know," dropping onto his bed and bouncing for a moment, a look of defeat on his face, "and I'm kinda use to this but I did like the approval."

I dropped down next to him, "so your up here sulking" less a question than a statement.

"I'm not…ok a little," not even trying to hide it from me. "All the times I've helped save this city, all the time I put my butt on the line and I never asked for anything and just when people are starting to accept me boom one thing happens that I can't control and I'm back to being the bad guy."

"One thing," nudging him a little.

"Ok a lot of things but still how short sighted are people," looking at me, "you know this stuff better than I do."

I struggled with what to tell him for a little bit, what he was asking didn't have an easy answer. "Not to use our friend down there as a model," trying to figure out how to put this, "but to us we were expecting him to be who the media made him out to be. It didn't matter if that was the real him or not it's just the way of things."

"And this answers my question how?"

"What's I'm trying to say is someone, somewhere choose how he was going to be portrayed to the media, and right now someone in the city is thinking of a way to portray you in a way that will help them. It doesn't matter if it's the truth of not all they care about is that it gets them noticed by someone depending on where they are. Right now dumping on you is all they seem to care about and some people will go along with it but some are going to see through the haze and maybe se something else, It might be the truth it might be something totally different. You understand?"

He looked up at me slowly and I could tell from the look on his face that it wasn't what he was hoping to hear. "That wasn't even close to what I asked for."

I shrugged, a tingle on my check letting me know I was blushing from embarrassment, "Danny I'm a teenager, and despite what I might like people to believe my understanding of the human psyche is far from total. People have been struggling with what your asking all their professional lives it's not something I can just spit out in a matter of seconds."

"Lot of use you are sis," laying down on his bed."

"Thanks a lot," grabbing him by his shirt, "now come on, Marco won't be here forever and we need to pry him away from birdie for a little bit."

Following me but lightly struggling, "what afraid your boyfriend's going to follow him."

I just glared back at him, "no but dad's getting ready to throw a fit if he doesn't end up being the center of attention again."

"And when did it become our job to deal with this?"

"When it became apparent we were more stable than he is."

"I see ghost and you talk to birds, how are we stable?"

"Don't bet cleaver little brother," trying to get him shut up, the others coming into view at the foot of the stairs. "Something up," trying to sound casual.

"Time got away from me there," Marco running his fingers through his hair, "I have a flight I have to catch and I girlfriend I have to beg forgiveness from. I'm not careful this is going to end in a marriage, I'm not ready for an ex-wife."

"Your going to be fine," mom reassuring him, "she'll understand, I'm sure stranger things than this have happened in the past."

"Not to me specifically," the second the words left his mouth I had to bite my tongue but I let something slip out, and I could tell birdie was in the same boat. "Jack, Maddie," shaking their hands, "it's been a pleasure and I'm glad you made time for me, with luck this will help push this movie over the top, just a shame I never got to see a real ghost fight."

"After everything you went through here you'd really want to see that?"

"What can I saw Maddie I'm a glutton for punishment." He looked over to us, "kids stay safe or as much as you can in this city," getting a laugh from us.

"We'll do what we can."

"Your going back to the land of earthquakes and your telling us to be safe."

"Good one," looking to birdie, "your weird," I could feel myself jerk back when he said it.

Folding his arms and taking it better than I had, "your not one to talk."

Laughing at his come back, "hey weird is good, some of my best friends are weird, and seriously if you want credit just call I'm not that much of a glory hound."

"I'd rather stay off the radar."

"Your choice man, you have some good ideas."

"Which is why I know I'm better off here than I could ever be in your world Marco."

"That's deep man, you ah mind."

Tobias just waved him off, "go take it."

Shacking his head, "I'd love to keep this up but I have got to get to catch this flight," heading out the door my parents and Danny following him out and carrying on the goodbyes while birdie hung out in the house watching him through a window.

I lent up against the wall next to him, catching the show through the window with him, "you can go with him birdie."

He laughed lightly but kept his eyes trained on him, "I said my goodbyes a long time ago, it was nice to see him but that was it, we're different people now, he and I."

"Still, he is your friend."

"What friendship we had he doesn't remember," reaching out and taking my hand, "I thought you were the one that wanted me to live in the moment and stop thinking abut the past."

"Doesn't mean you should forget it," squeezing it back.

"If he has a say," giving me a smile, "I don't think I'll be able to."

That got me interested, "something you haven't told me birdie?"

The smile grew larger, "the brain storm he had for a film, your going to love this, five humans are genetically altered using alien technology that gives them the ability to alter their DNA and have to fight off an invasion of parasitic aliens."

All I could do was blink for several seconds, "this…this is a joke right," the only thing I could say to him.

"I wish," stating to laugh, "Marco of course wants to play brilliant yet witty lead, best friend to the stoic leader who's brother has already been taken over. They of course are opposite the butt kicking warrior woman, her pacifistic best friend who just so happens to be a human dictionary of life forms on the planet, and the tweaked loner who loses himself in his powers in order to escape his own demons. Along the way he finds out, and I fought for this, the lead finds out his dead mother was the first human taken and has paved the way for the take over."

"He's making you tweaked?"

"Well I am, so it's not like this is a real reach.

I couldn't help but slap him with the back of my hand on the shoulder, "birdie," mad he'd even say something like that.

"Jazz I'm far from normal and back then I was a little disturbed."

"And you just going to let him portray you like that?"

"It's not like anyone else knows it'll be me, besides chances it's never even get made."

"Tobias," I wasn't sure how to respond to this, it felt wrong, I understood why he was saying them but it still felt wrong.

"Jazz," taking my hand, "I know what your trying to do and thanks, but honestly I don't care, let him do what he wants I have other priorities right now."

I looked away, not wanting him to see the blush spreading across my face, outside my family was still hounding Marco. "My dad's a little mad at you."

"Hey I tried to get him back to your parents but it just didn't work, I'd forgotten how stubborn he could be and at least they have this time right now."

I felt my hair fall in front of my face hiding me from him a little more, "if I didn't know wbetter I'd say you planned this out birdie."

"I'm not that smart vixen," squeezing my hand a little tighter.

"Your doing that vixen thing again."

I could hear him laugh lightly, "you call be birdie all the time, why can't I have a name for you?"

"Pet names are one of the first signs of a serious relationship," quoting one of my books.

"Only if you want it to be."

* * *

**DP Style**

"Better or worse."

"Worse."

"Not surprising," securing the bandage, "you got banged up."

Groaning and pushing against the faux cloth, "I didn't ask your opinion."

Moving away and rolling up the rest of the bandage he hadn't used, "just giving you my medical opinion."

"Like your even a doctor."

Ignoring the always hostile patient, "I use to be," packing up his bag, "don't remove the bandage for at least three days, rest for at least two weeks, and no needless exertion which means no nothing unless you existence is on the line."

"Whatever."

"Whatever to you do," waving at her as floated past her to her door and left her small home.

The fire around her head jumped as the door slammed, "loser," groaning again as her shoulder throbbed, "crap." The bandage was a physical manifestation of his abilities, and while it helped it didn't make it any less annoying to wear. "Guess he's right though, I was planning on taking a rest anyway win or lose. I wonder if the dipsticks have figured it out yet, sure it would've been great to be in all those movies but it's not what I was really after. Anyone can hook up with a star and ride their coattails making it on your own is so much sweeter and this way I get to start from scratch, and this time I'll finally do I right. Sure the ghost rumor will still hang around but all the proof has not been wiped away and it's not like I'm the first person to get a label hung on them, and a ghost is so much better then people thinking you bite the heads off animals…eeaw."

"Now all I have to do is figure out how to stage my big come back, and of course avoid all those freaking halfa's who seem determined to ruin my party."

* * *

**Marco POV**

I felt a little like screaming, a long flight, a massive argument, which granted I was expecting after what that crazy stalker had forced me to say, but I still wasn't ready for it. I was called things I wasn't even aware were words for two hours and then got to watch as she picked up and stormed off, of course that wasn't the first time she'd done that to me so I wasn't that worried.

"I wish I had answers," dropping into the old chair I'd 'browed' from my dad, it didn't really fit with my current furniture but it was a piece of home and I'd spent years breaking it in. "I'm not looking forward to calling Jake," leaning my head back feeling a little bit lick crap for failing them, "I got some answers but not enough, at least for him, I barely for enough for me." Reaching over the side of the chair, into the pocket on the side I pulled out an old school year book and flipped to the dog-eared page that had Rachel's picture on it, "what am I going to do," tracing is image with one finger.

"It's not like the Fenton's weren't helpful, I mean they told me everything they could I mean they're only so much anyone can be expected to know. They were nice people a little crazy but they went way beyond what they had to, I just wish they could've given me some straight answers instead of those open ended figure it out ones, it's like being in school again."

"Well at least I got a potential story out of it, I just hope someone will actually buy it, then again it's totally crazy," leaning into the chair and putting my feet up. "I do like it though, something about it really clicks with me, it'll be a pain to do though, it'll call for some serious special effects, I don't know maybe it would go over better if it were animated," nodding my head, "I can see that, it could make a pretty good cartoon. I do feel kinda bad that I got more out of this by accident than I can give Jake after intentionally going for him," my grip on the book slipping and it falling to the ground. "Smooth man," reaching down for it, "I have to give it up for Tobias though it did help me bring a few of the story ideas together," picking it up, losing my place in the process. "I'm going to have to get him something he did earn it," looking down at the pages, "I just don't know what off the top of my…head….," my jaw hanging open, "freaky, seriously freaky." I was staring down at a picture of Tobias on the page, or at least someone that looked just like him and with the same name, "what are the odds of that," scoffing, "at least I know why he seemed so familiar." I studied the image for a minute or two then shook my head, "no…no just a little off," trying to make out details on the small page, "a little bit here and little there, close but no cigar, he could definitely be an impersonator thought," writing off the coincidence as just a coincidence and flipping back to Rachel's page.

* * *

**DP Style**

The purple energy flared I all directions, blocked by the red construct that hung around the ghost. The assailant heard the over eager attack of the ghost's partner behind him and didn't even hesitate, spinning in the air his free hand gripped the ghost's wrist holding it still, the red energy in his hand hovering just over his head.

"Give in," the ghost's eyes flaring red, doing his best to force the energy blade down.

"Don't bother," his partner delivering a punch to their opponents back, or trying to at least it was the plan. Their opponent jerked from his spot, his power enough to overpower the held ghost and pulled him along, bending his body back, towards the attacker, the first ghost delivering the bulk of his power to the back of his partner. The red energy that flared around his fist and splashed away as if it liquid, the struck ghost losing cohesion twin black rings forming around his waist, each running around his body in different directions and causing him to vanish.

His partner could only blink, his partner gone as his opponent no where to be seen, "such a shame," the words coming from behind him. Spinning the ghost only caught a blast of purple light that blinded him making him stager back, "so much wasted potential." A purple multi-sided construct formed in his hand as he walked past his would be attacker, almost casually he struck him in the back with it causing his tom vanish as his brother had.

"Ten for ten," an older voice calling out, the tone was painfully neutral, knowing he didn't dare show favorites.

Freeing his bound hand the Fright Knight shook his head, the fire around it slowly dieing down, "it almost feels like your getting worse."

"Know your place," Vlad growling and slowly rising to his feet, sweat running down his brow and visibly flinching from exhaustion. "They were almost perfect, they almost defeated you."

"I was in control of every fight from the beginning," the knight corrected, "and they were never close."

"Again," fighting to remain standing.

The fire around the armored ghost's head flared, "you may rule everywhere else, but here you do as I say," putting his hand on his sword. "Your interest in improving your skills is just that, your desire, if you wish to inflate your ego go else where, but if you wish my help you do as I say."

Something akin to a snarl slipped past Vlad's lips, if their were words hidden within the knight knew he didn't want to hear them. The hiss grew louder as he turned, "I have better things to do," floating away and phasing through a wall, the bushy eyed vulture following him a moment later.

The Fright Knight, once he was sure the Masters wasn't returning sighed, "good. Until you take the time to perfect these skills, to understand how they should be used instead of how to wish to use them it will for the best if you stop manhandling them. At the moment what you have unlocked is beyond what you can deal with and until you understand that much your more a danger to yourself than anyone who would cross you."

* * *

**Notes**

Long time between chapters I know, blame it partially of writers block, partially on laziness, partially on the idea of there being no new eps to inspire me. You can't however blame Thanksgiving, on the long drive up I didn't have much else to do but be alone with my thoughts and that was enough to get me fired up.

There are probably an inconceivable amount of grammatical mistakes, given how many I found I know I had to miss even more.

Thank you for your time and patience, I'll try and get the next story out a lot sooner, I appreciate your support of my work.

Please R & R


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